Leket Israel

5/23/2013 12:57:00 AM

Sometimes we can take the things we have for granted, particularly the food that is always available when we're hungry. Unfortunately there are some people who are not as lucky and often go without a meal. You can help the needy in Israel and make sure that, through Leket, they always have something on the table. You can donate $9, $18, $36 or $54 to this worthy cause. Donate through jdeal and...

5/22/2013 9:26:00 PM

First Melons of the Season

Upon close inspection, the first melons of the season started appearing this week on Leket Israel's self-growing farm at Moshav Nahalal in the Jezre'el Valley. For open picking days or to learn how you can volunteer at the farm, please email: volunteer@leket.org. Next picking day open to the public is Friday, May 31st from 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon. Hope to see you there. Click below for directi...

5/16/2013 11:38:00 AM

Jared Picks Kohlrabi with Leket

High School student, Jared Kaufman, recently partcipated in a ''Volunteering Tiyul'' which included a stop to pick vegetables for the needy with Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank. Jared is in Israel studying at the Alexander Muss High School, known as HSI or AMHSI, which provides teens the opportunity to spend part of the academic high school year or summer in Israel. According to Jared...

5/14/2013 1:03:00 PM

Happy Shavuot from Leket Israel

Wishing all our volunteers, friends and supporters a joyous Shavuot. Serving as Israel's National Food Bank and largest food rescue network, Leket Israel is working every day to help individuals in need. Through our gleaning, food rescue, capacity building, food safety, and nutrition education programs, we are making a difference in the lives of 140,000 needy Israelis every week.

5/14/2013 10:14:00 AM

First Radish of the Season

Spring is finally here! The first radish of the season popped up this week at Leket Israel's self-growing farm on Moshav Nahalal in the Jezre'el Valley. To learn how you can volunteer at the farm, please email: volunteer@leket.org

5/6/2013 3:01:00 PM

US Embassy Volunteers in Israel Glean...

May 6, 2013. Thanks to the incredible volunteers from the US Embassy, they managed to pick 2,450 kilos (5,400 lbs) of turnips to be distributed to over 600 needy families all across Israel this week. We hope you will join us in the fields again soon!

4/29/2013 6:14:00 PM

Jewish 100: Joseph Gitler – Innovation

It was revealed that Leket Israel Founder and President, Joseph Gitler was among the ''top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life” when the Algemeiner unveiled its first annual ‘JEWISH 100’ list at its 40th anniversary gala. The event took place recently in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and included many notable political figures and Jewish leaders. Congratulations to Leket Israel's bel...

4/29/2013 4:46:00 PM

Healthy Snacks for Disadvantaged Scho...

Good nutrition is vital in helping children maximize their potential. As a joint initiative between Cellcom Israel Ltd and Leket Israel, Cellcom employees throughout the country collect healthy snacks for disadvantaged school children through Leket Israel's ''Likut L'Yalkut'' project. These snacks are distributed to hungry students across Israel as a supplement to the 8,000 fresh volunteer prep...

4/29/2013 4:40:00 PM

Happy Israel Independence Day from Le...

April 15, 2013. On behalf of Leket Israel's dedicated staff and 40,000+ annual volunteers, we would like to wish you a happy Israel Independence Day! Leket Israel addresses the paradox of poverty and large-scale food waste in Israel--helping to improve food security conditions in the country for 140,000 Israelis each week.

4/29/2013 3:32:00 PM

Leadership Mission from Atlanta Volun...

PARTNERSHIP2GETHER - April 17, 2013. As part of a mission representing the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, the ''Frank Leadership'' group joined Yokneam Ethiopian community members in the fields of Moshav Nahalal for vegetable picking with Leket Israel, The National Food Bank. The Ethiopian community members volunteer with Leket Israel every week and they are always excited when visitors ...

4/29/2013 2:59:00 PM

Carmel Academy 8th Graders Volunteer ...

As part of a whirlwind itinerary, 8th graders from the Carmel Academy of Westchester and Fairfield counties, New York, recently participated on an exciting Israel trip. Despite their jet lag, the group valiantly volunteered with Leket Israel only hours after arriving to the country to pick radishes for distribution to the needy. Way to go Carmel Academy 8th graders! We look forward to welcom...

4/29/2013 2:14:00 PM

Friends and Family from St Louis Glea...

PARTNERSHIP2GETHER - April 8, 2013. As part of their trip to Israel just prior to Pesach, the Goldberg Family of St Louis, Missouri, participated in a ''wonderful mitzvah project'' – gleaning crops from Leket Israel fields to benefit needy families. Leket Israel engages its friends and family from the St Louis community in volunteer activities while they visit the country. Beneficiaries of the...

4/29/2013 1:19:00 PM

Food Waste: Turning an Environmental ...

April 2013 - Leket Israel, a member of the Global Foodbanking Network (GFN), was recently featured in online article on GFN's website. The article highlighted model programs around the world that are turning an environmental problem--namely food waste, into a humanitarian solution to help combat world hunger.

