TEL AVIV -— Whether by sheer luck or something more celestial, Israel’s version of the hit American reality TV show “MasterChef” discovered a convert to Judaism who was willing to fry his successful legal career in Germany to whip-up gourmet kosher cuisine for a prime-time audience hungry for both a juicy story and great food.

From the minute Tom Franz entered the “MasterChef-Israel” studio during the first episode of the third season late last year, the panel of judges — consisting of well-known local chefs, restaurateurs and a saucy cookbook author — was mesmerized by Franz’s story and his immaculate, lip-smacking debut dish. Mind you, he had to beat out thousands of other potential contestants during a series of preliminary tastings just to get to the premier episode.

For the unfamiliar, “MasterChef-Israel” follows the same format as the original Fox network show in the United States. Each week, over a period of nearly four months, judges challenge the 14 chef contestants with a variety of gastronomic missions. The contestants are whittled down during the course of these culinary challenges so that the final cook-off highlights three would-be master chefs.

“In many ways, ‘MasterChef’ is similar to ‘Big Brother’ because the producers try and build a certain atmosphere for the show, creating an array of emotional moments,” says Franz. “When you are in a studio, sometimes for nearly 20 hours a day, people are really out of their reality. You can’t communicate with the outside world, as there are no phones or e-mail. 

“But in my case, being Shomer Shabbat was an advantage because Shabbat allows you to disconnect from the outside world. So as busy as we were on the set, I’d take time to pray in the morning, which served a quiet anchor for me,” he adds. 

A pretty amazing revelation, when you consider the fact that Franz, 40, was born in Cologne, Germany into a Catholic family. His interest in Israel and Jews was piqued at age 16, through a random encounter with Israeli high school students who were in Germany as a part of an exchange program. “I was fascinated by their mentality and look and I stayed in contact with some of them after they left Germany,” he recollects. Six months later, Franz arrived in Israel as part of a German student delegation. The experience sparked a hunger for more.

At age 22, after an apprenticeship in a private German bank, he returned to Israel for a challenging 18-month stint volunteering in a local hospital through “Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste” (the equivalent of National Service/Peace Corps), an experience that made a distinct impression on him. “First of all, I found things different in Israel, yet it seemed strangely familiar, like coming home. I loved the warmer climate and the enticing smells in the air,” says Franz. 

“As part of my volunteer work I visited elderly Holocaust survivors in their homes, chatting with them about their daily activities and lives. They obviously knew I was German, but no one ever asked me ‘What are you doing here?’ They knew how to read you.”

During this period, Franz also started to explore the tenets of Judaism. He also considered conversion, but he wanted to make sure “that I didn’t convert out of guilt,” he admits.

Franz then returned to Germany, studied law and worked as an attorney in a prominent international law firm. For eight years he divorced himself completely from what he had encountered in Israel. Still, he yearned for something more.  

 “There were signs all the time during this period to continue my journey in Israel and explore Judaism,” he says. “Before I jumped back into this quest, I tried to peer into the future. I did not want to be married with two kids and then have regrets, which wouldn’t have been fair to anyone.” 

At age 31, Franz returned to Israel and started the long and sometimes, frustrating, conversion process. Like many potential converts before him, he had to deal with both governmental and religious bureaucratic boondoggles. 

“I couldn’t get a work permit and it got to the point where after many trials and tribulations with the rabbinate, I was able to convert but I was not allowed to work, which made itnot only difficult to stay in Israel, but also to survive,” Franz recalled. “I took loans to survive and it was difficult for my parents to see how I was being treated. I had risked a lot at this point but I had encouragement from a small but special group of people and I did it all with love.”

Soon after his formal Orthodox conversion, he met his future wife, Dana, in Tel Aviv.

“One month after I went to the mikvah, I met Dana on a bench, as she was waiting to get into a restaurant. I like to say that this was my reward from the Almighty,” he kvells. Ironically, it was Franz who “converted” Dana.

“I was not religious at all at the time,” Dana says. “But after I met Tom, I was so intrigued by his knowledge about my religion. Remember, I was the one who grew up in Israel. My parents (American mother, Israeli father) were traditional and kept a kosher home.” 

In another twist of fate, Dana was actually employed in the food industry having provided public relations for top chefs and restaurants. Franz had enjoyed dabbling in cooking from an early age. After making a romantic meal for her that elicited tears of joy, Dana realized that she had not only met her life partner, but also encouraged him to fulfill his other life-long dream: cooking to make a living. 

“Tom is a true culinary artist. His talent is exposed through his food presentations,” says Dana.

During the long and intense “MasterChef” season, Franz consistently impressed judges and viewers alike as he fulfilled his vision and passion to create sumptuous gourmet kosher dishes. During the final cook-off in which judges are tasked with eliminating one of the three contestants in order to create one last ultimate culinary showdown, Franz beat out Salma Fiomi-Farij, an Israeli-Arab neuroscience researcher, for the coveted title of Master Chef-Israel. So beloved was the show that this final episode garnered a 52.3 percent rating, the highest rating for any show in the history of Israeli television. 

Early on, Franz announced that he wanted to prove one could make a variety of scrumptious kosher dishes to be served anywhere, whether to guests in a fancy restaurant or to friends and family at home. As a result, Franz became the first TV “MasterChef” in the world to win the coveted title based on kosher culinary offerings. 

Franz’s prime-time gastronomic victory resounded all the way back to Germany. Taking advantage of his new- found fame, he recently completed his first cookbook for the German market, which highlights his life story alongside his favorite recipes from Israel. 

Nowadays Franz, who speaks fluent English, is training his culinary sights on the multi-billion American kosher food market place. “In Israel, I am already hosting cooking classes and workshops, providing recipes and consulting to food companies, as well as creating one-of-a-kind chef’s kitchen experiences for organizations, VIPs, etc.,” he says. “Because America is home to the largest kosher consumer market in the world, as well as being the land of opportunity, I would love to export my ideas and have other people sample my creations.”

Start whetting your appetites.