Amit Avishai does not understand why anyone would choose to live anywhere in Israel other than in the Galilee. “Life here is amazing,” he said. We have everything: beautiful landscapes, welcoming people, vibrant cultures—you name it. I can’t imagine wanting to live somewhere else.”

A born and bred Galilean, Amit lives in Kibbutz Shamir – about 10 kilometers from the Lebanese border and a 10-minute drive from GCI by JNF – with his wife Reut and their three children: Alma, 8; Yanai, 5; and Niv, 3. Before the war, Amit was an operations manager at a biotech company. They were evacuated on October 8, which was a good thing, as a missile and a drone hit the factory.” With everyone staying put on the kibbutz during the war (they were too far away from the border to get government funding to evacuate), Amit built and operated a school on his kibbutz for more than 70 children in grades 1-6. “It was difficult, but we did it,” he said. “And when schools reopened, and the kids were tested, they showed they had kept up their grade levels, so I guess we did ok.”

Amit is thrilled with his new role as GCI by JNF’s operations manager, in charge of programming, partnerships and collaborations, marketing and PR. “I’m so excited about what GCI by JNF will bring to the entire Galilee,” he said. “The sheer magnitude of the effect it will have on everyone is staggering. Everyone who lives here will benefit from the classes, a boosted local economy, all the collaborations, the farm-to-table influence, and the people it will bring. I firmly believe in the power of culinary arts to connect people, especially after the past year and a half, during which our region has suffered greatly. In my opinion, GCI by JNF is precisely what the North is missing: a place that highlights all the wonderful things this region has to offer, brings out its beauty and uniqueness, and provides our community with hope and renewal. A place that connects people from all over the world around the Galilee’s incredible cuisine.

“Great things are coming, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.”