From German Lawyer to Orthodox Jewish Chef: The Incredible Journey of Tom Franz

We schedule our interview with Tom Franz for late morning — after he finishes his learning session with his rabbi. His life, however, did not begin this way. Tom grew up in Germany, in a Catholic Christian family.

When he was 16, a group of high-school students from Holon visited his school as part of an international exchange program. It was his first face-to-face encounter with Jews. Some time later came the return visit, and Tom traveled to Israel with the German delegation.

“The visit took place during Chol HaMoed Passover,” he recalls. “I remember it because they explained to us that beer and pastries wouldn’t be served because of the holiday. But afterward we went to an Arab bakery in Jaffa and… filled in the gap,” he laughs.

תום, יחד עם אחיו, בגרמניה

A Near-Miss Accident — and a New Idea

After the program ended, the delegation returned to Germany and Tom went on with his life. He completed high school, became a banker, and at age 24 was required to perform national service.

“In Germany you can choose between army service or civilian national service, including an option for ‘peace service’ abroad. My heart pulled me to Israel, and I spent that year volunteering here with people with disabilities, elderly patients, and the sick.”

During a year and a half in Israel, Tom was gradually exposed to Judaism and Jewish life, developing a growing affection for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. “I became a bit more spiritual,” he says, “but I didn’t have any concrete plans beyond that.”

One day, near the end of his service, he was at the hospital where he volunteered. As he stepped outside, a massive construction beam fell from a nearby worksite and struck the ground extremely close to him. A window shattered — but Tom walked away unharmed.

“By nature I’m a rational person,” he says. “So it made sense to me to say it was simply a workplace accident.” That same day, by ‘coincidence,’ he met a Jewish ba’al teshuvah and told him what had happened. He was the first to introduce Tom to the idea of Divine Providence — that nothing is random.

“For the next 48 hours I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Everything that had been forming inside me over the previous year and a half suddenly fell into place — like a row of dominoes. I had heard expressions like ‘with God’s help’ and ‘thank God,’ but suddenly everything connected in a flash of understanding — that religion wasn’t just an external story, but something deeply logical and personally relevant.”

These thoughts led him to another conclusion: “If this is true — then it obligates me. And that means I must convert and live as a Jew.”

Tom pauses — “But reality and practicality eventually overcame the emotional experience. When my service ended, I returned to Germany and continued my life.”

He went on to study law, completed a master’s degree, and even received judicial certification — yet the thought that he might be ignoring something essential never left him.

בביקורו הראשון בארץ

When did you finally decide to make a change?

“At 31, I told myself: if these thoughts have stayed with me for seven years, maybe there’s something real here. I didn’t want to wake up at 50, buried in my career and family life, and realize I needed to make a drastic change.”

He smiles — “Ironically, I recently turned 50, as a father of five children in religious schools. I imagined that by this age I’d have a family… but I certainly didn’t imagine a family this size,” he laughs. “In Germany, more than two children is rare.”

With determination, Tom obtained a tourist visa — and flew to Israel with one goal: to convert properly and become a halachic Jew.

תמונה מימיו כעורך דין (צילום: דן פרץ)

The Challenges of Conversion

“First of all,” he explains, “I arrived on a tourist visa — which meant I wasn’t allowed to do anything except be a tourist. I couldn’t join a Judaism study program, couldn’t begin the formal conversion track, and I wasn’t allowed to work.”

He had been a practicing lawyer in Germany, but could not work in Israel because of his status. His Hebrew was weak, and perhaps most difficult of all — he had no mentor or guide to help him through the process.

בבר המצווה של בנו הבכור

Did you consider giving up?

“Never. I came with the clear decision that I was becoming Jewish. A quick Reform conversion in Germany was never an option — I wanted the real thing.”

A month after arriving, Tom went to a hospital and underwent a halachic medical circumcision — even though he had not yet been accepted into the conversion track and had no guarantees.

“I told myself: being Jewish isn’t about a certificate or an office — it’s between me and God. If God wants me to become a Jew, I’ll do everything I can, even without official approval.”

A week later, recovering from the pain, he began attending a nearby Sephardi synagogue in Tel Aviv every Shabbat — sitting through every prayer, barely understanding a word. It took months until he could follow the pace of the service.

Gradually he learned halachot, mitzvot, Shabbat observance and kashrut. “In the end, the Rabbanut saw that I wasn’t giving up — and they accepted me into the conversion program. I still didn’t have work authorization and I paid a heavy price for this path, but I was happy. I felt I was advancing toward my goal.”

After two and a half years, Tom fulfilled his dream and became a Jew according to halacha.

עם אשתו בחופה

A Family — and a New Life

At the time, Tom was 34 and also searching for someone to build a home with, but it was difficult to find a match who shared his religious commitment. Meanwhile, his outward appearance still didn’t reflect observant life — “I had a ponytail and dressed like a regular secular guy,” he laughs — so religious women weren’t being suggested either.

“Three weeks after my conversion, I met Dana, who became my wife. God waited until I finished, and then brought us together.”

Dana did not grow up fully observant, but her father was deeply connected to the synagogue — and several of her siblings eventually became religious as well.

After their marriage, the couple continued to strengthen religiously, gradually and together.

A few years later, knowing Tom loved cooking, Dana signed him up for a cooking competition, which he won, earning widespread recognition in Israel and abroad. Since then, Tom has worked in the culinary world — cooking at events and weddings, consulting, and lecturing about his life story.

כריכת אחד מספרי הבישול שהוציא לאור

Faith, Choices, and Priorities

His growing fame led to media coverage, and to many opportunities he ultimately declined due to kashrut or Shabbat concerns: judging a cooking contest in Germany (which would require tasting non-kosher food), or appearing on a major TV show that involved Shabbat desecration.

Over the years, more than 500 articles have been written about him in the German media.

At first, his parents struggled greatly with his decision — even viewing it as a kind of personal crisis. But as time passed — and especially after the grandchildren were born, their attitude softened. Before his mother passed away nine years ago, she told him she was happy he had become Jewish. His father today also expresses deep appreciation for the meaning Judaism brought into Tom’s life.

Lessons From the Journey

“I think a person needs to listen to their heart, but also to act with logic, perseverance, and responsibility,” Tom reflects.

“The challenges I faced, including immigration, conversion, and financial uncertainty, built me. They forced me to clarify priorities: first build myself spiritually, then build a family, and trust that livelihood will come with God’s help.”

He smiles gently: “This isn’t the end of the road. I’m still in the middle of the journey.”