Chef Donny: A Kosher Private Chef and Caterer in Talpiyot, Jerusalem

27 Sept 2026 · 3 min

Photo: Filipp Romanovski, Unsplash License, via Wikimedia Commons

A CIA-trained private chef in Talpiyot who cooks Shabbat meals, simchas, birthday dinners and full fridges for visitors and Jerusalem families.

Short answer: Chef Donny is a private chef, caterer and wine tasting teacher based in Talpiyot. He cooks kosher and observes Orthodox kashrut, trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and has cooked in the kitchens of yeshivot and private institutions. He cooks at your home or rental anywhere in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, or hosts up to six adults at his own table. His website has every service and how to reach him.

Who he is

Donny is a local chef rather than a catering company: you talk to the person who plans the menu and cooks it. His training covers the full range, from cooking for a crowd at a yeshiva to an intimate dinner for two, and he can cook almost anything. The Culinary Institute of America, where he trained, is the private college for professional chefs in Hyde Park, New York, and one of the best-known cooking schools in the world.

What he does, by occasion

Shabbat while you're visiting. Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch prepared for you and brought to where you're staying, so you can spend Friday out in the city instead of hunting for food.
A big Shabbat or Yom Tov meal. Cooking for a full house when the family arrives and your kitchen can't keep up, cooked in your kitchen or prepared in his.
A bris, bar or bat mitzvah or simcha. Catering with a custom menu, including for families planning from abroad.
Fill My Fridge. A set of home-cooked meals packed ready to heat, for a new baby, a crazy week or landing in Jerusalem tired from the flight.
A birthday. A barbecue with friends, a wine tasting, a cooking class or a private dinner, planned around the person you're celebrating, plus kids' cooking birthday parties.
A special night. A private chef dinner for an anniversary or milestone, at his home in Talpiyot or at yours.
A wine evening. A guided tasting with food to match for a date night or a group of friends.
Something to learn. Hands-on cooking classes for couples, friends and groups, and a week-long summer cooking camp for kids at his home.

If you're visiting Jerusalem

Visitors renting an apartment for a chag or a family simcha tend to use him in two ways: a stocked fridge waiting when they arrive, and Shabbat meals ready before candle lighting. If you're still choosing a place, the holiday rentals guide covers the kitchen and Shabbat questions to ask, and Shabbat for visitors explains what closes and when.

If you live here

For busy weeks, big Shabbat tables, a new baby or a milestone, he's a local chef you can call on again and again, with menus that work for everyone in the family.

Special diets and allergies

He cooks for special diets across every service: gluten-free (often asked for by families dealing with celiac), dairy-free and pareve, nut-free, egg-free, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb and keto, low-sugar, low-sodium, and food children will actually eat. For families where one child has celiac and another can't have dairy, he plans one Shabbat or holiday menu that everyone at the table can eat.

Please note: Chef Donny prepares dishes without the ingredients you ask him to leave out, but he can't guarantee that any dish is free of allergens or trace amounts. If anyone has celiac disease or a serious allergy, talk it through with him before booking and use your own judgment about what's right for your family.

Where he works

At your home, your rental or your venue, anywhere in Jerusalem and the surrounding area.
At his home in Talpiyot, for up to six adults: dinners, wine tastings and small classes.
The kids' summer cooking camp is held at his home.

How to book

Start at Chef Donny's website, pick the occasion, and message him directly. It helps to say the date, how many people, where, and any dietary needs. For other caterers and private chefs, see our catering directory.

Common questions

Is Chef Donny kosher?

He cooks kosher and observes Orthodox kashrut. If your family needs a particular standard, ask him directly before booking; kashrut in Israel explained covers what the different standards mean.

Can he cook for Shabbat in a rental apartment?

Yes. He prepares Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch and can bring it to where you're staying in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, ready before Shabbat begins.