Jascala

     The Galilee is a piece of heaven. With its sloping hills and beautiful nature, it is truly captivating and serene. Al-Jalil (Arabic for ‘Galilee’) is also full of lively and rich Palestinian cities, towns, and villages such as Akka, Nazareth, Shafa Amr, Shaghur, Tamra, Sakhnin, and many more. However, all this beauty masks a dark and turbulent history. Some of the inhabitants of one Galilean village, Al-Jish, have their roots in the uprooted village of Kufur Bar’am, which was purged of its residents by the Haganah in 1948. The Haganah was one of the main pre-state Zionist paramilitary groups. The village was later razed to the ground by Israeli authorities. This is just one example among the many Palestinian villages that suffered the same fate. Today, Kufur Bar’am is experiencing a surge of activism by its original residents to return and restore it. The residents of Kufur Bar’am were absorbed into Al-Jish following their expulsion from their homes and lands.

     Today, the population of Al-Jish consists of a mixture of Maronite Christians, Catholic Christians, and Muslims. An interesting campaign was recently initiated by the residents to revive the Aramaic language, which is an important component of Maronite identity.

     The Khreish family comes from a long line of farmers who have cared for the land for generations. On the slopes of Mount Meron, situated 800 meters above sea level, they cultivate their vineyards in addition to a variety of other fruits and vegetables. In 2003, the Kreish brothers, Nasr and Richard, already passionate farmers at the time, began making their own wine. The Khreish family had a history of winemaking and the knowledge of the production process has been transferred from generation to the next. In addition to this, Richard completed a professional winemaking course to ensure a high-quality product. They have now transformed their business into a boutique winery in Al-Jish, near the Al-Jurmuq Mountain just a few kilometres from the border with Lebanon.

     Al-Jish possesses a century-old cellar where the wine is preserved, located in the centre of town with a panoramic view of Mount Meron and the vastness of the upper Galilee. Jascala, the Roman name of Al-Jish, is the name given to this family winery. Since its inception in 2003, the business has flourished and in 2019 28,000 bottles of wine were produced. Al-Jish is a unique place to visit to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and rich history of the Galilee.