For Sivan Kobi, the act of cooking was never a hobby, it was a birthright. Raised under the relentless, golden sun of Israel, Sivan is the daughter of the man behind the legendary Sherman’s Bakery in the San Fernando Valley. In her world, flour and water were not just ingredients, they were the building blocks of community and the primary love language.
This ancestral rigor is the foundation upon which Sivan has built her modern empire. While her father’s kingdom was built in the brick ovens of a professional bakery, Sivan’s revolution is happening on the screens of over 1.4 million followers. She has inspired this rabid following by taking complex traditional dishes and distilling them into accessible creations. Her recipes are shared in family group chats and bookmarked by home cooks across the globe who find themselves drawn to her unique blend of maternal warmth and chef-like precision.
What makes Sivan a cultural phenomenon, however, is her refusal to separate her success from her soul. In a digital landscape that often encourages a neutral, generic identity, Sivan has leaned into her Judaism with a bold, unapologetic radiance. Her platform has become a virtual sanctuary for Jewish pride. When detractors surface in her comments, she answers with a sophisticated clarity, handling negativity with the same grace she brings to a boiling pot of soup.
ORA sat down with the woman who has turned the act of feeding a community into a global movement of identity and light.
ORA: Tell us about the kitchen you grew up in. What were the smells, the sounds, the rhythms?
Sivan: I grew up in a family of bakers, so the kitchen was always the heart of our home. My father was a European pastry chef and artisan bread baker, and my grandfather was also a baker. There were always beautiful baked goods around, fresh breads, pastries, and traditional Jewish sweets. The kitchen was vibrant, full of aromas and flavor, and honestly quite loud. Someone was always cooking, baking, or preparing something. My background is both Iraqi and Ashkenazi, and my mother worked hard to preserve the Ashkenazi recipes that were important to my father. She learned them from my late grandmother and carried those traditions into our home.
ORA: Your cooking sits at the intersection of several Jewish food traditions. What cultural influences shaped you most early on?
Sivan: Beyond the traditions I grew up with, my husband’s Syrian family had a huge influence on my cooking. My mother-in-law was an incredible cook and owned restaurants for much of her life. I learned so much from watching her in the kitchen. My husband’s sisters were also a big influence on me, especially when it came to cooking, hosting, and entertaining. Their kitchens were always full of warmth, generosity, and beautiful food.
ORA: When did you first realize food was going to be more than something you cooked at home, that it might become your life’s work?
Sivan: About three years ago, when my Instagram page Sivan’s Kitchen really began to grow. At first, I was simply sharing recipes and things I cooked for my family. But slowly I realized it was becoming something much bigger. Women began writing to me saying that because of my page they were lighting Shabbat candles, learning to cook for holidays, or starting traditions in their homes. One of the things I share every week is a Havdalah story on Saturday night, and I’ve had women write to me saying that even at 65 years old they began doing Havdalah after watching my stories. That’s when I realized this was about much more than food. It was about inspiring women to bring Judaism into their homes through cooking and tradition.
ORA: How did your own migration or travel shape the way you think about cooking?
Sivan: I was born in Israel and moved to Los Angeles with my family when I was four years old, and I’ve lived there ever since. Growing up in Los Angeles exposed me to an incredible mix of cultures and cuisines, which naturally shaped the way I cook today. It made me comfortable blending traditions and appreciating the many different food cultures within the Jewish diaspora.
ORA: What do you think Jewish cooking uniquely expresses that other cuisines may not?
Sivan: Jewish cooking is deeply tied to our calendar and our traditions. Our holidays come throughout the year, and each one brings people together around the table. Food becomes the way we celebrate, remember, and connect. And then there is Shabbat, which happens every single week. In my home, the preparation starts days before. I begin shopping on Wednesday, cooking on Thursday, and finishing preparations on Friday. Every week the kitchen is alive again with cooking, baking, and anticipation. That rhythm of preparation and gathering is something very unique in Jewish life.
ORA: Jewish history is marked by migration and rupture. How has food helped preserve identity when language, geography, and even community structures were lost?
Sivan: Food has always been one of the strongest ways Jewish identity is preserved. Even when Jews moved across continents and spoke different languages, the recipes and traditions stayed with them. A dish made by a grandmother in one country could still be made generations later somewhere else in the world. Through food, families preserved memories, culture, and faith. Recipes became a living connection between generations.
ORA: Jewish cooking often carries influences from the places Jews lived for centuries—Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Eastern Europe. How do you combine those influences in a way that feels cohesive?
Sivan: In my kitchen I love celebrating all of these influences. I regularly share dishes from Moroccan, Tunisian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Eastern European traditions. It’s funny because many people assume I’m Moroccan because of the recipes I share, and they’re often surprised when they learn my background. To me, it doesn’t feel fragmented at all. Jewish cuisine is naturally a blend of cultures because of where our communities lived throughout history. I love bringing those traditions together in my kitchen.
ORA: Is there a dish you make that captures several cultural influences at once?
Sivan: A dish that really reflects this is plov, or pilaf, which is a rice and chicken dish with turmeric and warm spices. Whenever I share it, I receive comments from people all over the world saying they grew up eating something similar. Russians call it plov, Bukharian Jews make it, and people from many other cultures recognize it as well. It’s a beautiful reminder of how food connects people across cultures.
ORA: When you cook from multiple traditions within the Jewish diaspora, how do you decide what to preserve and what to reinterpret?
Sivan: My approach is really about sharing and celebrating traditions rather than limiting them. I love honoring the original dishes and techniques, but I also believe food should feel alive in the present. The beauty of Jewish cuisine is that it has always evolved while still honoring its roots.
ORA: You’ve expanded beyond cooking into products. What inspired you to create your line?
Sivan: In 2023, we launched the Sivan’s Kitchen Judaica product line. The idea really came from my audience. Every time I shared my Shabbat table or holiday tablescapes, people would constantly ask where everything was from. I realized there was an opportunity to create beautiful pieces that people could bring into their own homes. It brings me so much joy when people send photos of their holiday tables set with my products. Knowing those pieces are part of their family celebrations is incredibly meaningful to me.
ORA: Why do you think you grew so quickly on social media? Was it something about Jewish and Mediterranean cuisine that inspires people?
Sivan: While it may look like fast growth, it has really been five years of consistent work. From the beginning, I gave everything to my community. I respond to messages, answer questions, and try to truly engage with the women who follow me. Many people come to my page looking for guidance—how to plan a holiday meal, how to cook a traditional dish, or even something as simple as how to make schnitzel. I believe that connection and engagement have been a big part of my growth. I also think people today are searching for ways to reconnect with Jewish traditions and bring them into their homes. Through food, those traditions become something tangible that families can share with their children and carry forward.
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