• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
 
LOG-IN
DONATE NOW
SUBSCRIBE
The Good People Fund

The Good People Fund

  • About
    • Mission and Vision
    • Values
    • Our Story
    • Professional Leadership
    • Board of Trustees
    • Financial Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ’s
    • Contact Us
  • Our Grantees
    • New Grantees
    • By Program Focus
    • By Location
    • By Organization
    • Alumni Grantees
  • How to Help
    • Donate Now
    • October 7 and After
    • Acknowledgement Cards
    • Planned Giving
    • Charitable Solicitation Disclosure Statement
  • Learning
    • Good People Learn
    • Our Educational Philosophy
    • For Jewish Educators
      • Our Good Service Model
      • Grab ‘n’ Go Lessons
      • GPF Core Curriculum
      • B’nai Mitzvah Service Projects
      • Archival Materials
      • Ziv Tzedakah Curriculum
    • For Students
      • Tips for Good Service Projects
      • Other Resources
  • Media
    • Newsroom
      • Grantees in the News
      • GPF in the News
      • Press Releases
      • 10th Anniversary
    • Grantee Focus
    • Videos
  • Good News
  • Podcasts
  • Journal of Good
You are here: Home / News / N.Y.C. Eatery Caters to Huddled Masses Yearning to … Cook!

N.Y.C. Eatery Caters to Huddled Masses Yearning to … Cook!

May 30, 2018 – Shachar Peled, Haaretz

Take a few trained chefs, add a group of refugee students and a pinch of memories from their home kitchens, and you get Brooklyn’s Emma’s Torch, which trains the newcomers for free and prepares them for a future in America’s food industry.


NEW YORK – The opening of a new restaurant here is hardly a headline-making event, but the launch of Emma’s Torch earlier this month had an unusual flavor. That’s because the kitchen staff at this Brooklyn eatery are refugees, asylum seekers and human-trafficking survivors who are training to work in the American food industry.

Creating a community around food is at the heart of Emma’s Torch. The restaurant, which was initially a pop-up kitchen, teaches professional cooking skills to those who have fled persecution, and then helps them find a job. No prior experience is necessary and the students are all authorized to work.

Founder Kerry Brodie, 27, was working as a communications director in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, and later at the Human Rights Campaign, when she realized she wanted to do something to benefit society. “I felt that by working in public policy – though it was really rewarding – I wasn’t really working with people,” she tells Haaretz.

After volunteering in a homeless-shelter kitchen, she realized that fond memories of cooking with her family weren’t that different from those around her. So she thought, why can’t we use that kind of universal movement experience to create long and lasting change?

Brodie quit her job, entered culinary school and opened a tiny pop-up kitchen in Brooklyn, with two refugee students at a time, learning the basics of the American brunch. But as the demand from both customers and applicants grew, Brodie and her team realized they needed to expand to a permanent space and expose the students to additional types of meals.

Now, eight participants are trained at any given moment and the program aims to graduate 50 to 70 trainees by the end of 2019. During the two-month paid internship, the students learn the secrets of working in a professional kitchen – from how to medium dice a potato to what the main mother sauces are.

Among the organizations that partner with and underwrite Emma’s Torch are the veteran HIAS refugee organization, the International Rescue Committee, Sanctuary for Families and various church-based groups.

But the Emma’s Torch program doesn’t stop there. It also joins forces with local chefs and kitchen managers to integrate the graduates into the New York restaurant scene and helps them find work.

 

Passionate about diversity

Naseema Bakhshi is a recent graduate who now works at Chelsea Market’s Dizengoff restaurant – one of a number of eateries opened by Israeli-born chef Michael Solomonov – preparing hummus and Israeli salads. A refugee from Afghanistan, she arrived in the United States in 2017 with her six children, and says her co-trainees and new colleagues have become her new extended family.

Naseema Bakhshi, an Afghani refugee and graduate from the Emma’s Torch program, working at the Dizengoff kitchen in Chelsea Market, New York. Shachar Peled

Her face framed in a colorful hijab, the 42-year-old Afghani is a true hugger, warmly embracing everyone she meets. She says she is grateful for the second chance she got in life.

“I lived in Afghanistan and then Pakistan, where I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t safe, my children couldn’t go to school,” she says while warming chickpeas in a large pot in the Dizengoff kitchen. “I come to New York, I have a job, a home, every person is my friend. I have insurance and Medicaid. I came with nothing, but now I have everything.”

