In the JNF Kitchen: Chef Alaa Moussa’s sea bass filet on a bed of lemon-verbena freekeh

This recipe originally appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of our Byachad Magazine. You can read the full issue here!

Step into El Marsa restaurant, and you instantly become witness to the latest movement in Arabic cuisine in Israel.

U.S. ambassador to Israel swings by shiny new tourist center in Akko

As Alon Badihi of JNF's Israel office looks on, U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro signs the registry at JNF's new
Western Galilee Tourist Information Center. 

By Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro was met with treats, lots of treats. 

Daniel Shapiro, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, paid a recent visit to the Jewish National Fund's new Western Galilee Tourist Information Center in Akko to show support for the organization’s efforts to increase tourism and employment growth in northern Israel. While in Akko, Shapiro praised the region’s multiculturalism and ongoing commitment to coexistence and "shared citizenship."

Ambassador Shapiro spent a day visiting with local authorities and others to discuss development in the region. His stop at the tourist center included tastes of local delicacies presented by representatives of Western Galilee Now (WGN), a grassroots consortium of more than 30 tourism-related businesses in the area, which is known for attractions like its picturesque wineries and sweeping views. 

Then and now: See the Western Galilee Visitors Center's speedy progress

Last August, JNF's inaugural Social Media Executive Committee traveled up north and spent time exploring the coastal city of Akko, including the site of what will be the JNF Western Galilee Visitors Center. What a difference seven months makes! From a 150-year-old building with crumbling walls, exposed pipes and a debris-strewn floor to one lined with beautiful stones that recall the city's ancient history... Check out the before-and-after pictures below.

Last summer on the mission:

One answer to crowding in central Israel: Go North!

Photo: Anne Taillandier 

The historically rich northern city of Akko is looking to attract more tourists to its turrets and tunnels. 

By Tzivia Jennifer MacLeod

Israel's center is "imploding" from crowding and high living costs, according to Jewish National Fund Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick. But tourism to the north will help take the pressure off by spurring economic development and encouraging population growth in another region. 

While close to 80 percent of Israel's land area is located outside the center of the country, tourists typically spend only a few hours, at most, exploring beaches, museums, and historical and natural sites beyond Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Krosnick said recently at the Go North Western Galilee Tourism Conference in the northern coastal city of Akko. The conference was co-sponsored by JNF and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.

The challenge doesn't just lie in bringing visitors to the region, but in convincing them to stay longer to enjoy the area's rich historical sites, boutique artists, expert travel guides, and farm-to-table restaurants.