Itta Werdiger Roth is a professional chef. She’s also an expatriate, a mother of two, a community builder and a Hasidic Jew. She was born in Australia where she was educated in the Beth Rivkah Ladies College school system. Her family was one of the founding families of the Melbourne Jewish community and she grew up with a passion for taking an active role in the community. Upon graduating, she attended seminary for two years in Jerusalem and Safed. Subsequently, she enrolled in art school at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, concentrating on photography and sound art. Currently, she freelances as a menu planner and personal chef. Itta often opens her home to the community with large Shabbos meals, fundraising events and simchas. In 2011, she launched The Hester, an underground restaurant and music cafe. The Hester hosts Israeli, American and international bands, provides a forum for guest speakers and engages the observant Jewish community in discovering new and healthy alternatives. Her Wholesome Shabbos initiative encourages Jewish families to make challah with wholegrain and spelt flour and to seek healthy alternatives to traditional menus.
The Hester is a music cafe and supper club. It was founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, New York, and has already hosted over 500 people. It’s a space where different kinds of people, observant and non-observant, Jewish and non-Jewish, are introduced to creative, wholesome, made-from-scratch food and great live music. It exists outside any specific Jewish community, yet connects people from several worlds, Jewish and non-Jewish. Itta constantly refines the balance of The Hester. It educates through action - offering seasonal and local food, alternative grains and an emphasis on vegetables and organics. It also promotes Israeli products, such as fresh halvah and cheese from the Jerusalem Shuk. She introduces exotic foods to guests, many of whom never knew kosher cuisine could be so sharp and flavorsome. Likewise, some of the more observant guests are introduced to new styles of music, from jazz and experimental fusion to bluegrass and hip-hop. All this is done with a mind to traditional Jewish law, which heavily regulates which music and foods may be enjoyed. At its heart, The Hester is a fusion of food, music and Jewish conversation - stimulating all three at once.
The Hester is a music cafe and supper club. It was founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, New York, and has already hosted over 500 people. It’s a space where different kinds of people, observant and non-observant, Jewish and non-Jewish, are introduced to creative, wholesome, made-from-scratch food and great live music. It exists outside any specific Jewish community, yet connects people from several worlds, Jewish and non-Jewish. Itta constantly refines the balance of The Hester. It educates through action - offering seasonal and local food, alternative grains and an emphasis on vegetables and organics. It also promotes Israeli products, such as fresh halvah and cheese from the Jerusalem Shuk. She introduces exotic foods to guests, many of whom never knew kosher cuisine could be so sharp and flavorsome. Likewise, some of the more observant guests are introduced to new styles of music, from jazz and experimental fusion to bluegrass and hip-hop. All this is done with a mind to traditional Jewish law, which heavily regulates which music and foods may be enjoyed. At its heart, The Hester is a fusion of food, music and Jewish conversation - stimulating all three at once.
