Alex Assali has been serving up dishes to the city's needy since August, building stands in different spots around Berlin once a week, often near train stations.
The 38-year-old told CBC News in a phone call that his plan had been to, "show the German people what Syrians are really like," and to "get more involved in the German community.
His popularity soared internationally after Tabea Bü posted a photo on Facebook of Assali preparing two pots of food near Alexanderplatz station in Berlin.
Assali started his food initiative as part of a Christian Syrian project and began reaching out to Berlin's needy thanks to help from his pastor. The sign on his stand explains some of this in German. Part of it reads "We want to be a positive part in the German community," according to the Independent.
He told CBC News that he first arrived in Germany in Sept. 2014 after escaping an ISIS prison in Libya.
He says he left his home in Damascus, Syria in 2007 for "political reasons" and that he had wanted to study in Germany, but never had the opportunity. When he first arrived in Berlin as a refugee, he had no idea how to find his temporary residence, which was described as a hotel, from the centre station.
He said an old woman asked if he was lost, and that when he said yes, she brought him onto the train and guided him all the way to his new home.
"I was surprised from this kind of people," he said. "She left everything to take me to the [hotel] because she felt I was foreign."
The idea cemented in his brain when he helped a few friends at a homeless shelter, but also when he started hearing some negative comments about his status as a Syrian refugee.
"Don't reject any homeless person who asks you for something. They really do need it," he said.
icelock013 on July 27th, 2019 at 13:28 UTC »
May I ask...in what city was this photo was taken?
mackpack on July 27th, 2019 at 13:43 UTC »
web.de email address. Already fully assimilated.
Sumit316 on July 27th, 2019 at 14:00 UTC »
This guy is Alex Assali.
Amazing story.