Help us honor our late friend and coworker Mohamed El-Hadi

We are former employees of 40 North at Alphabet City (Pittsburgh, PA). Before the restaurant was closed in July, a few of us had come together to explore ways to honor the memory of our friend and coworker Mohamed El-Hadi, who had died tragically in May.

We hope to raise $2,150 to purchase and install a grave marker and $1,500 to dedicate a bench in Allegheny Commons Park.

Mohamed was just 24 years old when he passed– a brilliant, courageous young person and a bright soul. It’s no exaggeration to say that 40 North had been something of a Mohamed Fan Club.

Mohamed had a sharp, wry sense of humor. He was calm, soft spoken, and graceful. He had a great presence and he was so, so dang smart! In his free time, he worked passionately on a documentary about the cycle of political corruption in Sudan. He and our server Jacob connected through their mutual love for photography. Mohamed and Chef Beth had formed a really special bond, too, and she thought he possessed the intuition to someday be a chef himself.

We could set our watches by Mohamed’s daily 2:59 arrival, and when he didn’t show up on May 23, we instantly knew something was wrong. Ten days later, our hearts broke when Mohamed’s body was found. Per his family’s customs, funeral arrangements were made swiftly and he was buried the following day. However, we learned soon after that in the haste and anguish, no marker had been purchased for his grave, and it is really important that we remedy that.

We are also raising money to dedicate a park bench to Mohamed’s memory. A bench in the Allegheny Commons would provide a place to rest, reflect, and remember our dear friend in the North Side neighborhood where he lived and worked.

All of the money raised will be used to fund these two items only: a grave-marker and a park bench. Once the necessary amount is raised, the campaign will be closed.

The entire staff of 40 North has felt a lot of love from our Pittsburgh community in the past few months, and we cannot thank you enough for the boosts of support that have buoyed us when we have felt so low.

We're hopeful that with your help, we can raise the funds needed to commemorate Mohamed as he deserves. Please donate what you can and help us to spread the word.

Sincerely, Jacob Paul, Kara Selberis and Chef Beth Zozula, formerly of 40 North.