These are the new voices of Jewish food you should be following

Food has always been more than sustenance in Jewish life. It’s our memory keeper, our cultural touchstone, and often the way we first connect with one another. Across platforms and continents, a new wave of Jewish food voices is carrying those traditions forward — sometimes with a modern twist, sometimes with unapologetic nostalgia, always with heart.

These chefs are not only cooking but also telling Jewish stories with every recipe they share. Around every Shabbat table, during every holiday, and on every digital feed, the story of Jewish food continues in the modern world.

Ben Rebuck (@benrebuck)

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The unapologetic Brit making kosher go viral

London-born Ben Rebuck shows how Jewish food doesn’t need to be intimidating. His kosher-for-Pesach chocolate torte went viral and has become a staple for his nearly 400,000 Instagram followers. Formerly known as Ben’s Vegan Kitchen, he still leans heavily plant-based — but it’s his candid voice on Jewish identity that sets him apart. After October 7, Ben lost tens of thousands of followers when he declared himself proudly Zionist. Instead of backing down, he leaned in, using the same feed that shares easy meals to speak out against antisemitism.

Q: What do you want people to feel when they cook Jewish food?

A: Connection to millennia of tradition.

Favourite recipe: Kosher for Pesach Chocolate Torte.

Cookbook(s): None yet — his recipes live on socials and provecho.co.

Shaily Lipa (@shailylipa)

Israel’s queen of no-fuss, Mediterranean home cooking

Born in Tel Aviv to a Greek-Turkish family, Shaily Lipa is one of Israel’s bestselling cookbook authors — with 11 Hebrew titles that together have sold more than a million copies — and host of three popular TV cooking shows. Her debut English-language cookbook, Yassou (Running Press/Hachette), introduces international readers to the flavours of her childhood: tzatziki, spanakopita, her grandmother’s white bean salad. For the High Holidays, her leek patties are legendary: her mother fried them by the hundreds, and the family ate most straight from the pan before they ever reached the table.

Q: What role did food play in your family?

A: It was the language of love and celebration.

Favourite recipe: Leek Patties (Prassokeftedes).

Cookbook(s): 11 Hebrew cookbooks; debut English-language title Yassou.

Adeena Sussman (@adeenasussman)

Market-driven recipes from Tel Aviv to the New York Times

Few voices have shaped the conversation around modern Jewish and Israeli food like Adeena Sussman. From her kitchen steps away from Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, she draws inspiration daily from spice stalls and produce vendors. Her books Sababa and Shabbat are both New York Times bestsellers; Shabbat was named one of the best cookbooks of 2023 by NYT Cooking and Bon Appétit. Beyond her own work, she has co-authored more than 15 other cookbooks, including Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings series. Her recipes carry memory as much as flavour — like her mother Steffi’s overnight chicken soup, simmered for 12 hours, with an optional Yemenite spice blend that transforms the broth.

Q: What does Shabbat mean to you?

A: It’s both a meal and a meaning.

Favourite recipe: Overnight Chicken Soup (with a Yemenite Option)

Cookbook(s): Sababa, Shabbat

Liz Rueven (@kosherlikeme)

The locavore linking Jewish holidays to farmers’ markets

Liz Rueven was early to champion farm-to-table kosher cooking. Since 2011, her blog Kosher Like Me has guided readers to celebrate the Jewish calendar with what’s fresh in their local markets. Based in Westport, CT, she teaches seasonal classes to teens and adults, encouraging them to shape their Shabbat and holiday tables from nearby farms instead of supermarket shelves. One of her signature tips? Leave the skins on your potatoes when making latkes — the ragged edges crisp beautifully while saving time.

Q: Where does Jewish food begin for you?

A: At the farmers’ market — that’s where Shabbat enthusiasm starts.

Favourite recipe: Greek-Inspired Chanukah Latkes with Dilly Yogurt Topping

Cookbook(s): None yet — recipes live online.

Micah Siva (@noshwithmicah)

Plant-forward recipes reimagining Jewish tradition

A trained chef and registered dietitian, Micah Siva is reframing Jewish food for a generation that wants vegetables at the centre of the table. Her debut, Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine, was a 2025 IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Award finalist and has been praised for balancing health with flavour. Raised in Canada, she recalls her grandmother’s kitchen filled with challah and bubbling soups; today she translates those memories into vibrant, plant-based recipes accompanied by her own food photography.

Q: What did Jewish food mean in your home growing up?

A: It was never just nourishment — it was connection.

Favourite recipe: Herbed Horseradish Salad.

Cookbook(s): Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine

Naomi Nachman (@naominachman)

The Aussie Gourmet: chef, author and kosher media host

Naomi Nachman has built a global following as The Aussie Gourmet. Born in Sydney and now based in New York, she’s a personal chef, author of two bestselling cookbooks, and host of both Sunny Side Up on Kosher.com and Table for Two on The Nachum Segal Network. She also created and leads Kosher Chopped competitions across the US and writes a popular monthly food and travel column for Mishpacha magazine. Her books Perfect for Pesach and Perfect Flavors are now staples in kosher kitchens worldwide.

Q: What does Shabbat mean to you?

A: It’s often said that the Jewish people have not kept Shabbat, but Shabbat has kept the Jewish people.

Favourite recipe: Challah from Perfect Flavors.

Cookbook(s): Perfect for Pesach, Perfect Flavors.

Melinda Strauss (@therealmelindastrauss)

TikTok’s biggest Jewish food voice

With 1.5M+ TikTok followers and 250K+ on Instagram, Melinda Strauss is the most-followed Jewish food creator online today. She began with a blog, but it’s her short-form storytelling that propelled her into the mainstream. Melinda uses her platform to share both recipes and reflections on Jewish identity, heritage, and family life. Her debut cookbook, Eat Jewish (Quarto), pairs 100+ recipes with approachable cultural explainers designed for Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike.

Q: What do recipes mean to you?

A: They’re stories — they tell who we are.

Favourite recipe: From Eat Jewish — Sweet Raisin Noodle Kugel

Cookbook(s): Eat Jewish

Gabriel Boxer (@kosherguru)

Kosher Guru: “Boom Shakalaka” fun meets Israel advocacy

Known universally as Kosher Guru, Gabriel Boxer has turned kosher into a lifestyle brand. His booming online community Kosher Nation (50K+ members) shares restaurant finds, recipes and lively debate. Beyond food, he serves on the board of One Israel Fund, acts as International Spokesperson for Har Hevron Municipality, and frequently collaborates with Ariel University. He’s also COO of Merchant Marketplace, a fintech startup, proving his entrepreneurial streak extends beyond the kitchen. His catchphrase “Boom Shakalaka” has become shorthand for the energy he brings to kosher life.

Q: What’s your philosophy on kosher food?

A: It’s never just food — it’s a whole kosher experience. Boom Shakalaka!

Cookbook(s): None yet.

Amy Kritzer Becker (@whatjewwannaeat)

What Jew Wanna Eat: playful twists on tradition with modern tribe style.

Amy Kritzer Becker launched What Jew Wanna Eat in 2010, making it one of the first fun, irreverent Jewish food blogs. Her voice is equal parts humour and heritage, with recipes like fried pickle latkes and pink black-and-white cookies. She also co-owns ModernTribe, a design-forward Judaica shop that has gone viral for products like her pickle menorah. Her book Sweet Noshings reimagines Jewish desserts — Nutella babka, pumpkin rugelach — for a new generation.

Q: How do you balance tradition and innovation?

A: Tradition should be celebrated, not stuck in the past.

Favourite recipe: Black and White Cookies Turned Pink.

Cookbook(s): Sweet Noshings.