With the current war between Israel and Hamas still going on, a local Israeli restaurant is focusing on uniting people in the community through the love of food.  

Chef Sagi is the head chef at Nina’s, the restaurant that opened on Nov. 30 – 54 days after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. He says he was inspired to open the restaurant for one main reason. 

"I always thought food is the one thing that can bring people together,” said Sagi. “With all the pain it also motivated us to open something and really bring something good." 

According to a report from the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed 360% since the start of the war, with a total of 3,291 incidents taking place between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7.  

The ADL also reports that there were nearly 34 antisemitic incidents happening daily in the U.S. Despite those numbers, Chef Sagi says Nina has been thriving and they’ve been able to operate without fear.  

“Whoever opens the door feels the love and energy we are bringing,” said Sagi. “We judge nobody that comes here, we accept anyone at any time.”