Jose Andres: ‘Food Can Never Be a Weapon of War’

Humanitarian Chef Jose Andres paid tribute Thursday to the seven aid workers from his World Central Kitchen who were killed in Gaza earlier this month.

More than 560 people gathered at the Cathedral for the interfaith memorial service, which featured Jewish, Christian and Muslim clergy, a somber performance by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and an address by Andres:

Over the years at World Central Kitchen, we have been inspired by what John Steinbeck wrote in The Grapes of Wrath. “Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.”

The seven souls we mourn today were there so that hungry people could eat.

Saif Abutaha, John Chapman, Jacob Flickinger, Zomi Frankcom, Jim Henderson, James Kirby and Damian Sobol.

They risked everything to feed people they did not know – and would never meet.

In the worst moments, the best of humanity shows up.

Saif, John, Jacob, Zomi, Jim, James and Damian: They were the best of humanity. Their example should inspire us to do better – to be better.

Saif Abutaha was an integral member of the team, as a driver and translator in his native Gaza. He went to university in the UAE and stayed there to work. He returned to Gaza to help run his family business, a flour mill. When we visited the family warehouse, we were so impressed we chose it as our Gaza headquarters. He was very close to his family, texting them constantly, especially his beloved mother. He was driving home to see her, texting to see if she was asleep, when our convoy was attacked.

John Chapman was a beloved husband, father of three, son and brother. He was brave, selfless and strong – as you might expect of a former Royal Marine Commando. He never missed a chance to tell his family how much he loved them and missed them. Especially in Gaza. He had a great sense of humor and a great love of adventure. He was an inspiration for all around him. He made those next to him feel loved and protected.

Jacob Flickinger was a leader. A problem-solver. A moral beacon. Exactly what you need in the chaos of a disaster zone or a war zone. He was tough, fit, disciplined, and smart. But his kindness shone through. When a huge hurricane hit Acapulco in Mexico last year, he joined World Central Kitchen and made an immediate impact. He took special care to feed the children and made them feel loved and safe. The kids called him Tio Jacob. His smile won people over because he loved to help the world – and the world loved him back.

Zomi Frankcom, our beloved Zomi, was at the very heart of World Central Kitchen. She was the living, breathing, smiling heart of everything we did in the field. She joined us as a volunteer after the huge volcano erupted in Guatemala six years ago. It always felt, from the start, that she embodied our spirit and purpose. She gave joy to others, even more than she gave food — dancing, singing, playing with children – as well as her team mates. Her compassion and curiosity were infectious. She was like a sister to me and so many of us. She traveled the world, savoring its flavors, treasuring its people, nourishing the souls of everyone she helped. And she helped so many people.

Jim Henderson was kind, honest, and compassionate. A family man and a fiancé. A proud former Royal Marine, and an avid rugby player, his work around the world centered on helping people. He taught first aid to civilians in Ukraine. He trained people how to respond to trauma. And he supported humanitarian missions like ours. His family knew they could not stop him from showing up in dangerous places to help people in desperate need, thousands of miles away from home.

James Kirby, known to his friends as Kirbs, was a gentleman and a hero. He was kind, funny, and loved by anyone he met. A veteran of British military tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan, he was driven to help those in need because of the compassion he felt at his core. In the middle of violence and disaster, where few people would choose to go, he was always ready to lend a hand. His friends said his heart was the biggest part of his body.

Damian Sobol joined us on day one of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, helping refugees as they arrived at the train station in his hometown in Poland. Damian made you feel like family, even if it was the first time you met him. So many people would stop to hug him at our relief kitchen that he looked like the town’s unofficial mayor. He traveled to many more disasters with us because he had an unstoppable desire to help. This past week, the town of Elbistan, in Turkiye, named a street after Damian – in honor the impact he had after the earthquake there. He was a brilliant soccer player, a beloved partner, a devoted son, brother, uncle and nephew. He was pure joy for everyone who knew him.