4/6/2013 10:25:00 PM

LYA Students Volunteer with Leket Israel

On their recent trip to Israel, LYA students volunteered with Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank--picking 400 kilos of oranges in a single afternoon. According to chaperone Rochel Leah Kosofsky, ''At LYA we teach the students that we are leaders who give back to our community. It was a great feeling to know that we had helped people in Israel.”

4/6/2013 10:00:00 PM

Developing Menuhah blogger features L...

''Developing Menuhah'' blogger describes how instead of receiving a food gift from one friend over Purim, instead she received an email telling her a contribution had been made to Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank. ''I am providing their website in case you want to contribute money but also consider if you are planning a trip to Israel to volunteer for one of their many projects such as...

3/29/2013 5:36:00 PM

From farm to families in need

JERUSALEM POST - March 29, 2013. As Israel’s poor struggle to feed their families – particularly around the holidays – Leket Israel collects surplus food from restaurants, caterers, hotels and farms to distribute to the needy. Leket Israel works over many arenas to identify food waste and works tirelessly with volunteers to rescue and redistribute thousands of tons of nutritious food each year....

4/29/2013 12:37:00 AM

PHOTOS: Gleaning Turnips at Moshav Na...

April 29, 2013. More 500 volunteers joined Leket Israel's gleaning initiative on Moshav Nahalal this past Friday to pick vegetables for Israel's needy. Over 68,000 lbs (31 tons) of turnips were harvested and will be distributed in the coming week to benefit 140,000 of Israel's most vulnerable citizens. Some of the volunteers included dozens of young families with small children, a woman celebra...

4/28/2013 6:17:00 PM

Birmingham Jewish Federation Feeds th...

A recent article on the Birmingham Jewish Federation's website highlights the work and partnership between Leket Israel and the Birmingham Jewish community. In the article, members of Birmingham's Krell family are pictured in a field where they helped pick beets for distribution to Israel's needy. From left, is Sheri, Leket's Director of Development Paul Leiba, Jimmy, and sons Ethan and Asher.

4/18/2013 11:57:00 AM

Happy Earth Day from Leket Israel

April 22, 2013 - Happy Earth Day to All! To mark the day, join Israel’s nationwide initiative to protect the environment by preventing hundreds of thousands of tons of food waste from occupying landfills. Join Leket Israel employees and 40,000+ volunteers in food rescue. Be good to the environment.

4/8/2013 10:44:00 PM

PHOTOS: ''Go North'' Nefesh B'Nefesh ...

Spring 2013 - Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) Go North olim recently enjoyed picking turnips for distribution to Israel's needy on Leket Israel's farm located in the Southern Galilee of Israel's north. The NBN volunteers picked about 1,500 lbs of turnips, with the harvest going to provide important nutrition to 175 needy families. Leket Israel thanks NBN and the olim for their great work and looks forwa...

2/24/2013 10:57:00 PM

Birmingham Jewish Foundation

The Birmingham Jewish Federation recently held its first Israel-World Jewry Bureau allocations meeting for 2013. The allocations committee comes together to decide which organizations in Israel and elsewhere overseas will receive funding from The BJF Annual Campaign. Leket Israel is a beneficiary of Birmingham Jewish Foundation's Israel-World Jewry Bureau.

2/21/2013 12:11:00 AM

PHOTOS: Shear Family and the Natan F...

Congratulations to our dear friends Herb & Barbara, John & Judith, and Gerry Shear upon receiving Leket Israel's Leadership Award at its first US Gala event. We would also like to congratulate the Natan Fund, bestowed with the organization's Young Visionary Award. A sincere thank you to our US office and US Board of Directors, and to all our supporters & volunteers who helped contribute to a sp...

4/6/2013 11:46:00 PM

E-News - Spring 2013

Welcome to Leket Israel, The National Food Bank's Spring E-Newsletter. On behalf of the staff and its network of tens of thousands of volunteers, we wish you a meaningful holiday season and a joyous spring. Thanks to supporters like you, Leket Israel is able to provide crucial nutrition to over 140,000 needy Israelis each week.

4/6/2013 9:37:00 PM

Temple Emanu-el's Mitzvah Project

March 2013 — As reported in Temple Emanu-el's Bulletin, ''We took an hour's bus ride near Rechovot to work on our Mitzvah project with Leket Israel. In Leviticus we read that you reap a but not until it is bare; leave some for the poor. (This is called Leket). We picked oranges off many trees—enough to feed 700 people! Leket Israel feeds anyone who is needy and lives within Israel’s borders.''...

4/4/2013 11:02:00 PM

Leket Israel on JPost's Grapevine

JPOST - Grapevine - April 2nd, 2013. ''Prior to the Passover holiday, the Shapiro family joined Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, in picking beets to supply to the needy. On Facebook Shapiro thanked Leket for the opportunity to volunteer.'' See what else is being reported on JPost's popular column: Grapevine by Greer Fay Cashman. Read on for more.

4/4/2013 10:40:00 PM

US Ambassador Picks Beets with Leket ...

