‘If you will it, it is no dream,” wrote Theodor Herzl, founder of modern Zionism. Perhaps one of the most unusual Zionist dreams to be fulfilled in recent years has been the development of the whiskey distillation industry in Israel.
Scotland is the world’s largest producer of whiskey, followed by the US, Canada, Ireland and Japan, but it took until Yom Ha’atzmaut of 2016 – when David Zibell, founder and owner of the Golani Distillery in Katzrin, released the very first Israeli whiskey – that the Holy Land joined the list of whiskey-producing countries.
The 41-year-old Zibell was born in Paris and grew up in Canada, where he worked in the real estate field. “I had a real estate brokerage specializing in commercial rentals and sales. I drank plenty of whiskey, but I never made any,” he quips. Zibell says that the circumstances that led to his aliyah and the decision to create a distillery resulted from a combination of factors, much as fine whiskey is the product of a number of ingredients and processes, including water, grain, yeast, wood, fermentation, the still, the distillation, and the proofing.
“We came on vacation in March 2014 with no plans to move here,” says Zibell. “While on vacation, we visited friends in Katzrin for just three hours.” Zibell says that Katzrin was the first place in Israel where he could see himself living permanently.
“After looking at the pricing of housing and the lifestyle, that is what turned me on to the Golan,” he adds. During their brief visit in Katzrin, the family looked at a house that was for sale, and the next day, they made an offer. “We moved pretty quickly,” he admits. “Seeing that I could afford to buy a house, being in a nice community that pushed me into doing it – to say that I can do this and sell my house in Canada and buy a house here – that is what sealed the deal,” he says.
Zibell says he had been thinking of making whiskey for some time. “It was something I had thought about in Canada – not necessarily as a business, but more as a hobby,” he explains. Zibell had worked for a time in the food business and learned the intricacies of whiskey making, studying with mentors, and taking courses in the subject. “When we decided to make aliyah, I figured that this was an opportunity to take this to another level and do it professionally because I knew that Israel was just starting to drink whiskey, and there were no distilleries yet. I heard of a few investors who were looking to open distilleries. I knew there was some market research available, and I saw there was an opportunity here, so I bought some equipment before we came, and I put it into the container, so that is how it developed.”
In July 2014, Zibell and his wife and children made aliyah with Nefesh B’Nefesh. The distillery equipment arrived in early August, and by early September, he decided to pursue whiskey-making as his full-time profession in Israel. “We haven’t stopped since,” he declares. Zibell says that Nefesh B’Nefesh was very helpful through the entire aliyah process. “The day we landed, after we returned from our visit to Israel, I dropped the family at home, and I went to a Nefesh B’Nefesh meeting that night in Montreal,” he recalls. Zibell adds that Nefesh B’Nefesh helped him understand the intricacies of the Israeli financial system, including obtaining a mortgage, and helped with some expenses.
By moving to the Golan Heights, Zibell and his family joined the Go Beyond Initiative, a joint program developed by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Nefesh B’Nefesh to help new olim tap into the amazing opportunities offered beyond Israel’s central region. “The Go Beyond program with Nefesh B’Nefesh and KKL gave us some small business grants along the way as we got rolling,” says David.
“I love living in the Golan,” Zibell enthuses. Throughout our phone conversation, one hears birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees in northern Israel. “It’s peaceful, almost country living because we’re in Katzrin, which is a bigger town, but since we are surrounded by nature, I can walk to my business, I can bicycle to my business, and if I drive, I don’t need to deal with traffic, so I can really focus on what is important. Things have been developing here, and we have all the services and shopping we need in Katzrin.”
Zibell’s children range from the ages of 10 to 27, and he says that his children adapted quickly. “We spoke Hebrew at home in Canada on purpose, so the kids had a lot of ease,” he says. “When you start with the language, it is a lot easier, and the youngest ones were three and four years old, so they adapted quickly.” He adds, “The Golan is a great place to raise kids. Everything we need is there.”
BEING THE first to open a whiskey distillery in Israel, Zibell reflects on the difficulties of opening and running a business in Israel. “I’ve been a business owner for most of my life,” he says, “and every place has its advantages and disadvantages.” While he mentions that there were some bureaucratic issues at the very beginning, ultimately, Zibell says, after the initial bureaucratic delays, most government bodies were very supportive of his venture and, overall, it has been a good experience. “I think it is about the learning curve of how things are done here and accepting it and not trying to reinvent or do things the way you did from where you are coming from. At the end of the day, the customers will be the ones who will decide how you should be running your business.”
Today, Zibell operates three distilleries, with two in the Golan Heights and one in Jerusalem. One of the Golan distilleries produces Kosher for Passover products, and the other Golan location focuses on whiskey production. The Jerusalem distillery makes peated whiskey and rum. The products, which go under the names Golani for products made in the North, and Yerushalmi for products created in Jerusalem, are available throughout Israel and are exported to the UK and the US. The distillery also makes gin, and absinthe, an anise-flavored spirit derived from plants. Zibell says that his absinthe is highly rated, and he is working to introduce the beverage into the local drinking culture. The Golani Distillery has won awards from the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London for its gin and whiskey. Zibell says that the distillery’s best-selling product is its Golani Rishon single-grain whiskey. “It’s Israel’s first whiskey,” he says. That’s why its name is Rishon (First).”
Herzl may not have had whiskey on his mind when he penned his famous quote, but David Zibell has proven that with a will, the dream of whiskey in the Holy Land has become a reality.
NBN-KKL Go Beyond Program
The Nefesh B’Nefesh–Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Go Beyond program assists new olim in settling and enhancing the country’s northern and southern frontiers and Jerusalem, while maximizing the possibilities available to olim, with the understanding that these regions offer a wealth of opportunities for English-speaking newcomers.
Through the special initiative, olim receive assistance, support and an array of social events, professional workshops, and educational programing to ensure their integration is both smooth and successful. In addition, Go Beyond has created a network both in the North and the South of “community volunteers” to further enhance and develop the guidance provided to olim within the communities in which they have chosen to settle.
To date, over 9,000 olim have moved to Israel’s northern and southern regions through the program.
This article was written in cooperation with Nefesh B’Nefesh, in conjunction with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL), and Jewish National Fund-USA.