Northern Israel remains in the news, primarily due to Hezbollah's rocket attacks that have set the region ablaze. However, Jewish National Fund-USA has a new program that aims to revitalize the area through local cuisine and agriculture.
The Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF-USA housing the Rosenfield School of Culinary Arts blends culinary education, restaurant management, tourism, and entrepreneurship. In Israel's Galilee, a region known for its fertile lands, mountains and rivers, GCI by JNF will offer a comprehensive, immersive culinary education in an ideal agricultural setting.
Before the war, the North was known for its robust culinary culture and food-tech scene.
"There will be a day after – soon, I hope – and we want to be ready," GCI by JNF Co-Founder Lior Sercaz told ILTV earlier this month. He wants to convey that people can and should still go north.
GCI offers a 12-month program on a 25,000-square-foot campus where students can gain practical culinary skills and explore the major trends shaping the food industry today. The program provides hands-on experiences and opportunities to connect with culinary entrepreneurs and food professionals from Israel and around the world, enriching students' understanding of the culinary arts.
Sercaz told ILTV that GCI's "revolutionary food-focused initiative" is poised to catalyze regional growth and innovation – "transcending the traditional concept of culinary education."
Participants pick herbs and spices, work on ecological farms, and press olives. They meet with the local Beoudin and learn from Moroccan and Ethiopian cooks.
The program is now accepting applications for its inaugural class, set to begin studies in the coming months. Sercaz said there is no age specification and no professional culinary experience to qualify. So far, around seven students have been accepted, and about half have no culinary background.
He said, "We're looking for somebody who loves the culinary industry and sees the potential in it, someone who's motivated and who sees what we see: the Galilee in Israel being a leading player in the world when it comes to culinary."