Peter Beinart is an editor-at-large at Jewish Currents, a contributing opinion columnist for The New York Times, and a political commentator for MSNBC and CNN. He is a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace and the author of five books, most recently Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning.

Beinart is a professor of journalism and political science at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. Since 2020, he has also published The Beinart Notebook on Substack, where he writes regularly and hosts weekly interviews.

On the Gaza Soup Kitchen

Do you know what it's like to watch your family starve? I do.

My name is Hani Almadhoun, and my family and friends live in the North of Gaza, Palestine. Most aid is being blocked at the border, and there isn't nearly enough to fight back the famine or save my loved ones. So we decided to do something about it.

My brother, Mahmoud Almadhoun, and his friends volunteered to start a soup kitchen in Bait Lahia to provide hot meals to friends and neighbors. They bought four large pots, purchased wood for the fire, and risked their lives to dig up potatoes. They also bought tomato paste and cooking oil, and three hours later, 120 families had food for the day. The next day, 150 starved families ate from the kitchen.

Word spread rapidly, and the following day, even more neighbors arrived. Mahmoud sprang into action, venturing out to procure ingredients for a fresh meal. He returned with leafy greens, onions, and mushrooms, crafting a new dish that was as delightful as it was nourishing. The kitchen's capacity has now expanded to accommodate meals for up to 6000 people daily, and the numbers continue to grow. For many, this was their first substantial meal in days, and the departure from canned food was a welcomed change that filled hearts with gratitude. We cook as one would for their own family and then replicate that over and over until we serve our community.

When people's faith in humanity was shaken, our family in Gaza, along with our friends from around the globe, gave them hope, inspired conversations, and challenged others to try harder.

Support Gaza: Meet Peter Beinart in Asheville

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