Join us on Power of Place for a conversation with Safa Jneidi and Iyad Alati. Their stories transport us to the ancient souks of Aleppo, Syria, where Iyad’s family once traded fabric along the storied Silk Road—a place they never imagined leaving. Now, they’ve built a new life on a quiet, forested island in the Pacific Northwest, bridging cultures through resilience, community, and the flavors of home.

Through vivid recollections, Safa and Iyad share a 400-year family history woven into the fabric of Aleppo’s 2,300-year-old Al-Madina Souq—a labyrinth alive with the scent of cumin and saffron, the clang of copper trays, and the steady hum of daily trade. More than a marketplace, the souk was home, an inseparable thread in the tapestry of their lives. It was also a place where tradition was preserved and passed down—not just through commerce, but through food. As with most Aleppians, cooking for Iyad and Safa was both a skill and a language of connection spoken through slow-roasted lamb, fragrant cardamom, and freshly baked flatbreads, each dish a bridge to memory and tradition.

Then, in 2012, war came. Forced to leave, they fled to Turkey, where Iyad worked in restaurant kitchens to survive. Later, they resettled in the U.S., passing through Tukwila, WA, before finding an unexpected home on Vashon Island—a rural community in the Salish Sea, accessible only by ferry from Seattle and Tacoma. The bustling Al-Madina Souq, the world’s longest covered market, now lay in ruins. In its place, misty forests and quiet shorelines became the backdrop to their new life.

Listen as Safa and Iyad share how, in exile, cooking became something more—a bridge between past and present. They recount the challenges of acquiring a small food cart, transforming it into Iyad’s Syrian Grill, and introducing their island neighbors to the flavors of Aleppo: smoky, spice-laden lamb skewers, fragrant hummus, and flaky, pistachio-studded baklava. Through these dishes, they stayed rooted in their heritage while building something new.

Just as Aleppo’s merchants dream of restoring the bustle of commerce to their city, Safa and Iyad share the trials and triumphs of building a new livelihood—one meal at a time. Their journey proves that building a new life is about holding onto a vision, nurturing it, and carrying it forward—wherever home may be.

“If you're working very hard and if you're working from your heart to improve something or to add something to this community, you will reach it.” ~Safa Jneidi


𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥.

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