the greatest (and busiest) two weeks of my life

I’m a dad. A very proud dad. I’m also a husband, chef, musician, sales leader and philanthropist.

But these last two weeks have definitely exhausted my dad role. I’ve been insanely busy, crazy emotional and incredibly grateful – often all at once.

18 months ago, my son Jonah met with the Rabbi to discuss his options for religious studies.  Jonah was born in late December, which makes him the youngest in his grade and the last of his friends to have a bar mitzvah, the ceremony that welcomes a Jewish boy into manhood.

This also meant that Jonah would be in religious school for one more year, without any of his friends. That realization didn’t sit well with him and I really couldn’t blame him. But Jonah came up with his own ‘option’ to forgo the school part; to create a project he would commit to three times a week, instead of attending religious school. I essentially assumed there was zero chance of the Rabbi agreeing to it.

Prior to the meeting, being the responsible dad that I am, I managed Jonah’s expectations so he wouldn’t get his hopes up. But to my utter shock, the Rabbi not only bought it, but actually LOVED it. He agreed to Jonah’s idea with one caveat; Jonah’s project had to change lives. Change lives?! Jonah?

But Jonah was taking this seriously. With some family discussion, he chose to collaborate with Out of the Cold, an amazing winter initiative where different faiths and organizations feed and clothe those in need. For one evening, Jonah would host 125 guests in need and give them an extraordinary experience.

Flashback. When Jonah was born, I remember Tamar and I explaining that everyone is born with super powers. That each person actually has the ability to change lives. To this day, I truly believe that to be true. So perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that at 13 years old, Jonah really wanted to impact others.

He wanted to change lives.

the plan

Jonah began to plan. He would need to gather a team of volunteers, organize gift bags for each guest that would have to include hygiene products, hats, gloves, and scarves. He also had to color pictures, make cards, decorate tables and prepare a five-course meal for our guests. He wanted each guest to have that full restaurant experience which meant hand delivering each plate. That would mean executing almost 600 plates in 90 minutes within our Synagogue. Holy Moly! What was Jonah getting me into?!

the menu

As we also planned the menu, we had to be mindful of how the preparation would occur. Serving meat in a Synagogue presents a couple of challenges because meat and dairy must be kept separate. But the meat kitchen was in use the evening of the event, so we immediately went to Plan B – vegetarian!

Even with a vegetarian menu we wanted to ensure recognizable, delicious and memorable food for each one of our guests. Here’s what we came up with:

Avocado Caesar Salad with Potato Skin

Roasted Cauliflower Pupousa with Tomato Salsa and Fried Cauliflower

Potato Gnocchi with Cherry Tomato Sauce

Quinoa Vegetable Chilli with Fresh Buns and Maple Butter

Chocolate Pudding Pie

We felt the menu offered a cross section of ethnically diverse flavours that were also made with inexpensive, hearty ingredients.

the volunteers

We would need at least 50 volunteers to execute everything Jonah had planned for his special evening. The concern was how to convince all of these people to come on a holiday weekend.

I’d like to think we all do what we can to make our world a better place. Whether a ‘hello’ in the morning to a stranger, buying a coffee for an unsuspecting person, or donating your time. But would people leave their families to help?

the execution

For six months following our meeting with the Rabbi, Jonah was often snapchatting, watching T.V. or procrastinating. But he told me not to worry and that we wouldn’t let me down.

He didn’t.

During the next twelve months Jonah called and emailed potential donors for warm clothing, hygiene products and food. His emails were articulate and so grown up. I was impressed. The responses were swift and beyond generous. From doctors and dentists to wholesale produce suppliers and clothing companies, they all stepped up. People stepped up.

We welcomed well over 150 volunteers over the span of two days. They came as entire families, kids of all ages, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. It was the most amazing display of generosity I have ever seen. Some washed dishes, some prepared food but everyone said nothing but ‘Yes Jordan’, ‘no problem Jordan’, working together for one common goal. A goal created by my son. The entire time, I couldn’t stop saying WOW.

The volunteers lined up to help plate each meal and hand deliver the food to our guests. We served a five-course menu to 125 people, in one hour. That feat is tough enough for professionals in the culinary world, but to watch a group of volunteers pull it off was simply amazing.

Before service began, 50 volunteers gathered in the main hall, welcomed by Jonah. He prepared a few words of thanks and explained to them all, why we were there: “Today we will make a difference”.  I couldn’t hold back my tears, even if I do cry during long distance commercials. All I could think was, that’s my boy. It is a moment I will always remember, the moment my son became a man.

‘father and son’

As a musician and chef many of my references come back to either music or food and sometimes both. But on this day, it was music that resonated.  I thought about the Cat Stevens song ‘Father and Son’; specifically, the lyric “I was once like you are now” and I thought about my boy. The truth is, I was never like him. What Jonah did to affect so many people, those in need, our friends and the children of our friends, will have a lasting impact that will not soon be forgotten.

Jonah changed lives. Perhaps most of all, mine.

So, my son, I was NOTHING like you are now. And I could not be prouder of the person you are today and will become tomorrow.

Love always,

Chef Dad