FROM SOIL TO SOUL: FARM-TO-TABLE ACROSS THE AGES IN ISRAEL
Join us on online for a four-part flavorful exploration of Israel’s rich food heritage as Gila Levitan guides us from ancient terraces to modern tech farms, and from communal harvests to culinary innovation
Ancient Practices – Agriculture of the Ancestors
Wednesday, January 28, 7:00 pm ET (online)
We begin by traveling back in time to explore how ancient Israelites cultivated the land using terracing, spring-fed irrigation, and the Seven Species —figs, grapes, olives, pomegranates, dates, wheat, and barley. Featured are two important heritage sites: Neot Kedumim, the biblical landscape reserve, and Sataf, where ancient techniques are still visible in the hills outside Jerusalem. We’ll also trace the development of wine from biblical times to today’s boutique vineyards, examining how ancient viticulture inspired Israel’s booming wine industry and how wine remains both a ritual and a symbol of rootedness in the land.
Cultural Traditions – The Flavors of the Land
Wednesday, February 4, 7:00 pm ET (online)
This session focuses on the diverse communities that have shaped Israeli cuisine over the last century. As migrants from across the Jewish world arrived in Israel, they brought with them recipes, spices, and deeply rooted culinary traditions. These combined with local and Middle Eastern flavors to create a unique Israeli fusion kitchen. We’ll take a visit to Wadi Nisnas, Haifa’s vibrant food market, where Jewish, Christian, and Muslim vendors sell produce and prepared foods that reflect generations of shared culinary memory. We’ll also explore the enduring practice of foraging for local herbs like za’atar and chubeiza to examine how dishes like stuffed grape leaves preserve diasporic identity while adapting to a new land.
Modern Innovation – Tech Meets Tradition
Wednesday, February 11, 7:00 pm ET (online)
Israel leads the world in agricultural technology, and this session reveals how ancient principles meet modern ingenuity. Discover hydroponics, vertical farming, desert irrigation, and the work of BioBee, an Israeli startup using natural predators instead of pesticides—exported globally as a model of sustainable farming. We’ll also feature the Asif Culinary Institute in Tel Aviv, where culinary archives, seasonal menus, and food culture intersect. Asif bridges the past and future, preserving recipes while reimagining food as an expression of creativity, sustainability, and national identity.
Farm to Community – Food Justice & Urban Agriculture
Wednesday, February 18, 7:00 pm ET (online)
Register here
In our closing session, we focus on how food becomes a tool for empowerment and community building. We’ll feature Muslala, a Jerusalem-based initiative turning rooftops into green learning labs, combining art, agriculture, and activism to reconnect people with their environment. We’ll also explore the work of Leket Israel, the country’s largest food rescue network, which redistributes surplus produce to those in need, and organic food box projects that help support local farmers while making healthy food more accessible.
About our guide, Gila Levitan
After moving to Israel in 2005, Gila Levitan pursued her career in Physiotherapy and also studied for a Masters in Public Health from Hebrew University. After working in Health Policy Research she decided to become a licensed tour guide in order to pursue her passion for exploring and travelling around Israel. Gila loves to travel all over the world and brings the knowledge and experience of a well seasoned traveller to her explanations. Gila is very curious and likes to know all the little details and being a guide enables her to teach people about a place that she loves. Gila has a passion for languages, not only does she speak Hebrew fluently but has picked up bits and pieces of Arabic to understand local culture better, she also has basic French. Gila loves to add touches of local culture to her tours, off the beaten track places and local delicacies -the best way to travel she believes is to taste new flavors and make new friends. Gila is proud to have been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the past five years in a row.
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