A March 28, 2013 facebook post by US Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro reads: ''Our family went out to the fields yesterday to pick beets and help feed the needy in Israel. Thanks to Leket Israel - Israel's National Food Bank for the opportunity to volunteer.'' Thank you Ambassador Shapiro for your good work and we look forward to seeing you in the fields again soon.

4/4/2013 9:34:00 PM

From Israel to my Seder Table

In discussing her experience on a multi-family mission to Israel, Carolyn Kolers, President of Beth Tzedec Congregation, writes, '' For my kids, the highlights were picking oranges with Leket Israel (Israel’s National Food Bank) for distribution to Israel’s under privileged children and families in need...'' Read the full update from Carolyn here.

4/4/2013 12:38:00 PM

VIDEO: Young Leket Israel Volunteers...

April 2013 - Over the recent Passover holiday, more than 1,200 volunteers joined Leket Israel's produce growing initiative located on Moshav Nahalal to pick beets for distribution to Israel's needy. Check out this testimonial from two young Leket Israel volunteers!

3/21/2013 11:36:00 AM

PHOTOS: Chol HaMoed Vegetable Picking...

March 27, 2013. Over 1,200 volunteers joined Leket Israel's gleaning initiative on Moshav Nahalal on the first day of Chol Hamoed Pesach to pick vegetables for Israel's needy. Nearly 50,000 lbs (22 tons) of beetroot (3 full truckloads!) was harvested and subsequently distributed to 190 soup kitchens, senior centers, programs for youth at-risk, shelters, and other nonprofit programs serving Isra...

3/21/2013 11:31:00 AM

PHOTOS: Federation Mission from Grea...

March 2013. A mission group representing the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta recently volunteered with Leket Israel on its farm initiative located on Moshav Nahalal in the Jezreel Valley. The group picked approx. 800 kg (1,800 lbs) of Kohlrabi which immediately went to assist food welfare and parcel distribution programs, soup kitchens, senior centers, programs for youth at-risk, shelters,...

3/20/2013 10:07:00 AM

Bar Mitvah Volunteers with Project Leket

Joshua Emery Robbins, son of Beth and Brian Robbins of Pepper Pike of the B’nai Jeshurun Congregation and University School, volunteered with Project Leket, among other charities, as part of his Mitzvah project. Way to go Joshua!

3/16/2013 8:48:00 PM

Katif - Fruit Picking for Needy Families

Rabbi Michael Schwab and Hazzan Larry Goller of the North Suburban Beth El Synagogue recently led a mission to Israel that included teaming up with members of the synagogue's sister congregation in Ashkelon, Kehillat Netzach Israel. Together, the group volunteered with Leket Israel for 2 hours of ''hard but incredibly satisfying 'katif' work'' as described in Beth El's newsletter, KOL BETH EL...

3/13/2013 3:55:00 PM

Grapefruit Picking for Leket Israel

In a blog post, the Yunger Family describes their recent gleaning experience: ''Bentzi and the older kids (I stayed home with the ''junior division'') met up in a field near Rechovot, together with a bunch of our other Yunger cousins. The kids had a nice time learning about the mitzvos that Leket does, and then they went out to the fields to pick grapefruits. It was fun climbing the trees t...

1/17/2013 11:40:00 AM

The trip after the trip

HAARETZ - Jan. 5, 2013. As part of any Birthright itinerary, consider spending a two-hour stint volunteering with Project Leket, which partners with farmers to pick fresh fruits and vegetables to be distributed to feed Israel’s needy. Leket volunteers work two-hour stints Sundays through Thursdays between 8 A.M and 4 P.M at fields just outside Rehovot ‏(Kvutzat Shiller‏) and at Moshav Nahalal n...

3/12/2013 3:23:00 PM

Eddie's Kosher Travel

Enjoy special vacations with Eddie’s Kosher Travel while supporting Leket Israel’s vital work at the same time. As the company's official charity of choice, Leket Israel is fortunate to receive support and hands on volunteer assistance from Eddie's Travel guests.

3/5/2013 3:28:00 PM

VIDEO: Leket Israel Volunteers Wish Y...

From the volunteers and staff at Leket Israel, we want to wish you a Happy Passover and a Chag Kasher V'Sameach. Please check out this holiday greeting from Leket Israel volunteers all across the country:

2/24/2013 11:30:00 PM

Best Friends With Broccoli

''I pulled out my first turnip, marveling at how easily it parted from the rich soil. Then I pulled out my second turnip, and was shocked by the size and magnificence of its deep purple hues...The sun soon warmed my back and brightened the green fields. I plodded on, working my row meticulously, pouring full baskets of turnips into a large dumpster, then watching a tractor cart our turnips away...

2/24/2013 11:21:00 PM

Israel Trip - LYA visits Leket Israel

According to anonymous LYA Israeli blogger, ''...LYA students worked hard and picked 400 kilos of oranges. These oranges will make it to 200 families today and provide them with food and vitamin C. It was a great feeling to know that we had helped people in Israel.''

2/19/2013 4:11:00 PM

PHOTOS: Gleaning for the Needy - Leke...

