Serving the community

Chef Jacob Portman is the first official chef for Northwestern University’s Hillel. In fact, he’s the only Hillel chef in Illinois, and one of only a handful nationwide.

“Chef Jacob is an educator, thought partner, and mensch, whose food is delicious and creative,” said Michael Simon, the Hillel’s Executive Director. The chef started in September, and “has already made a positive impact on our community-Shabbat-dinner attendance has gone up. It’s wonderful to be able to offer homemade comfort food during this challenging time on our campus.”

Portman began cooking as a kid in Columbus, Ohio, where there were few kosher options. “We wanted to eat, but we couldn’t eat out,” he explained. So, he helped his mother and grandmother in the kitchen, especially on Shabbat and during the holidays.

After a brief time at Northwestern’s law school, he pursued his culinary passion. Portman learned to cook by working at several restaurants, where he made everything from salads to hummus to bagels.

Having a chef is new for Northwestern’s Hillel-and being the chef is new for Portman. In fact, the Hillel’s kitchens-one each for dairy and meat meals-are the first he has ever run. He even had some input into the kitchens’ recent renovations.

And now, he has a staff to help him-students who are paid, along with a cadre of volunteers. They assist Portman getting Shabbat dinner on the table for 100 students every week, as well as catering other Hillel events.

One of his workers is Sylvie Slotkin, a sophomore journalism major from New York City, who also grew up cooking at home. “My mother is both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, so I was exposed to many Jewish cuisines growing up. I always liked to cook and bake,” she said. For her bat mitzvah project, she taught baking classes to underprivileged children, and, as a counselor, she taught her campers how to cook.

Slotkin’s favorite recipe is her family’s signature sweet noodle kugel, which she made for the post-Yom Kippur break-fast at Hillel. “It’s great to be able to make something I love for my friends” while also having a taste of home.”

She also enjoys the “collaborative” way in which Hillel’s challah is made.

“We make our own challah every week,” Portman said. He even hosted a challah-braiding class during Northwestern’s freshman orientation week.

Portman plans on holding cooking and baking classes throughout the year, teaching everything from pickling to pie making. He plans on a hamentashen class in time for Purim in March.

He is there to serve Jewish faculty and staff, as well, and Portman will staff the kitchen during school breaks and summers for any Jewish people still on campus then.

As far as what’s for dinner, Portman likes to keep things interesting. Shabbat’s menu may be roasted chicken and potatoes, he said, but it’s just as likely to be Moroccan fish or tagine.

“I really want to get the students involved. I have already found that the students are really interested in the work here, and I am very supportive of their ideas,” he said. “This is their home, and they should have a sense of ownership of it.”

Slotkin has caught on. “If you work here,” she said, “you get a say in what’s for dinner.”