Our losses may seem small in number compared to the almost 200 humanitarian aid workers killed in Gaza, the 34,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, and the 1,200 Israelis killed by Hamas. But each of these people leave behind loved ones, who will always have them in their hearts.

When disaster strikes, it’s easy to see the dark and never the light. But the reality is this: The light will always shine through. We cannot ignore the suffering after a natural disaster, or in a war zone.

Today, we grieve and suffer alongside the families of our seven heroes, and the whole World Central Kitchen family. But we also see the light in these places of suffering. People overcoming immense challenges. People who want to help people. People like Saif, John, Jacob, Zomi, Jim, James and Damian. People who are sitting here today – the current and former team members and volunteers of World Central Kitchen. Please stand up and please know that you are our light in the darkness.

I know we all have many unanswered questions about what happened and why. There is no excuse for these killings. None. The official explanation is not good enough. We still demand an independent investigation into the actions of the IDF against our team. Even one innocent life taken is one too many.

I know there are also many questions about why World Central Kitchen was in Gaza. We ask ourselves the same questions, day and night. We are all consumed with anger, regret and sorrow.

We faced the same impossible questions in Ukraine, where we also lost members of our extended World Central Kitchen family. When I would tell Ukrainians they were cooking too close to the frontlines, they said they would be there anyway – with or without World Central Kitchen. There were children and elderly to feed. These were their communities, after all.

Ukrainians were feeding the people of Ukraine. Just like in Gaza. Palestinians feeding Palestinians. People feeding people.

That’s what we do at World Central Kitchen. We stand next to communities as they feed themselves, nourish themselves, heal themselves. People don’t want our pity they want our respect…..Our only way to show respect is facing the mayhem alongside them. We remind them that they are not alone in the darkness.

Early in the war in Ukraine, I traveled with my daughter Inés to Poland and was going to cross the border to Lviv. I told her I didn’t want her to come because of the risks. Her reply cut right to my heart. She said, “How do you think young people will change the world if we aren’t willing to take risks?”

She was right.

We take risks because we want to change the world with something we all believe, deep down. All nationalities. All religions. All people:

Food is a universal human right. Feeding each other, cooking and eating together, is what makes us human. The dishes we cook and deliver are not just ingredients, or calories. A plate of food is a plate of hope. A message that someone, somewhere, cares for you.

We expect our leaders to live by the same standards set by these seven heroes. We expect their words and their actions to build longer tables, not higher walls. Because the fate of the many cannot be decided by the hateful and divisive actions of the few.

We expect them to remember the book of Matthew: “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

We expect them to remember the hadith of Imam Ahmad: “The best of you are those who feed others.”

We expect them to remember the Jewish tradition of inviting strangers to this week’s Passover seder. As the Haggadah says: “Let all those who are hungry come and eat with us. Let all those who are in need come and share our meal.”

Food can never be a weapon of war. Humanitarians can never be targets. They are best of us – answering the call to serve, on behalf of all humanity. Every single civilian life is sacred, and must never be treated as collateral damage.

The great Elie Wiesel once said: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

It’s time to end the indifference.

I am thinking of the family of Saif, who could not choose to be indifferent. His family cannot be here with us today, but his brother asked me to read a message. He said: “I want peace and sympathy for the families of the victims who fell alongside my brother. These heroes – may their memory remain forever. And I hope that World Central Kitchen continues its humanitarian work around the world, not just in Gaza – carrying on the spirit of the fallen, and the resilience of the Palestinian people.”

And I do believe that each of us has within, a deep reserve of empathy. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve seen neighbors helping neighbors. When things look the darkest, the best of humanity really shines through.

To the people of World Central Kitchen: Things may look dark right now. We are all in mourning, all of us alone, all of us together. We need each other, now more than ever.

To the families of Saif, John, Jacob, Zomi, Jim, James and Damian: You lost someone in your life who can’t be replaced, who was a light in your life, as they were a light in ours. But I promise you: we will not forget what they did for the hungry and for the world. We will honor their names. We will remember the lives they lived. We will act with the empathy that they brought to the world.

May their memory be a blessing for their families. And may they be an inspiration for us all.