Open Picking Day - Feb. 22, 2013. A great time was had by all gleaning on Leket Israel's farm on Moshav Nahalal in Emek Yizrael (Jezreel Valley). Nearly 200 volunteers picked 12 metric tons (26,000 lbs) of fresh turnips to be distributed to the needy all throughout Israel. This is enough to provide turnips for over 4,000 families.

2/12/2013 6:51:00 PM

Why do we waste half of our food?

SCHEMA-ROOT.ORG - [Haaretz] Feb. 9, 2013. ''Forty percent of Israeli household waste consists of food scraps...At a quarter to five every Friday afternoon, a few volunteers from Leket - an umbrella organization in Israel for salvaging food and distributing it to the needy - gather at the food market in Tel Aviv’s fancy Dizengoff Center. They arrive with an industrial metal cart that holds abou...

2/12/2013 6:26:00 PM

Audio: Israel Teaches the World How T...

ARUTZ SHEVA - Israel National News - Feb. 10, 2013. Arutz Sheva Radio's ''Walter's World'' with Walter Bingham features an interview conducted with Leket Israel's Founder and President, Joseph Gitler originally broadcast in Dec. of 2010. The interview is still as fresh as ever with Gitler describing the vital work Leket Israel undertakes on a daily basis to rescue food and save meals from goi...

2/10/2013 1:27:00 PM

Why do Israelis throw away half the f...

HAARETZ - Feb. 7, 2013. While one billion people worldwide are suffering from hunger, up to half of the food produced − in rich and poor countries alike − is thrown out before it reaches anyone’s plate. In a feature article about food waste, written by Haaretz's Netta Ahituv, learn what Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank, is doing to help combat the problem of food waste and nutritiona...

2/5/2013 10:55:00 PM

Leket Israel Feeding Israel’s Poor

JEWISH IMAGE - Jan. 2013. “We all waste, but we hate it and we feel guilty about it,” says Joseph Gitler, Founder of Leket Israel. ''Leket’s goal is not to address the root causes of Israeli poverty but to relieve some of the financial burden on the working poor.'' Nearly one in four Israelis lives below the poverty line, but Gitler says that the numbers, however large, do not discourage him. '...

2/5/2013 10:34:00 AM

Boston Students Volunteer at Leket

Twenty students from Boston-area campuses visited Haifa, Israel (Boston's ''Sister'' city) this past March, to participate in an ''Alternative Spring Break'' trip. As part of the trip designed to engage the participants in social action projects, students harvested food for Leket, Israel's National Food Bank. The students also cleared brush for new growth in the Carmel Forest, met with the Mayo...

2/3/2013 9:51:00 PM

Five Towns Takes on Israel

COLLIVE Community News Service - Jan. 29, 2013. Chabad of the Five Towns' Israel Mission, which took place from January 15th through January 24th, actively participated in volunteering with Israel’s Project Leket-Israel’s National Food Bank- gleaning fruits for distribution to Israel’s needy. Everyone enthusiastically participated and picked an amazing 800 kg (1,800 lbs) of clementines, helping...

2/3/2013 9:29:00 PM

The Spodek family: What Happens When ...

WINNIPEG JEWISH REVIEW - Jan. 24, 2013. Danny Spodek help found the Israel Recreational Hockey Association (IRHA), a nonprofit run by volunteers, to encourage the development of ice hockey in Israel. The IRHA partners with Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, to provide players with opportunities to make sandwiches for disadvantaged children and to collect produce for soup kitchens around the ...

2/3/2013 8:39:00 PM

Chabad Of The Five Towns at Leket

5TOWNS JEWISH TIMES - During a recent mission to Israel (January 15–24), a group from Chabad of Five Towns volunteered with Leket Israel–Israel’s National Food Bank, gleaning fruits for distribution to Israel’s needy. Everyone enthusiastically participated and picked an amazing 800 kilograms (1,800 lbs) of clementines, helping to feed well over 400 families that week! Read on to learn more abo...

1/25/2013 2:38:00 PM

PHOTOS: Gleaning and Salad Making

Jan. 25, 2013. Over a 100 volunteers turned out this morning on Leket Israel's farm on Moshav Nahalal in the lower Galilee to participate in gleaning turnips and broccoli for the needy. Volunteers harvested over 4 tons of turnips and a ton of broccoli (12,000 lbs in total!). As a bonus, volunteers on site participated in a ''root salad'' making demonstration with Leket Israel's nutritionist,...

1/24/2013 7:38:00 PM

Food bank holds Tu B’Shevat fruit pic...

JERUSALEM POST - Jan. 23, 2012. To mark Tu B’Shevat, the NGO Leket Israel, which distributes rescued food to Israelis in need, held a fruit picking day on Wednesday in conjunction with youth groups across the country. Young volunteers in Ra’anana, Kfar Saba, Givat Shmuel as well as some small towns in the north rescued excess fruit left on trees in private residences for distribution to famili...

1/23/2013 12:54:00 PM

Cooking Outside the Box: Food Rescue...

COOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX blog offers a food waste primer according to Jewish law and then features the work of Leket Israel in combating food waste. ''Unlike other food banks and charities, [Leket Israel] provides nutritional food like fresh produce (not canned and packaged foods) and it helps other businesses fulfill the mitzvah of avoiding food waste. Win-win! Leket Israel also has some new pr...

1/23/2013 12:43:00 PM

Kincaid's make sandwiches with Leket ...

A post titled, ''Making sandwiches for school children in Israel,'' on PCG World Mission's Facebook page recently highlighted a volunteer sandwich making experience by the Kincaid's. ''Leket Israel feeds approximately 8,000 school children each day! Volunteers assist in making and delivering these sandwiches throughout the nation! Praise God for what they are doing and for giving us the opport...

1/23/2013 11:48:00 AM

Winter in Israel: The day BEFORE elec...

WINTER IN ISRAEL bloggers, Sandy and Mel, describe their recent visit with Leket picking shamouti oranges, also known as Jaffa oranges. ''The grove had long rows of trees, all about 6 feet tall, heavy with sweet smelling fruit, ready for picking...These oranges as well as other varieties, along with beets, onions, avocados, radishes...are part of the ''food bank'' initiative called Project Leke...

1/23/2013 11:19:00 AM

Hockey tournament coming up in...Israel?

JEWISH TRIBUNE - Jan, 22, 2013. The International Recreational Hockey Association (IRHA) will hold its 7th annual ice hockey tournament in Metulla, Israel, Feb. 11-15. Through the IRHA's partnership with Leket Israel, The National Food Bank, hockey players have the opportunity to give back to the community by making sandwiches for disadvantaged children in the north or by collecting produce do...

1/19/2013 10:43:00 PM

Gala dinner for charity

HAARETZ - Jan. 18, 2013. Leket Israel, The National Food Bank hosted its annual gala dinner Saturday night in Kibbutz Nir Eliyahu, drawing some 600 guests from a wide spectrum of Israeli society. They came out to support Leket Israel's mission to reduce hunger and malnutrition through its distribution of excess food to more than 140,000 needy Israelis weekly. Ruth Rappaport of Geneva and Tel Av...

1/17/2013 1:52:00 PM

''Corporate Social Change'' Award gra...

As a company that has set corporate responsibility as part of its visionary goals and is working through various channels to help and contribute to the community, we are pleased to share with you the news that an ''Inspiring Corporate Social Change'' Award was granted to Strauss Group by Leket Israel at its annual Gala dinner this week. Over the past year, the Strauss Group donated food worth ...

1/17/2013 10:12:00 AM

Leket Israel Gala on JPost's Grapevine

JERUSALEM POST - Jan. 15, 2013. US AMBASSADOR Dan Shapiro and his wife, Julie Fischer, were among some 600 guests from a broad spectrum of Israeli society at the Leket Israel annual gala dinner last Saturday night at Eden Al-Hamayim on Kibbutz Nir Eliyahu. All had come out to support Leket Israel’s mission to reduce nutritional insecurity. Leket does this by distributing excess food on a weekl...

1/9/2013 10:27:00 AM

Leket in the News with ''Pray with Is...

PRAY WITH ISRAEL - Jan. 6, 2013. An article about Leket Israel originally appearing on the JTA news agency's site, was recently featured on ''Pray with Israel's'' newsfeed. The site shares prayers, news, thoughts and insights about Israel, paving the way for Israel to be a positive part of people's lives.

1/7/2013 7:00:00 PM

PHOTOS: Ruth Rappaport Honored at Lek...

Six hundred guests attended Leket Israel's Annual Gala with the theme People Feeding People. The special evening was dedicated to raising awareness and funding for the organization's food rescue and distribution programs. Mrs. Ruth Rappaport was honored with our True Friend Award for her ongoing support and instrumental impact on Leket Israel's growth as the country's largest food rescue opera...

1/7/2013 5:26:00 PM

2012 Annual Report

Leket Israel, assisted by 45,000 volunteers, rescued and delivered over 215 metric tons of perishable food each week in 2012 to benefit 140,000 of Israel's poor. Rescued or sourced from hundreds of food suppliers, the food included fresh produce, prepared meals, and manufactured perishable items; all products delivered free of charge by Leket Israel to 190 nonprofit agencies and 113 schools in ...

1/2/2013 8:40:00 PM

Leket Amongst News of Israel's Achiev...

ISRAELSEEN.COM - Dec. 30, 2012. ''Unwanted” food feeds Israeli poor--is the title of an article link listed amongst dozens more on IsraelSeen.com. The article link is referring to Leket Israel, an organization that salvages non-saleable crops from farmers and unused food from caterers and ships them to 200 soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other institutions serving the needy.

1/2/2013 7:28:00 PM

Leket on Top 10 Posts of 2012

Leket Israel made it onto Repair the World's Top 10 list of favorite posts and interviews from 2012. The world’s most pressing issues change from year to year, and decade to decade. But at the end of the day, helping others and strengthening communities through volunteering is simply timeless. This New Year, Repair the World staff invites its readers to rededicate themselves to compassion and l...

1/2/2013 3:16:00 PM

Stepping out of the American bar mitz...

