"Whenever feeling downcast, each person should vitally remember, For my sake, the entire world was created." Baal Shem Tov 

We are just entering the period on the Jewish calendar known as the three weeks. I've spoken about this before (read here to learn more), but it's a sorrowful time in our history when both of our Holy Temples were destroyed, and the destruction process began. Of course, many other tragedies and mourning customs commemorate the loss, but I want to focus on the future.  

I have been thinking a lot about our future students. We have been doing interviews for the last few months and have had many impactful conversations. It would be fantastic if we could take everyone who applies, but this is not the reality. We only accept around fifteen students in this first and future cohorts for the flagship program. Other programs will help students get into the flagship program if they do not initially meet the requirements, and there will be other less intense options in the future. I've stressed this many times, but we are looking for the future culinary leaders of tomorrow. 

So what does a future Flagship Program student look like? Here is my best description of who we are looking for:   

 1 – A passion for impacting the culinary industry somehow – This does not mean you need to know where you have your place in the culinary world, but you have the passion for making this a reality. 

2 – A leader. This does not mean you need to lead hundreds of people, but you are a self-starter, able to run with projects, events, whatever it may be, or you have this drive to figure things out even if you have no idea how.

3  – Energy & Intensity – The Flagship program is not for everyone. This will be a rigorous program with classes anywhere from five to six days a week, requiring between six and ten-hour days. In addition, there will be work in the classroom and out of the culinary institute.  So the more energy and intensity, the better. 

4 – Experience. Not culinary expertise, but life experience. It requires a long-term living situation in the North of Israel. This requires working with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and if you have not traveled abroad or spent time outside your hometown, it might be a challenge. Experience in a diverse team environment is crucial.  

5 – Will to succeed. I believe everyone has an innate will to grow, but not everyone has discovered this in themselves. While success can mean many things, the individual will do whatever is necessary to create this definition of success.  

6 – Other adjectives that we could use to describe our future cohort members: optimistic, open, caring, active, innovative, curious, loving, compassionate, competitive, hungry (both types 😊), communicative, adaptable, brave, adventurous, determined, enthusiastic, honest, persistent, reliable, resourceful, self-confident, self-disciplined, friendly, willing, hard-working and imaginative.   

Hopefully, this list does not scare anyone but only motivates you to become the best you. We currently have accepted only three students into our program. We are on a mission to find the best fit possible, so if you know of anyone or would like to share this with a friend, please do. Our success depends on our student's success, and we will leave no stone unturned until we find our first cohort. Once we have this first group, I believe we will have a waiting list for all future cohorts considering our flagship program at max capacity will be around sixty students.  We know this sounds very selective and competitive, but we are looking for the right people to complement each other. Again, we will have several types of programs, so there will be an opportunity for every kind of food lover. The future is bright for passionate culinary people.

While we might be in a sad time in our history, these times allow us to know what joy and happiness are.  

L'chaim (To life) 

Nathan