“I miss his appetite, his hands, his voice — he had a broadcaster’s voice ...
and [I miss] how he handled bureaucracy and banking. I really miss that” smiles Ayelet Katzir through her tears. As she makes her recipe for cream puffs, the widow is telling us about her husband David Katzir — Kachko to his friends and to her, Dov.
The 72-year-old grandfather with a mane of grey hair had set off from Kfar Aza at 6.25am on a day trip with friends, but turned around as soon as the shelling started. “I told him there was a shelter, but he wanted to make sure I was ok” says his widow.
He was killed at the kibbutz gate. Ayelet is sharing her husband’s favourite treat as part of A Place At The Table, the project created by Tel Aviv-based not for profit organisation, ASIF — the Culinary Institute of Israel. The video series provides a place for the bereaved to commemorate their loved ones lost on October 7 or in the war.
“He loved everything sweet” Ayelet smiles as she spoons thick chocolate sauce over the cream-filled choux pastry. She explains that she would limit her husband to four, as she knew they weren’t good for him, but knew he would sneak more. As the short video closes, she carefully places the plate of buns in front of the empty chair at their table where he no longer sits.
It’s impossible to watch this or any of this series of films without shedding a tear. Chico Menashe, CEO of ASIF says that he and the team who created the videos also struggled to .