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL - OPS & BLOGS - Jan. 2, 2013. Blogger, Lori Silberman Brauner, makes the case for spending a meaningful Bar or Bat Mitzvah in Israel. While in the country, she says,''...we also get to participate in a real hands-on chesed or mitzva project...picking fruits and vegetables for Leket Israel, an organization that sends volunteers into fields and orchards to gather produce dona...

12/31/2012 5:05:00 PM

Rashi 8th Graders Volunteer with Leket

Each year, Rashi School eighth graders volunteer with Leket Israel in Israeli fields and orchards where they harvest fruits and vegetables. Thanks to Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank, the Rashi School 8th graders' hard work pays off - with all the food collected going to benefit the poor and needy.

12/19/2012 7:28:00 PM

Collecting food for the poor

The Sussman family, ranging in ages from 2 to 69, spent two hours on a recent excursion over Chanukah picking clementines with Leket Israel. According to the family blog, ''We filled two enormous crates with clementines that would soon make it to someone’s table, and we talked to our children about the importance of giving, about poverty and about need.'' One of the Sussman's boys commented, ...

12/31/2012 11:00:00 AM

Grapevine: A different Alexander tech...

LEKET, THE National Food Bank founded by Joseph Gitler, will hold its annual gala on January 12, 2013 at Kibbutz Nir Eliyahu. In addition to marking nine years of promoting nutritional security for Israel’s needy, Leket will be honoring two individuals and one business group in recognition of their unstinting support.

12/23/2012 10:48:00 AM

Calling caterers and rescuing carrots...

AZ JEWISH POST- Dec. 21, 2012. “We all waste, but we hate it and we feel guilty about it,” says Joseph Gitler, Founder of Leket Israel. ''Leket’s goal is not to address the root causes of Israeli poverty but to relieve some of the financial burden on the working poor.'' Nearly one in four Israelis lives below the poverty line, but Gitler says that the numbers, however large, do not discourage h...

12/20/2012 10:47:00 PM

Jewish Federation works with Leket Is...

ST LOUIS JEWISH LIGHT - Dec. 19, 2012. ''No family should go hungry,'' says Diane Katzman, who chairs the Caring for Jews in Need-Overseas subcommittee of the Jewish Federation of St Louis. Thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Federation and Leket Israel, among other activities, 100 Yokneam families receive fresh fruits and vegetables and other perishable goods delivered to them in wee...

12/17/2012 4:21:00 PM

US immigrant keeps Israel’s food out ...

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL - Dec. 17, 2012. Joseph Gitler, 38, is the founder of Leket Israel, an organization that salvages unsellable crops from farmers and unused food from caterers and ships them to soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other institutions that can use them — 200 groups in all. According to Leket’s research, Gitler says the organization is on pace to rescue one-fifth of the country...

12/16/2012 4:59:00 PM

AMIT and Leket Partner to Fight Hunger

Thanks to the cooperation of AMIT and Leket Israel, needy school children in the southern Israeli development towns of Kiryat Malachi and Sderot – two communities that recently suffered continuous rocket attacks – have been receiving nutritious sandwiches for lunch Sunday through Thursday during the school year. ''By doing something as simple as providing a small child with a healthy sandwich ...

12/12/2012 11:31:00 PM

Leket Israel on MGifts

Joseph Gitler, founder and chairman of Leket Israel: Israel’s National Food Bank, says his NGO is pleased to be a part of the MGifts initiative. “As an organization that is very concerned about unnecessary waste, we support this wonderful project that encourages people to donate to a charity of their choice instead of bringing their hosts a standard gift,” he says. Read on to learn more.

12/12/2012 11:05:00 PM

Israel Solidarity Mission 2012

Blogger, Rabbi Katz, describes his volunteer experience at Leket Israel. ''Leket comes from the word in Leviticus,'' says Rabbi Katz, ''...when we are taught to leave the corners of our fields (pe’ah) and the fallen sheaves of grain or the untrimmed vines for the needy.'' Rabbi Katz and other fellow Rabbis on the Israel Solidarity Mission with CCAR, dug in and sorted tomatoes, eggplants and l...

12/12/2012 10:26:00 PM

Challenges and Inspiration

RAVBLOG - Dec. 5, 2012. Rabbi Hara Person writes about his final day with the CCAR Israel trip group including a stop to Leket Israel's logistics center in Ra'anana. Rabbi Person describes how the rabbis donned rubber gloves and got to work, helping to sort surplus vegetables, pack crates, and load pallets that will head off to different community organizations the next day.

12/12/2012 12:35:00 AM

Calling caterers and rescuing carrots...

JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY - Dec. 9, 2012. JTA News Correspondent, Ben Sales, writes about his first hand exposure to the work of Leket Israel from a recent visit he made to its operations and planning center in Ra'anana. In his article, Sales explores what Leket Israel is doing to relieve some of the financial difficulties of everyday working families and those in need through the provision o...

12/11/2012 10:54:00 PM

Calling caterers and rescuing carrots...