Bakhshi’s new “family members” are truly international. Indeed, applicants come from countries ranging from Syria to Guinea to Venezuela. It is only natural, then, that those leading the Emma’s Torch program find themselves at times on the pupils’ bench.

“We learnt our shakshuka from our students,” Brodie chuckles, referring to the Israeli egg-and-tomato dish. “Naseema taught me about dissolving saffron using ice and how to make chutney kebab.”

Dima Pasiakin, 31, is midway through his training. He fled Russia last year with his husband Michael, after they were prosecuted under the country’s anti-gay legislation, and applied for asylum in the United States. Inspiringly cheerful, he did not let his circumstances halt his aspirations to someday become a chef with his own restaurant. After studying to improve his English, he joined Emma’s Torch.

“The most important part is that we are working there, actually making the food for people,” he says. “In our very first day there we discussed our country’s cuisines, our favorites, and from time to time we cook something that we like, something to share with the others.”

Diversity at Emma’s Torch isn’t just about the places where people come from, but also what they’re passionate about. “For me, it was humbling to realize that actually every student has different tastes and experiences,” Brodie recounts. She adds that she learned her Saudi student actually prefers to prepare Italian dishes and the Syrian refugee’s favorite cuisine is Korean.

Together with Alex Harris, the chef/culinary director, the team has developed a menu that takes into account the basic skills students must acquire to succeed, what’s seasonal and delicious, and what flavor profiles will spark a sense of familiarity that will make them feel at home in a professional setting – and also be appealing to the customer’s palate.

A window into the kitchen of Emma’s Torch, the Brooklyn eatery that trains refugees to work in the food industry. Giada Randaccio Skouras Sweeny

‘Nice Jewish lady with chutzpah’

The “New-American” menu on offer at the restaurant embodies a blend of cultures and includes items as simple as avocado toast and as unique as black-eyed pea hummus. Another popular dish is the pistachio bread pudding, a baklava-inspired dessert (see recipe below).

The idea of kitchen training as a social vehicle for change has been around for a while. Liliyot restaurant in Tel Aviv, where members of staff include at-risk youth, and the socially engaged Sunflower Bakery in Gaithersburg, Maryland, were among Brodie’s inspirations – both of them initiatives that help people help themselves and strengthen the community through food.

“I don’t think of this as a charity, it actually benefits me,” Brodie smiles. “I get to eat delicious food and live in a city that has amazing diverse cuisine – and that’s because we welcome the stranger.”

Brodie considers herself a proud American Jew and Zionist who was raised to fight for a just society. “I think what has strengthened us as a country historically has always been fighting and advocating for refugees,” she says.

Black-eyed pea hummus, which is part of the “New American” menu at Emma’s Torch. Giada Randaccio Skouras Sweeny

It’s no surprise that Brodie named her initiative after Emma Lazarus, the poet whose 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus” is engraved on the Statue of Liberty – or, as Brodie calls her, “a nice Jewish lady with chutzpah.”

The Emma’s Torch team sees its work as a way of securing Lazarus’ legacy. “What makes us a great and a strong nation is welcoming people,” says Brodie, herself a child of South African immigrants and great-granddaughter of Lithuanian refugees.

“This is an important reminder that people share a common humanity,” she concludes. “My memories of cooking with my mother aren’t that different from the memories of the student from Saudi Arabia cooking with her mother. And if people can remember that, then I hope they can remember we should be building bridges and not walls.”

Primary Sidebar

Good News Stories

The Good People Fund is all about stories that share the goodness within each of us and the way that goodness can change the world, bit by bit. Read on and find out why we love our work, helping extraordinary people. . . .

  • GPF Grantee Launches a Powerful Storytelling Video Series

  • International Neighbors Celebrates 10 Years

  • Hadassah Foundation Honors GPF Family, New and Old

  • Spirit Club Expands to Denver

  • Breaking the Chain: Back to School in Ghana

Footer

Candid Gold Transparency Award Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating
Safety. Respect. Equity. — SRE Network Affiliate

Get Inspired

Get uplifting stories of how ordinary people are changing the world in extraordinary ways. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Subscribe

Recent Updates

  • GPF Grantee Launches a Powerful Storytelling Video Series
  • International Neighbors Celebrates 10 Years
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 The Good People Fund, Inc. | All Right Reserved | Website by DoSiDo Design and Insight Dezign 26-1887249

ROSH HASHANAH BEGINS SEPTEMBER 22ND!

