Nathan’s February 2023 Newsletter
“Tell me, and I forget. Teach me and, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin
I have been waiting for this day, for a long time. Before I announce the news, this has been in the making since I started my GCI by JNF journey almost three and half years ago. We have made some amazing progress as a team. We have created significant momentum through lots of hard work, research, conversations (in person and via zoom), meetings, social media, our podcast, and everything else. The Jewish National Fund USA is going all out in providing support, services, and world-class guidance through the team’s management, partners, and affiliates. We are truly blessed to be part of such a fantastic family, and it is much easier to create game-changing culinary education and experiences with a community of amazing people.
Now the reason for bringing this up before announcing the date is that the fun has just begun. We will need to find more partners, develop relationships, raise more funds, and improve productivity with an actual start date. So I want everyone reading this to please share and think about anyone you know who can help us. This is a one-of-a-kind creation that will last a lifetime, so if you want to get involved in creating this legacy, please email us here.
Okay, so the official start date of the Rosenfield of School of Culinary Arts will commence on drum roll…………… May 7, 2024. While it might seem like a little down the road, it will be here faster than you can say, Baba ganoush. We still are waiting on a date for the restaurant, and culinary tourism will be starting most likely around the start of the institute. This is so exciting, and as you can see from the construction pictures, we are making significant progress each and every day.
We currently have accepted 4 out of about 30 + applicants in our flagship program and are searching far and wide for the best people based on what we believe will be the dynamic of our first cohort (learn more about the student type here). I also want another favor. Please share this with the right people (see link above) interested in joining our inaugural cohort for the flagship program. This first cohort is essential, and once people see the type of experiences you will get at the GCI, there will never be an open spot in this program again. I am that confident in what we are doing, and with limited spots available (once we are operating at full capacity, which is approximately 60 students in this program), that we will just keep on getting greater and greater prospects at the GCI, which in turn will make it harder and harder to get in.
Other GCI updates. On the construction front, we are moving at a great pace. We are gearing up to build our team, strategic plans, and goals, updating our website, systems, and organizational structure. Our social media has been doing great with a lot of engagement, and you can check out some of our top posts here.
I’m very excited to share our progress now that we know the direction we are moving toward. It's amazing to visualize that opening on May 7, 2024. We are incredibly blessed to have so much great support up to this point, and I look forward to all the interactions and conversations we will have this year around making this a world-class success.
Have a fantastic rest of the month, and stay warm (depending on where you are)!
L'chaim (To life)
Nathan