ST LOUIS JEWISH LIGHT - Dec. 9, 2012. Leket Israel salvages unsellable crops from farmers and unused food from caterers and ships them to 200 soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other institutions that can use them. According to Leket's research, Founder, Jospeh Gitler says the organization is on pace to rescue one-fifth of the country's total wasted food this year, a total of 22 million pou...

12/9/2012 3:18:00 PM

CCAR Mission Volunteers with Leket Is...

As part of his participation with the CCAR Mission to Israel, Rabbi Danny Burkeman describes the group's visit to Leket Israel: ''We sorted through vegetables (eggplants, lettuce and tomatoes), separated them into boxes and then gathered together the boxes to fulfill the various orders they had received. It was a tangible way for us to help the poorest sectors of Israeli society, and it ws a ve...

12/6/2012 1:03:00 PM

Volunteers Honored

Twenty adults from Yokneam were recently honored by Leket Israel for their ongoing volunteer work. All the volunteers, Ethiopian men and women above the age of 55, and one over 70, have been working the fields on Leket Israel's farm on Moshav Nahalal weekly as part of a volunteer food harvesting group. Each volunteer was given a certificate in appreciation of their dedication.

12/5/2012 9:42:00 PM

Life in Israel Blog: Leket Israel Sup...

Life in Israel Blogger recently wrote about what Leket Israel is doing to provide support and respite to families in southern Israel leading up to a cease fire: 1) Supplying 1,400 sandwiches a day to children in shelters throughout Ashkelon, 2) Allocating food vouchers to 400 families in need, 3) Making Leket Israel's fleet of trucks available to Homeland Security, and 4) Feeding 500 children ...

11/29/2012 11:32:00 AM

Mitzvah Day with Leket Israel

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE ONLINE - In conjunction with Mitzvah Day, a dedicated group of volunteers recently spent a Friday morning sorting and crating apples, peppers and eggplants at Leket Israel's main logistics center in Ra'anana. All produce is being delivered to nonprofit agencies feeding the needy all over Israel.

11/27/2012 3:18:00 PM

Glean for the Needy

Looking for fun? Join Leket Israel's gleaning initiative at Moshav Nahalal for a rewarding day of picking vegetables for distribution to Israel's needy. Volunteer picking is open the last Friday of each month. For details and registration please contact the Leket Department: 09-744-1757 x202; 052-534-5265 or leket@leket.org. This is a free activity and all are welcome. We look forward to gr...

11/26/2012 3:01:00 PM

Katif for Tikun Olam

TODAY'S ISRAEL - Fall 2012. According to Claudia Giat, Kehillat Netzach Programs Coordinator, growing awareness of nutritional poverty in Israel, prompted a group of adventurous adults and children from the Kehillat Netzach community to take part in Leket Israel's flagship project ''Gleaning the Land'', by volunteering this summer to pick vegetables for needy families. The group picked over 3 ...

11/21/2012 12:28:00 PM

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in Israel

ISRAEL MINISTRY OF TOURISM - A bar/bat mitzvah is a ceremony marking a Jewish child’s passage into adulthood. But with adulthood comes responsibility for one’s surroundings and environment. Volunteering with Leket Israel will provide an unforgettable experience, and enable one to imbue their bar/bat mitzvah celebration with the traditional Jewish spirit of helping the needy and Zionist and soci...

11/19/2012 12:55:00 PM

UK Mitzvah Day's events

As part of UK Mitzvah Day's events, a dedicated group of volunteers spent Friday morning sorting and crating apples, peppers and eggplants at Leket Israel's main logistics center in Ra'anana. All produce is being delivered to nonprofit agencies feeding the needy all over Israel. Well done

11/8/2012 2:04:00 PM

Gleaning with Leket Israel, highlight...

PARTNERSHIP2GETHER - Nov. 8, 2012. The Rubin Israel Experience is a unique 10 day program for 10 young adults between the ages of 27-40 who have never been to Israel before and who are granted the opportunity through a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater St Louis. One of the highlights of the delegation's recent visit to Israel was participating together with a group of Ethiopian adult...

11/7/2012 1:51:00 PM

Food security a problem as one-quarte...

NATIONAL POST - Nov. 6, 2012. In an article about food insecurity in Israel that has been widely picked up by media sources on the web, the Media Line's Linda Gradstein investigates the reason why a large proportion of working Israelis simply don’t have enough money for food. Many of the food insecure are minimum wage earners or part-time earners, or people who are partially disabled. As the ...

11/6/2012 11:51:00 AM

Supporting Leket Israel on the 6th Ni...

InfoBarrel.com - Nov. 3, 2012. According to a blog post by blogger mommymommymommy, for the 6th night of Hanukkah, families can help teach their children the meaning of mitzvot and tzedakah (good deeds and charitable giving) by not exchanging gifts. Rather, Jews should use the money and donate it to a charitable cause or worthy organization such as Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank.

