EL AL | Atmosphere

Business I Innovation

The Galilee Culinary Institute | Photo: Ilustration

When the start-up nation blends its love of food and hospitality with trailblazing innovation: a new Israeli culinary institute is set to inspire and galvanize food lovers worldwide \ By Keren Brown A Culinary Arts Renaissance in the Heart of the Galilee

Impact Leaders and their Food for Thought When Israeli-born Chief culinary officer and co-founder, Chef Lior Lev Sercarz - owner of world-famous New York spice shop La Boîte - met JNF-USA CEO Russell F. Robinson, sparks flew. Driven by their shared vision of a culinary arts renaissance, they began work on what promises to revolutionize culinary education from the ground up. Once CEO Nathan Hoffman was in the picture, and under the auspices of food experts such as winner of the James Beard award (the American food Oscars) Chef Michael Solomonov, and Top Chef panel judge, Chef Gail Simmons, the foundations of the

As the world adapts to changing needs, so does the galaxy of the culinary arts. Graduating from culinary school and integrating the classic kitchen brigade system is no longer the ne plus ultra of the aspiring chef. With Israel at the forefront of culinary innovation, there are now so many options for a career in food. The start-up nation seemed bound to take on the task of reinventing the way the culinary arts are taught. The Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA) is getting ready to launch a one-of-a-kind culinary arts school in the North of Israel. The Galilee Culinary Institute (GCI), set to open its doors in 2023,

aims to combine gastronomy with technology, entrepreneurship, and storytelling. Located in Kibbutz Gonen, in the heart of the Galilee, a mountainous region blessed with fertile lands and the gift of 4,000 years of culture, GCI will be a place like no other, a gateway to discovering the food traditions of Israel’s numerous ethnicities, from Moroccan cuisine to Russian, Bedouin or Baha’i. The institute will offer students from all over the world, unique access to some of the most globally renowned chefs and food entrepreneurs, as well as hands-on experience in the region’s eco-farms, wineries, and olive groves.

36 ATMOSPHERE AUGUST 2022