At the age of 18–19, most girls are busy with final exams or military service. Doron Haim, Gali Grant, and Ella Yitzhak are working on something completely different: They are organizing a women's festival aimed at healing the Galilee and bringing life back to the region.

The three, originally from central Israel, came for a pre-army gap year at the Upper Galilee Mechina in Sde Nehemia and didn’t settle for just studying. After witnessing the trauma the area had endured, they decided to take creative and healing action. Their goal: To build a new feminine community in the Galilee that brings hope and energy back to the region.

The result of months of work is the “Returning to the Galilee” festival, which will take place on June 6 at the Hagoshrim Hotel. The event will feature a variety of workshops led by women from the Galilee – yoga, natural candle-making, flower arranging, breathwork, and writing.

“We want women from the Galilee and all over the country to come for a few hours of relaxation, connection, and calm,” explains Doron Haim. “It’s important to us that they get to know one another and enjoy new content experiences.”

The festival will include a marketplace showcasing businesses run by Galilean women – jewelry, tattoos, candles, handmade clothing and kimonos, along with local wines from Tel Shifon.

The highlight of the day will be the closing dance party, led by NO BORDER – the northern party line that became a community and was paused by the war. Now it returns to the north as part of a journey of hope and healing, led by Zohar Shamir, a resident of Metula and a well-known DJ.

The festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with tickets priced at NIS 30 in advance and NIS 40 on the day of the event. Tickets can be found by searching “Returning to the Galilee Women’s Festival” on Google.