NY-based Jewish chef, foie gras maker dies during Iron Man competition in Israel

A Jewish chef and restaurateur known for co-founding a major foie gras producer in New York recently died while taking part in an Iron Man competition in Israel.

Michael Ginor, who was born in the US to Israeli parents, suffered a fatal heart attack on November 25 while competing in the triathlon held at the Sea of Galilee, according to local newspaper the Long Island Press.

“Michael was a loving father, husband, grandfather, friend, mentor, visionary and so much more. His larger than life presence will forever live on in the many lives he touched,” his family wrote in a statement posted to his Instagram page.

Ginor joined the Israel Defense Forces in 1988 and served as a captain in the Gaza Strip and as a military spokesman, according to his bio on the Hudson Valley Foie Gras website.

Two years later, he helped found Hudson Valley Foie Gras, a well-known producer of the specialty food product, and was a co-founder of the company.

The firm’s site says that Ginor “discovered the potential of modern-age foie gras processing and the possibilities of total and comprehensive production” while in Israel, which was once the third-largest foie producer in the world until a 2003 Supreme Court decision banned the production of the delicacy by current force-feeding methods.

Ginor, 59, was also a co-owner of the Long Island-based restaurant LOLA.

He is survived by his wife and three children.