Good People Fund Rosh Hashanah e-Card 2024

Wish your friends and loved ones a Shana Tova U’Metukha (a good and sweet year) with a GPF Rosh Hashanah e-card. Send holiday wishes and support our Good People at the same time. Quick, easy, and impactful.

 

Purim is coming on March 13th …

And we have a no-calorie, no-stress holiday plan for you!

No Calories, Just Good - Good People Fund Purim 2024 e-card image

Send your friends and family Purim greetings guaranteed to make everyone feel good by giving tzedakah in such a meaningful way.

It’s Here!
GPF Journal of Good 2024

Our Journal of Good 2024 could not have been published at a better time. As we struggle with so much–a war, widespread hatred and political dysfunction, its stories of visionaries driving positive change… and those of individuals, families and communities whose lives are altered for the better, will move you.


Empower More Good

Get Inspired
Just add your name and email address and you are on the way to reading Good People’s stories that will inspire you!
Educators Newsletter

Join our Educators News list for updates on to receive updates on our programs and curricula:

Join Us!

November 17

The Good People Fund (un)conference

Join us virtually, Sunday November 17th, 7:00pm to 9:30pm Eastern for The Good People Fund Celebratory Program. Featuring … Ruth Messinger (Global Ambassador of the American Jewish World Service), John Beltzer (Songs of Love) and Naomi Eisenberger (Co-founder and Executive Director of the The Good People Fund). You won’t want to miss it!

 

You can still send a New Year’s Greeting

Good People Fund Rosh Hashanah e-Card 2024

Wish your friends and loved ones a Shana Tova U’Metukha (a good and sweet year) with a GPF Rosh Hashanah e-card. Send holiday wishes and support our Good People at the same time. Quick, easy, and impactful.

 

Want more good news?

Sign up here for our newsletter!

Good News

Purim is coming on March 23rd …

And we have a no-calorie, no-stress holiday plan for you!

No Calories, Just Good - Good People Fund Purim 2024 e-card image

Send your friends and family Purim greetings guaranteed to make everyone feel good by giving tzedakah in such a meaningful way.

GPF Live From Israel!

Sunday, March 3rd @ 12 PM Eastern Standard Time

Join Naomi, Julie and three of our visionary Israeli grantees for a special live Zoom event:

Good People Fund — Live from Israel!

Find out how they’re meeting new challenges since Oct. 7, while staying true to their passions and missions of elevating good and uplifting the communities they serve. And ask your questions!

Our family in Israel is hurting,
can you help?

There has been significant loss of life, horrific injuries and deep, deep trauma from an unexpected attack on its soil and from the unprecedented kidnapping of so many civilians and soldiers. We are working hard to uncover needs on the ground that we can meet and help facilitate in our typical manner—person to person.

We have spoken with several grantees and the sentiments we hear over and over again are disbelief and shock … but more than anything, resolve. They foresee that many more lives will be lost and that life, as they knew it, has been forever altered.

As we have learned from earlier wars, the situation is fluid and each day new needs will be identified. We have joined together with two grantees and, conferring with local social workers, are developing a plan to assist at least twelve families directly impacted by the war, as well as families of kidnapped victims.

We would be grateful if you would be a part of our efforts to help in the way that we do best … our very personal way.

Our Spring Sale Has Started

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/

It’s Here!
GPF Journal of Good 2022

Our Journal of Good 2022 has just been published and it’s filled with stories of visionaries driving positive change… and those of individuals, families and communities whose lives are altered for the better.


Journal of Good 2022 cover

Empower More Good

ROSH HASHANAH BEGINS SEPTEMBER 25th!

Wish your friends and loved ones a Shana Tova U’Metukha (a good and sweet year) with a GPF Rosh Hashanah e-card. Send holiday wishes and support our Good People at the same time. Quick, easy, and impactful.

 

In Their Words: The Pandemic

Read what our grantees are saying and how they’re responding to COVID-19 with the help of Good People Fund donors.

How the Pandemic is Changing Their World

It's Here!

