At the Galilee Culinary Institute (GCI) by JNF in Kibbutz Gonen, families gathered this week for one of the first resilience-focused culinary workshops launched as part of Jewish National Fund-USA’s broader investment in rebuilding northern Israel. Children rolled dough beside their parents, residents cooked with fresh produce grown on nearby farms, and for a few hours, many said they were able to focus on something other than war.
The Galilee Culinary Institute by Jewish National Fund-USA
“When I’m cooking with my daughter, I see her focused on that,” one parent said during the workshop. “I see her not worried about sirens, or about potential sirens, or about what should we do.”
Another participant described the experience as a rare break from months of tension and isolation. “It really feels different from my everyday life now because of the war,” she said. “We didn’t go anywhere or do stuff or leave the kibbutz. So this is really fun.”
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'For a few hours, many said they were able to focus on something other than war.'
(Photo: Jewish National Fund-USA )
The initiative is part of a larger effort by Jewish National Fund-USA to revitalize the Galilee through the Galilee Culinary Institute, a flagship project intended to position the region as Israel’s culinary and food technology hub while helping stimulate tourism, agriculture and local business development.
The institute, which includes a safe room inside the building and sits just seconds from a bomb shelter, has become an unlikely symbol of resilience in a region still recovering from repeated rocket fire and security threats tied to the ongoing conflict along Israel’s northern border.
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'When I’m cooking with my daughter, I see her focused on that... not worried about sirens'
(Photo: Jewish National Fund-USA )
“There’s so much need for activities,” one organizer said during the event. “The fact that GCI has some of the best kitchens in the world just 15 seconds away from a bomb shelter allows us to do these resilience programs in a way that’s hard to find elsewhere.”
Jewish National Fund-USA CEO Russell Robinson has described the North as one of the organization’s long-term strategic priorities, focusing not only on recovery but on population growth, economic development and creating opportunities that encourage families and young professionals to remain in the region.
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'It’s really fun to make your own food and then eat it and be with other people.'
(Photo: Jewish National Fund-USA )
Leading the culinary vision is Israeli chef Lior Lev Sercarz, the internationally recognized spice expert and “Top Chef” personality who serves as the institute’s culinary director. The school aims to combine professional culinary training with local agriculture, innovation and tourism development across the Galilee.
Organizers say the pilot workshop in Gonen is only the beginning. The program is expected to expand to additional northern communities in the coming months as part of a wider push to strengthen the social fabric of areas heavily affected by the war.
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'Residents cooked with fresh produce grown on nearby farms'
(Photo: Jewish National Fund-USA )
For many participants, however, the impact was already immediate. “I’m really enjoying this workshop,” one child said. “It’s really fun to make your own food and then eat it and be with other people.”
In a region where daily life has often revolved around emergency alerts and uncertainty, organizers say those moments of normalcy carry unusual weight. “This is resilience in action,” said CEO Russell Robinson of Jewish National Fund-USA. “One meaningful experience creates expanding circles of impact, from the individual child to the family, and from the family to the wider community.”
First published: 15:06, 05.07.26