Story: German Ger Tzedek who lit candles in the center of Berlin

Tom Franz, a German-born Ger Tzedek who won the third season Master Chef program, who lit a candle at the Gate of Victory (Brandenburg) in Berlin, says: "I was very excited to participate in this moving event."

Last Wednesday, a traditional Hanukkah candle lighting was held in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate. For the first time, the tallest menorah in Europe was placed before the gate.

In a special conversation with Behadrey Haredim, Tom relates that Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, the Chabad emissary and Rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin invited him to light the candles.

"It is one of the places most identified with Germany in general and Berlin in particular," he says, "at the time it was built, there was a passage through the gate on which it was written 'Entry for pigs and Jews only', i.e. those who came with a pig or a Jew had to go through there rather than at the usual entrance. Also during the Nazi period they made the gate into their symbol and the dictator Hitler liked to speak there."
"I'm still all chills from this event in which we brought light, the light of the menorah and the powerful Jewish spirit especially to this place. I was privileged with huge Kiddush Hashem in particular at this place to bring the light of Judaism. In particular I, who made this way came to the light of Judaism from a nation that did us the darkest act in history and here we are lighting a menorah and saying that we are here".

Tom was invited by Rabbi Teichtal to the annual event of Keren Hayesod, to formulate a unique menu, in the new hotel Amano, which is owned by Jews, "a fancy hotel, but not kosher," says Tom.

"So for two days, the team worked day and night to kasher everything, so that when I got there we could get to work and begin making an event, not only kosher but Glatt, at the highest level of kashrus. I brought a suitcase full of raw materials that I could not get in Israel and the event was a success."

Franz, who won in 2013 the reality show reality "Master Chef", was born in Cologne, Germany to Catholic parents, with the name Thomas Franz. During school exchange between Israel and Germany, Israeli students were hosted at the high school he attended, and he learned about Jewish culture and mentality. Tom made Aliyah and volunteered to help patients and survivors of the Holocaust, returned to Germany where he started to be observant, without converting. At one point, he left his family and his residence, he immigrated to Israel and converted to Judaism.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!