GPF 2021 Annual Report

Our 2021 Annual Report has just been published and it’s filled with moving stories about ordinary people who have done extraordinary things to make our world a better place.

We need it now, more than ever … Read on!

Hanukkah begins November 28th, about the time we gather for Thanksgiving.

Send a few ecards to family and friends, and do some good at the same time.

 

We know you’re thinking beach, relaxation, barbecues and summer fun, but…

Labor Day will usher in the New Year so while you are still relaxing, think about all of your friends and family you want to wish a sweet, healthy holiday.

 

Good People Talk! is Everywhere!

Now you can subscribe to our monthly podcast — Good People Talk! — on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeartRADIO, and Podcast Index. Please subscribe, share, and comment on your favorite podcast network!

Register now!

April 11, 7:30 pm Eastern

How Good People Help Aspiring Americans Succeed

Join us for our second Good People Talk Live! event – Meet four of GPF’s Good People and learn about their unique experiences, observations, and approaches to uplifting newcomers seeking better lives for themselves and their families.

Our guests include:

  • Kristen Bloom, Founder & Exec. Director, Refugee Assistance Alliance
  • Sloane Davidson, Founder & CEO, Hello Neighbor
  • Kari Miller, Founder & Exec. Director, International Neighbors
  • Dr. Eva Moya, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Social Work, The University of Texas at El Paso

Save the Date!

April 11, 7:30 pm Eastern

Don’t miss our second Good People Talk Live! event – as we explore front line challenges facing aspiring Americans across the country. Meet Kari Miller, Founder of International Neighbors; Sloane Davidson, Founder of Hello Neighbor; Kristen Bloom, Founder of Refugee Assistance Alliance; and Dr. Eva Moya, Associate Professor at University of Texas: El Paso, four women dedicated to helping newcomers adjust to their new home. Look for registration information on our website shortly.

Register now!

March 14, 7:30 pm Eastern

How Good People Help Detroit’s Youth Succeed

Join us for our first-ever Good People Talk Live! event – as we explore challenges facing inner city youth in Detroit, and how three of our GPF grantee organizations there are instilling hope.

Our guests include:

  • Courtney Smith, Founder of Detroit Phoenix Center
  • Sherelle Hogan, Founder of Pure Heart Foundation
  • David Silver, Founder of Detroit Horse Power

Save the Date!

March 14, 7:30 pm Eastern

Join us for our first-ever Good People Talk Live! event – as we explore challenges facing inner city youth in Detroit, and how three of our GPF grantee organizations there are  breaking cycles and instilling a sense of future. Our guests include Courtney Smith, Founder of Detroit Phoenix Center; Sherelle Hogan, Founder of Pure Heart Foundation; and David Silver, Founder of Detroit Horse Power. Look for registration information on our website shortly.

GPF 2020 Annual Report

Let stories from our Good People inspire you during these difficult days

During a year in which a pandemic is upending our already broken world—creating and revealing untold & unimaginable human, social, and economic challenges—our Good People Fund family has arguably never been so critical.

Our 2020 Annual Report reflects that truth and the immense nourishment and salve that our visionary grantees are bringing to their communities in the US, Israel, and elsewhere around the world.

2020 Annual Report

The Good People FundLogo Header Menu
  • About
    • Mission and Vision
    • Values
    • Our Story
    • Professional Leadership
    • Board of Trustees
    • Financial Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ’s
    • Contact Us
  • Our Grantees
    • New Grantees
    • By Program Focus
    • By Location
    • By Organization
    • Alumni Grantees
  • How to Help
    • Donate Now
    • October 7 and After
    • Acknowledgement Cards
    • Planned Giving
    • Charitable Solicitation Disclosure Statement
  • Learning
    • Good People Learn
    • Our Educational Philosophy
    • For Jewish Educators
      • Our Good Service Model
      • Grab ‘n’ Go Lessons
      • GPF Core Curriculum
      • B’nai Mitzvah Service Projects
      • Archival Materials
      • Ziv Tzedakah Curriculum
    • For Students
      • Tips for Good Service Projects
      • Other Resources
  • Media
    • Newsroom
      • Grantees in the News
      • GPF in the News
      • Press Releases
      • 10th Anniversary
    • Grantee Focus
    • Videos
  • Good News
  • Podcasts
  • Journal of Good