This program is partially funded by a grant from the Albert Weissman and Rhoda Yvette Weissman Arts Endowment Fund, a joint program of Jewish Community Foundation Orange County and Jewish Federation of Orange County.
We get inspiration from our Jewish history and traditions. Our cooking classes are bustling throughout the week with instructive cooking classes held (nearly) daily for children, teens, and adults. Once a month, you’ll see families gather to prepare holiday menus, decorate treats and enjoy Jewish traditions, and other times you’ll see groups gathered to stir together traditional challahs for family meals. Our state-of-the-art teaching kitchen is equipped with convection wall ovens, gas cooktop, and the latest and greatest in cooking appliances, tools, and toys.
Under the direction of Chef Liron, our members and community come together to cook, eat, laugh, and learn in our festive and informative cooking classes.
Chef Liron Regev
Liron was the Sous Pastry Chef for the grand opening of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem and worked there until she relocated to the US in 2015. Most recently, Liron worked at the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland. Liron looks forward to continuing the rich Jewish and culinary family traditions here at the Merage JCC.
Read More About Chef Liron
From a young age Liron would help her mother in the kitchen, creating the menus and preparing the food for the many guests who crowded their table. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Liron attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where she studied baking and pastry arts, and completed her degree with high honors. Returning to Israel, Liron studied Hotel, Food and Tourism Management at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Upon her graduation, Liron was the Sous Pastry Chef for the grand opening of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem and worked there until she relocated to the US in 2015. Most recently, Liron worked at the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland. Liron looks forward to continuing the rich Jewish and culinary family traditions she learned in her parent’s home with her son Eitan who is currently a preschooler at the Aronoff Preschool at the Merage JCC. She can make a mean salted caramel macaron and many more drool-worthy treats, savory and sweet.)
Treat your friends and family to a private cooking class. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, milestone events, and just having fun! Celebrate in the most delicious way with a hands-on, private cooking class in the NEW Blaze Bernstein School of Culinary Arts. Chef Liron will work with you to customize a menu of your choice.
This booking is great for kids too. Budding chefs will go home with full bellies and delicious memories. No mess, prep or clean-up for families to worry about! We offer 2-hour class for up to 10 adults or children, ages 5 and up.
If you have any questions about the Blaze Bernstein School of Culinary Arts contact Chef Liron Regev: [email protected]
Stern Family Teaching Kitchen
Our newly constructed kitchen is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and offers both dairy and meat cooking classes. The space is configured for instructive and interactive cooking classes, as well as holiday cooking workshops and guest chef seminars. It is a place where people come together to cook, eat, laugh, learn, and to build community.
Blaze Bernstein School of Culinary Arts
Blaze had a passion for cooking. The seed was planted at a very young age, when Blaze would cook for Shabbat and other meals with his mom. He was adept at chemistry and loved great food. His family wanted the culinary school to carry Blaze’s name to inspire children and adults of all ages to pursue their passion and find happiness in something that was close to their son’s heart. #BlazeItForward
This program is partially funded by a grant from the Albert Weissman and Rhoda Yvette Weissman Arts Endowment Fund, a joint program of Jewish Community Foundation Orange County and Jewish Federation of Orange County.
The Jewish dietary laws of kashrut are observed in our teaching kitchen where there is a strict separation of meat and dairy foods. It is a Kosher kitchen without official Rabbinical supervision or a “mashgiach,” that maintains separate supplies and equipment, and only certified kosher ingredients are used.
Food items used in the teaching kitchen may contain or come into contact with wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk and fish.
This kitchen is a place where people come together to cook, eat, laugh, learn and to build community. Classes are limited in size to allow for safety precautions and hands-on instruction. All skill levels welcome.
Melanie and Hal Altman
Alit and Scott Braswell
Community Scholar Program
Julie Holdaway
Dana and Yossie Hollander
Robin and Larry Kaplan
Adrienne and Rick Matros
Julie and Steve Sherman
Dana and Mark Susson
Sheila and Jay Witzling