What’s Cooking at the
Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF
Join Our Journey
A heartfelt journey through resilience, culinary innovation, and the vibrant stories shaping Israel's future—discover the flavors, trends, and community-driven efforts that define the Galilee Culinary Institute's mission to build a brighter tomorrow.
Message from the Co-Founder
Northern Israel is more than a region—it’s a vision of resilience, rebirth, and bold reinvention. At our recent Global Conference for Israel, The Reimagining of a New North was featured in a main stage session where 2,700 attendees heard firsthand stories of courage, community, and a future being built on trust and Jewish National Fund-USA’s strategic vision. They also enjoyed a live cooking segment with me and our chairman, Steve Dabrow, who spoke about our GCI by JNF journey to date and what the future holds. Watch the video of the session here .
Activities to Begin Soon!
February 2026 will see the Galilee Culinary Institute by Jewish National Fund, Rosenfield School of Culinary Arts come alive with high-quality activities including:
• Weekly cooking workshops for various skill levels and for select audiences
• Guided tours of regional culinary sites culminating with cooking workshops and meals
• Fine dining experiences available on select evenings every week
• Live cooking demonstrations in person or virtually
We look forward to welcoming local food enthusiasts, tourists, educational groups, corporate clients, media, and influencers to join our journey. Stay tuned for details on how to sign up.
Campus Updates
The Farm
Preparations for the upcoming growing season are well underway. By the spring/summer, the farm, donated by Orlee and Irwin Panitch and comprised of fields and an orchard under the guidance of Migal Galilee Research Institute, will yield enough produce for use on campus and for donation or sale to local communities. Not only beautiful, it will enhance the farm to table experience for the students and restaurant patrons.
The Main Building
Several kitchens, laboratories, the restaurant, the one-of-a-kind grill, flour mill, patio, and amphitheater are nearly complete, and work continues at full pace. The search for key staff is underway, and we expect to begin operational activity in February 2026 following final inspections.
A Word from the Chairman
The coming months will usher in the beginning of a movement that will transform the Upper Eastern Galilee into a global epicenter of food, culture, and community.
With our soft launch in February 2026, GCI by JNF will offer courses from local chefs, tourism programs, VIP events, farm-to-table cooking, and multicultural culinary experiences featuring Druze, Muslim, Bedouin, and Jewish traditions, drawing on the 82 different cuisines that comprise the North’s rich bounty. We will soon be accepting applications from Israeli students for the first academic year that will begin October 2026.
GCI by JNF will redefine culinary education through a bold, immersive model: Discover. Engage. Create. Students will go beyond cooking to explore agriculture, food tech, hospitality management, and sustainability. The program will draw on Israel’s unique cultural mosaic—Ethiopian, Russian, Yemenite, Moroccan, Druze, Muslim, and more—creating a one-of-a-kind curriculum found only in the Galilee.
Partnering with Tel Hai University, GCI by JNF will provide all students with academic support, administrative services, cross-listed courses, housing, and safety, all while creating the enrichment that students need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
While Northern Israel faces continued uncertainty, GCI by JNF is a beacon of vision and resilience. We were there yesterday. We are there today. And through GCI by JNF and the broader Reimagine Plan, we are building tomorrow. Join our journey!
We Need You!
We invite you to get in on the ground floor and help bring our vision to life. Choose from a menu of dedication opportunities and be part of Reimagining the North!
Major Campus Dedication Opportunities
1. Entire Buildings – $3,500,000 per building (2)
2. Beer Brewery – $1,500,000
3. Restaurant – $1,000,000 (sold)
4. Building A – Top Floor – $1,000,000 (sold)
5. Building A – Bottom Floor – $1,000,000
6. Building B – Top Floor – $1,000,000
7. Building B – Bottom Floor – $1,000,000 (sold)
8. Gift Shop $2 million
Signature Spaces
1. Campus Naming $5 million (sold)
2. Culinary School $2 million (sold)
3. GCI Exhibition Auditorium – $750,000
4. Grand Mastery Room – $750,000
5. Restaurant Kitchen – $500,000 (sold)
6. Restaurant Bar – $500,000
7. Organic Farm – $500,000 (sold)
8. Wine & Spirit Tasting Room – $500,000 (sold)
9. Chocolate Factory – $500,000 (sold)
10. Dairy & Pastry Master Classroom – $500,000
11. Rooftop of Building B – $500,000
12. Bread Bakery Classroom – $500,000 (sold)
13. Amphitheater – $500,000
Labs, Gardens & Creative Spaces
1. Gardens (5 available) – $200,000 each
2. Fish Lab – $175,000
3. Vegetable Lab – $175,000
4. Student Lounge – $175,000
5. Reflection Pool – $175,000
6. Herb Garden – $150,000
7. Flour Mill Lab – $150,000
8. Greenhouses – $350,000 (2)
9. Outdoor Barbecue Area – $150,000 (sold)
10. Dorm Gathering Area – $150,000
11. Artwork Area – $125,000
12. Pergola Between Buildings – $100,000
13. Cooking Stations (20+) – $100,000
14. Dorm Rooms (20 available) – $100,000 each
Inspired Additions
1. Ramp to Lower Sitting Area – $75,000
2. Curriculum Program Topic Sponsorship – $75,000 (wine, beer brewing, pastry, meat, dairy gluten free etc.)
3. Temperature-Controlled Wine Display – $75,000 (sold)
4. Outdoor Sitting Areas (4 available) – $50,000 each
5. Path Between Buildings – $50,000
A Smorgasboard of Other News
• Our Winter Connection event in South Florida is scheduled for February 2-5, 2026. Register now at jnf.org/winterconnection and join us for one of our most exciting events of the year, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and editor-in-chief of SAPIR Bret Stephens.
• We invite you to register now at jnf.org/gc2026 for our 2026 Global Conference for Israel from November 12-15, 2026 in San Diego, CA. Take advantage of Early Bird rates. This year’s Conference sold out weeks early, so don’t miss your chance to be a part of the largest annual gathering of Zionists in the U.S.!
• There is nothing better than being in Israel, seeing Jewish National Fund-USA’s work up close, and meeting people on the ground. With so many trips to choose from, there is sure to be one for you. Take a look here.