Voice of empowerment: Chef Alexander Harris of Emma’s Torch teaches both cooking and compassion

A chef on a mission to serve more than food.

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Alex Harris has always nurtured a passion for food, but not just the cooking of it, but the sharing of it. And his role as the Culinary Director of Emma’s Torch—whose mission is to teach cooking skills to enhance employment prospects for recent refugees—reflects those dual passions. “We want to provide the intellectual, emotional and physical tools for our students to work toward independence.”

Alex spends his time between Emma's Torch's classrooms at the Central Brooklyn Library where students both learn about the culinary industry in the kitchens and operate the library's cafe, and the organization's restaurant located in Carroll Gardens where student's get to experience the world of fine dining by cooking on the line during dinner and brunch services

As most students are not native speakers, clear communication in the kitchen classroom is paramount. Watch the video above to learn more about how Alex addresses that in his teaching techniques ... and about the great good work of Emma’s Torch.