In a heartfelt blend of food, friendship, and healing, Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) recently held a special culinary workshop designed to support pediatric patients living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Rambam staff participate in culinary workshop for pediatric patients. Photography: Rambam HCC
The event was hosted at Schoolinary, a culinary school in Kibbutz Yagur near Haifa, bringing together patients from the Pediatric Gastroenterology, Liver, and Nutrition Institute at the Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital for an enriching experience that nourished far more than just appetites.
Led by a certified chef and attended by medical, nursing, and dietary staff, the culinary workshop offered hands-on cooking demonstrations featuring nutritious, gut-friendly dishes tailored to the unique needs of children and teens with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Learning to make gut friendly dishes.
But the real ingredients that made the evening special? Laughter, connection, and open conversation.
The interactive session encouraged participants to share their personal journeys with IBD, while forging deeper bonds with fellow patients, families, and caregivers. In addition to practical cooking tips, attendees walked away with something equally valuable: a renewed sense of community and emotional resilience.
The initiative was spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team, including Institute Director Professor Ron Shaoul; Dr. Ramit Magen Rimon, attending physician; Solafa Khamaisi, head nurse; Shireen Acary Abu Elhij, nurse; and Maya Tzur, a clinical dietician.
The enthusiastic feedback from participants and their families made one thing clear: they are hungry for more. Plans are already in motion to continue these kinds of therapeutic, community-building events. At Rambam, healing comes in many forms, and sometimes, it starts in the kitchen.
Be'teavon - Bon appétit - With Good Appetite!
Photography: Rambam HCC
