My lightbulb moment happened when my friend Mark suggested we roast a suckling pig. 

We were flying to Israel, on our way to cook for the army unit of my brother who had been shot and killed just a few months prior. Mark was Mark Vetri, the owner of one of Philadelphia’s leading Italian restaurants where I worked at the time, and he was proposing the pig as a menu item for the army unit. 

I realized in that moment that he had no idea we’d be cooking for Israeli kids covered in mud with M16s slung over their shoulders, who had five minutes to eat this meal we'd be preparing. I also realized that my life's work was not to cook Italian food. Israeli food reflects the multi-faceted culture and tastes of its people and I wanted to celebrate that in my cuisine. 

So many Jews have had introspective moments like this, where we are reminded that our stories are valued and unique. Telling these stories is something we’ll always need to do. That’s why The Forward is so vital.