Last month, just before the new year began, I drove north to the kibbutz where I was born, on the shores of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

Reading about favorite holiday foods reminded me why food matters so much at this time of year. Recipes don’t just feed us. They carry people, places, and moments we don’t want to lose.

During the Iranian attack in June, a missile landed close to Bialik Square. The Rubin House, his former home and now a small museum dedicated to his works, was severely damaged by the missile.