Why should girls wait until they’re tackling a new marriage, and possibly a new city and a new job, to learn how to cook?

Nechama Norman with Batsheva Berman

B

ack when we were newlyweds, we moved to Eretz Yisrael. It’s the most awesome location on earth, and I loved every minute there.

During the first few years of our marriage we were dealing with infertility. I had no teething baby or tantruming toddler to fill my days. I was far from family and friends, so there were very few simchahs to fill my evenings. I decided to use my many available hours to explore different interests.

I’d always enjoyed cooking, and living in Eretz Yisrael gave me the opportunity to attend a culinary school where I could actually taste the food I was creating. I trained as a pastry chef at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute in Mevaresset Tzion.

Once I got certified, I opened a small catering business. I was doing something I enjoyed, and the orders were coming in steadily, but I was spending most of my day alone in the kitchen. I missed being around people.

I decided I’d give cooking classes, combining my love of people with my love of cooking. I approached a few seminaries. Why should girls wait until they’re tackling a new marriage, and possibly a new city and a new job, to learn how to cook?