In key moments throughout Nehad Jerada’s life, pastries have played a pivotal role. Her baked goods nourished a large brood in the family home in Gaza, and they earned the mother of six her big break in Australia.

Now Jerada hopes those same pastries will help rebuild the family home, which has been destroyed in the current conflict.

For the next three weekends, Alexandria’s Anything But Humble bakery is in Jerada’s hands. Kicking off on Friday, November 10, her “takeover” will see Palestinian pastries selling at $6 a pop, with all proceeds earmarked for the rebuild.

Jerada argues Palestinian pastries have the Middle East covered for flavour and use of spice. With her son, Saif Jerada, acting as translator, she jumps from specialities such as manakish zaatar (flatbread), to the fate of the family home.

Located in the north of Gaza, it had been badly damaged before. This time, the area in which it is located was hit. Speaking without bitterness, Jerada is grateful her other son and his family heeded the warning to leave.

“Everything is gone, that house is all he has,” she says of her mission to raise the $50,000 required to rebuild.

Jerada moved to Australia in 2021 as an asylum seeker. She caught a break when she was offered work with Shaun Christie-David’s Plate it Forward Hospitality Group. The social change start-up is behind Sydney venues Colombo Social in Enmore, Chippendale’s Kyiv Social and Anything but Humble bakery.

“She was working here washing dishes,” Christie-David says. “One day she brought in some pastries – they were ridiculously good. Now she’s worked her way up to senior production chef at Plate it Forward.”

“It has made her life better. She has a better income, she can live in a better house,” Saif says of his mother’s new career path.

If you’re looking for tips on what to order, Christie-David points to the spinach and cheese fatayer as a favourite: “I’ve never had anything like it, hand-rolled pastry.” Sydneysiders don’t snack on pastries alone, so Jerada will also sell a beetroot hummus.

Open 7.30am-3pm (Fri-Sun), until November 26.

Shop 2/133-137 Mitchell Road, Alexandria