Community Magazine February 2019

60 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Meet Aliza Hamra Salem, the teenager who dared to dream and make her aspirations come true! Aliza is a wife, mother, foodie, caterer, chef, food blogger, and cooking instructor. I was fortunate to first meet Aliza at the Moms on a Mitzvah fifth annual Challah Bake on November 28 th , 2018. I introduced myself as Aliza mingled with guests and provided dough-kneading and baking tips to fulfill the huge mitzvah of baking challah for Shabbat. After seeing Aliza’s vivacious smile while chatting with the women, I was determined to connect with her after the Bake, explore her joie de vivre, and introduce this dynamic culinary expert to my readers. Let’s get to know Aliza, the young girl, the teenager, and the woman, before diving into her extensive and exciting career. A Little History Aliza is the daughter of Lillie and Abdo Hamra, who emigrated from Damascus, Syria to the U.S. in the late 1970s. The Hamras didn’t have any family in the U.S. to help them jumpstart their new lives. Abdo worked hard as a salesman in electronics, and eventually succeeded in opening his own jewelry store. Lillie was a devoted and loving stay at home mom. Aliza’s big sister Latina was born in Syria, and Lillie gave birth to Aliza and her younger brother, Joey, in Brooklyn. Aliza and her sibs were always close but got much tighter once they all married. Aliza grew up on Ave P and East 8 th Street, and attended Yeshiva of Flatbush elementary school and Shaare Torah High School. Summers were spent with her family in Brooklyn and at day camp. After high school, Aliza enrolled in Touro College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech and communication. Remember that joyful energy I noticed at the Challah Bake? “As a child I definitely liked to have fun! Or in the words of my teachers, I was ‘energetic and bubbly.’ I liked being involved. School functions and plays were definitely my thing. I’m passionate about life and living every moment to my fullest. My family’s happiness is everything, and is my passion...” The Hamra children helped out Dad in his jewelry company. Aliza was a salesgirl, and believes that her experience was particularly valuable in helping her to form relationships. “I learned how to speak to people. I wanted to get to know them, their stories, and what they were about.” Aliza emphatically declares that her mother is her mentor and role model. Lillie strongly influenced the profession Aliza chose and the type of mother she herself became. What higher compliment could a daughter pay a mother? “If you looked up the definition of the word mother, there would be a picture of my mom there. Her work ethic is do for others, and do it with a smile, and wholeheartedly. I learned to do my best and to do with a smile and that nothing comes before family - NOTHING.” Aliza Meets Her Naseeb At 22, Aliza was introduced to Albert Salem, four years her senior, by a mutual friend. The funny part was that Albert lived less than a block away, and Aliza knew everyone nearby except the people who lived in his house. “I would walk by and say to myself, ‘I wonder who lives there?’” Hashem planned their meeting when the time was right. Albert, of Lebanese descent, showed Aliza “what it meant to be treated right, how to be valued, and respected.” Aliza and Albert became engaged four months after they met. Albert is a CPA/auditor. The couple has three children, Max (10), Eddie (7), and Mia Grace (2). The boys study at mom’s alma mater, Yeshiva of Flatbush. From Dreams to Reality So, we know that from her teen years Aliza envisioned herself as a famous chef, “force feeding” her creations to her parents. Although she enjoyed earning a degree in speech and communications, Aliza always knew the kitchen was her calling. Aliza connects food with love and family. Lillie Hamra’s loving warmth and homemade cooking fueled Aliza’s passion for cooking! Her mom is what Aliza calls an “old school Syrian mom.” “My mother made everything from scratch, no store-bought mazza (not that there is anything wrong with that), and she always smiled. Her home smells like love, always warm and comforting. Think of warm hot chocolate on a cold day. That is the feeling you get when you enter my mom’s house.” Aliza, who considers herself a foodie, has a multi-faceted career. “I dabble in everything. I love to cater, organize, and Woman Woman to One on One with ELLEN GELLER KAMARAS “How did I choose my career? I was always in the kitchen, especially as a teen. If I was home on a Sunday and my parents were out for the day I would go into the kitchen and pretend that I was Julia Child, down to the accent, and I had my own show. I cooked up a new and “exciting take” of pasta with marinara sauce – Aliza.” Aliza Salem