Beloved Sustainable Restaurant Rotenberg to Close After 13 Years

Rotenberg, the acclaimed restaurant at the entrance to Gesher HaYashana in the Beit She'an Valley, will close permanently at the end of 2026 after 13 years in business. The decision follows the death of its founder and chef, Yizhar Sahr, who died in February 2025 at age 48 after a battle with cancer.

Sahr and his wife, Hila, opened Rotenberg in 2012 in a preserved building, deliberately choosing to work far from central Israel and turning a remote site into one of the country’s most notable culinary destinations. In a post on the restaurant’s Instagram account, Hila wrote, “The legend of Rotenberg will remain, but it is time for a new story in this wonderful place.” She also said, “Rotenberg was the dialogue between Yizhar and me, and I want to develop a new dialogue that is not buried under loss, longing and pain.”

What made Rotenberg stand out was not only the food but the philosophy behind it. Sahr was an early pioneer of Israeli sustainability, working with ideas like farm-to-table and zero waste before they became trendy. A 4.5-dunam garden and orchard supplied much of the kitchen’s produce, alongside foraged ingredients, homemade preserves, and carefully reconstructed historical recipes.

Sahr continued creating even after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022, and he kept working during the war as his condition worsened. In January 2025, after collapsing in the kitchen, the cooking baton passed to chef Chen Weiss, formerly sous-chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Berlin. Hila kept managing the restaurant, but ultimately said the time had come to end its run and begin something new.