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!