The Tiberias branch overlooks the breathtaking Kinneret while inside, angels of kindness abound. White aprons wrapped around their waists, branch managers Varda Shuen and Ziva Sharon supervise the kitchen and join the volunteers, cooking steaming pots of soup and other delicacies from the early hours of the morning, as the heavenly scents waft out into the entire Hagalil Street in Tiberias.
As afternoon arrives, people from all walks of life begin to silently fill the dining center. The managers and volunteers approach each of them, asking about their welfare and expressing interest in their lives. Whenever Varda hears of another baby born to one of the visitors, the place explodes with joy. Cakes are pulled out of the oven and balloons are strung throughout the site. It is a place where everyone feels at home.
Varda and Ziva, along with their staff of volunteers, prepare takeout packages for destitute mothers to take back home with them for their children. Yes! The children also deserve to enjoy a hot meal during a regular weekday!
And here too, like the rest of the Meir Panim branches, volunteers include prisoners undergoing rehabilitation and individuals with cognitive impairments. Every person finds his place in Meir Panim.
Restaurant address: 56 Hagalil, Tiberias