My name is Josh, and I’m the newest intern here at Citrus and Salt. For the next five months, I’ll be living and working in Israel on a Masa program.
I recently graduated with a degree in nutrition and food science, and last fall, I interned in Sorrento, Italy, where I taught Neapolitan cooking classes to international groups. In the past, I’ve spent a summer in Tel Aviv and I’m thrilled to be back for an even longer stay this time around.
During my time in Sorrento, I learned so much about Neapolitan culture and history through its food. Each dish is so intertwined with local lives, giving the food a high level of importance. Everything from the types of ingredients used to the order the meals are eaten emphasizes freshness and simplicity.
I was in Italy when October 7th happened. As one of the few Jewish students on my program in a place where there was no Jewish community or Chabad nearby, I felt isolated at a time when I needed my community the most.
After returning to school for my last semester and reuniting with my Jewish friends and community, I found myself scrolling through Instagram when a video showing a volunteer operation preparing food for soldiers popped up. I saw tons of people making sandwiches, dinners, and baked goods for soldiers, hostage families, and families of reservists. The account that posted it was called Citrus and Salt.
I saw that it was a similar business to the one I worked at in Italy, only now they had opened up this volunteer operation because of the war. I knew I had to get in touch to learn more and see if I could get involved so I sent a message and Aliya replied asking me to meet over Zoom.
Before even applying to Masa, I had found an internship that seemed perfect for me and started planning my next trip to Israel where I would work, volunteer, and support the Jewish homeland. I got in touch with Aliya from Citrus and Salt and connected with Masa Israel to start applying for this internship.
About a week and a half before I was supposed to leave for Israel, news came out that several enemy political leaders had been neutralized, and suddenly airlines were canceling en masse. Every day I watched the news intently waiting for something to happen and every day…nothing.
A few days before I was supposed to leave, I was still unsure if my flight would even take off and I was getting all sorts of opinions on what I should do from my friends and family. I made the decision to push my flight back a week and then make my final decision. It was very hard for me because when you’re not in Israel, it feels so far away. Every day I was wavering with friends telling me not to go until it was the night before my flight and it was still scheduled to take off. I figured there was no reason not to go, so the next morning I flew to Israel from LAX with a big group of Israelis returning home.
My first day here was pretty hectic between jet lag, arriving in a new country at such a confusing time, and starting a new internship, but as soon as those first 24 hours passed and I sat down for a Shabbat dinner with my new friends from Masa, all my worries from the past weeks disappeared. Even though it had only been a day, I felt so comfortable and at home. The feeling is hard to explain to those who haven’t experienced it.
Today, I still get texts from my friends and family abroad asking how I’m doing and while it is an especially tense time here and almost every day brings news of grief, it’s easier to be here than it is to be anywhere else as a Jew right now.
Right now, I'm here living, working, making friends, and building my own community. I’m excited to be working at Citrus and Salt and contribute in different ways through food. It’s the thing I know best and the thing I know can bring people together.
There’s a lot of work to be done to bring our cooking classes and events back on schedule, alongside the amazing volunteer work with Citizen’s Kitchen. Every day brings new challenges, but that’s to be expected. Still, what keeps me going is knowing that I have the community of Am Yisrael around me at all times. That makes this experience all the more worth it.
Keep your eyes peeled for many more blog posts and events that Citrus and Salt will be running soon!
-Josh
P.S: We're always looking for motivated interns! If you're looking for a Masa internship, email us at citrus.salt@gmail.com. No kitchen experience necessary, but a love of food is required :)
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