Nathan’s December 2020 Newsletter
We are starting to see the transformation happen.
Things are starting to fall into place. Our understanding of the students’ needs is intensifying, and the journey, I am enjoying every minute of it. Let the culinary times roll.
We are digging deep into our curriculum and the foundation of everything that we do. The key is hard work with intention, not creating a program that just sounds good but has a significant impact. All of this starts with finding out what the student needs to be successful and the program outcomes that allow for this to happen. We are only successful if our students are successful, so having this in mind when creating any of our programs is crucial. Our efforts will be focused here for the next few months, doing our best to create impactful programs developing tomorrow’s culinary leaders. I expect to have some useful updates in the coming months.
Last month I discussed how I did not even talk about the opportunity we have here physically in Israel, so why not talk a little about that now. Food always brings people together. A great example of this is the article we just published in the newsletter, highlighting the company Buza, the story of a Jew and an Arab who decided that their love of ice cream could bring people together. This is a primary emphasis at the GCI, bringing people together regardless of their background or culture to enjoy the Galilee’s tastes, smells, and experiences.
At the core of this, our on-site restaurant which will showcase culinary masterpieces from all types of ethnic traditions, from Druze to Ashkenazi and Bedouin to Syrian; food knows no boundaries. Our tourism classes can focus on different cooking styles and techniques and we can even create craft beers using local ingredients. There are many opportunities to enjoy great company and experience the authenticity of Israel. I have had many conversations with influencers in the community, and everyone is excited about what we are putting together at the GCI.
This month we also had a great fundraising month. Thanks to some great fundraisers and JNF’s meaningful Monday sessions, where major partners get an opportunity to learn more about the GCI’s inner workings, we raised over $1.3M. This is an excellent accomplishment during these uncertain times, and several more significant donations are close to being committed. We are blessed to have great partners, small and large, as this needs to be a group effort since what we are creating will be first-class and will live on way past my time. Thank you to everyone who has helped and just another reason to be thankful after the thanksgiving holiday.
This month’s focus area was on our social media, specifically Instagram (a little plug for our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages if you haven’t already like our pages 😊). We are focused on engagement and providing high-quality content. We are looking at ways to engage culinarians, no matter what level of expertise, to get updates from our pages and share great content.
If you would like to collaborate, shoot us an email. A lot is in the works, but if you have any ideas that you think people would like to see, shoot us a message here.
The last item I want to discuss is that it is essential to have fun and enjoy the journey. This is not only for students but for those working on the business side of things. Enjoying the journey is crucial to the end result, no matter what type of work you are doing. There are days that I am working on the ideas behind the institute, and it is a blast, and other days that I am going through legal documents which might not be as exciting but enjoying both as best you can is necessary. My pointer to everyone is to get the stuff you do not enjoy done first thing, then move on to more fun areas.
There are two trains of thought when it comes to Chanukah and lighting the menorah. The school of Beit Shammai ruled on the first night, we light 8 candles, and each day we decrease to 7, 6, and so on. The school of Beit Hillel ruled on the first night we light one candle, then 2, 3, and so on. Why do we follow the ruling of Beit Hillel? One reason is that we should always increase in light, meaning, do more good deeds, and not be satisfied with what we did the previous day. An important lesson for everyone, always growing, always getting better, lighting up the world through our good deeds.
I want to wish everyone a fantastic holiday season filled with light, great culinary dishes, and company from those whom we all love most.
L’chaim (To life)
Nathan