Food
Food is a very powerful thing,” says Chef Lior Lev Sercarz. “Everybody eats. It doesn’t matter where or who you are—you have to have food.”
That simple truth sits at the heart of the Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF (GCI), a movement transforming Israel’s far North into a global center for culinary excellence and innovation. Here, food is a catalyst—one that fuels jobs, community rebuilding, and population growth, all of which are central to Jewish National Fund-USA’s long-term strategy to attract 300,000 new residents to the region.
For Lev Sercarz, co-founder of GCI by JNF, culinary education is about opportunity. “The culinary world is now accepted as a respected profession,” explains Lev Sercarz. “If you want to be good at it, you have to go to school.” GCI was built on that premise: food offers a viable career pathway with real economic potential.
What sets GCI apart is its scope. Alongside cooking and baking, students are exposed to hospitality, agriculture, recipe development, entrepreneurship, and more. “This will give graduates a better chance of success, whether they want to open a business or join an existing company,” says Lev Sercarz. "All while remaining in this crucial frontier region.”
GCI by JNF is located in the greater Kiryat Shmona region, an extraordinary melting pot of culinary traditions that makes the institute’s education particularly unique. “Over 82 different cultures live side by side, with different techniques and agricultural practices,” Lev Sercarz says.
By design, GCI by JNF creates circles of impact that ripple into the surrounding region. The institute will employ hundreds, from faculty and administrators to maintenance staff and hospitality professionals. Those jobs, in turn, will benefit local small businesses. Soon, even before GCI welcomes its first cohort of students within the next year, residents and tourists will be able to dine at its restaurant, enjoy chef demonstrations, participate in hands-on culinary workshops, and engage in farm activities—all of which will strengthen the regional economy and help attract new residents.
Why join the journey of GCI by JNF? “It’s a community. It’s a movement,” Lev Sercarz says with a smile. “Whether you’re a tourist coming to visit or participate, it’s a place that sets the table—for conversation, opportunity, and a future in the Galilee.”
To learn more, visit galileeculinaryinstitute.org
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