11/4/2012 10:18:00 PM

Poverty and food insecurity in Israel

THE JERUSALEM POST - Nov. 4, 2012. Working families are struggling to make ends meet and many worry where their next meal is coming from. In Israel, signifcant levels of food insecurity and lack of substantial government assistance to address the problem, has spurred the formation of hundreds of food relief NGOs in recent years. As the National Food Bank and largest food rescue NGO, Leket Israe...

11/3/2012 8:01:00 PM

Mommy I'm Hungry: Poverty and Food In...

THE MEDIA LINE - Nov. 1, 2012. Israeli government statistics say that an estimated 1/4 of all Israeli citizens, including 837,000 children, are living in poverty. Half of these poor families have no wage earner. The JDC Brookdale Institute finds that the rate of poverty among families in Israel is the second highest of the OECD countries, and almost twice the OECD average. Working families sim...

10/28/2012 9:40:00 AM

One Family's Israeli Tzedakah Experience

A highlight of the Rappaport family's recent trip to Israel was picking tomatoes with Leket Israel. The volunteer experience was part of the Rappaport children's first trip to the country. According to the Rappaports, ''By the end of our two hour volunteering experience, we had picked 165 lbs of tomatoes that helped feed well over 30 families that week. It truly gave our daughters a connection ...

10/25/2012 9:08:00 PM

PHOTOS: Volunteers from St Louis and ...

October 2012 - MOSHAV NAHALAL - Volunteers from from Yokneam's Ethiopian community joined forces recently with an enthusiastic group from the St Louis Jewish community visiting Israel as part of its local Federation's mission. The two groups worked together harvesting turnips as part of Leket Israel's gleaning initiative with the produce going to benefit the poor. Within a few hours the volunt...

10/31/2012 7:28:00 PM

NOW we’re talkin!

On ''Day 4'' of the St Louis Jewish Federation's Rubin Israel Experience, participant Josh Olmsted volunteered picking turnips along with 9 other young Jews from St Louis. According to Josh's blog entry, ''NOW we're talkin!'', Josh explains how day four of the experience was the best in his opinion because of what the group was doing. After picking 4 tons of turnips to benefit the needy, Josh...

10/24/2012 10:19:00 AM

Israeli Food Recycling Programs Model...

JSPACE - October 23, 2012. With poverty rates soaring, it is no surprise that many people in Israel face food insecurity and hunger. But while poverty and hunger statistics may be discouraging, Leket Israel is working to address the widespread problem through its unique gleaning and food recycling programs. Thanks to Leket Israel, food that has been grown locally and would have otherwise gone...

10/18/2012 10:44:00 AM

Leket Israel Honors Ethiopian Yokneam...

PARTNERSHIP2GETHER - Oct. 15, 2012. Twenty adults from Yokneam’s Ethiopian community were recently honored by Leket Israel for their ongoing volunteer work. All the volunteers, Ethiopian men and women above the age of 55 (one over 70!), have been working the fields on Leket Israel's farm on Moshav Nahalal weekly as part of a volunteer food harvesting group. The ceremony took place at the Family...

10/17/2012 7:28:00 AM

Israeli NGOs combating hunger on Worl...

THE JERUSALEM POST - Oct. 17, 2012. World Food Day, which aims to raise awareness of poverty and hunger around the world, was marked this week by Leket Israel and other Israeli NGOs. According to the National Insurance Institute, almost 11% of families in Israel experienced significant nutritional insecurity in 2011. Leket Israel was founded 9 years ago to combat food waste in the face of pov...

10/14/2012 9:02:00 PM

Ethiopian Volunteers Honored

JEWISH IN ST LOUIS - October 2012. Twenty adults from Yokneam’s Ethiopian community were recently honored by Leket Israel for their ongoing volunteer work. All the volunteers, Ethiopian men and women above the age of 55 (one over 70!), have been working the fields on Leket Israel's farm on Moshav Nahalal weekly as part of a volunteer food harvesting group. The ceremony took place at the Famil...

10/10/2012 8:24:00 PM

Leket Picking in Nahalal

''Israel's Good Name'' blogger, Shem Tov Sasson, writes about his Leket picking experience at Moshav Nahalal, organized by Leket Israel in partnership with Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN). Sasson was part of a group of new immigrants who spent Isru Chag picking onions for the needy. The NBN group picked an estimated 900 kilograms of onions (1,980 lbs) that wil benefit an estimated 300 families. The picki...

10/10/2012 12:37:00 PM

Farming for the Poor

In ''Ari's Ancedotes'', blogger and Pardes student Ari Abelman writes about a volunteer experience he recently had with Leket Israel. Ari explains the Biblical principal behind ''Leket'' that required farmers to leave behind any produce they missed during their harvest for the poor. Ari goes on to describe how he and other fellow Pardes students harvested sweet potatoes for Leket Israel to he...

10/10/2012 10:44:00 AM

What a b’nai mitzvah fund has meant t...

THE REPORTER GROUP - Jewish Federation of Broome County, Issue 18. Elana Kuppermann is a member of the Federation's Teen Funders Committee and a B'nai Mitzvah Fund Holder. Elana describes how she became involved with teen philanthropy in the Jewish Community and how it positively affected her. Leket Israel was one of 11 outstanding projects Elana singled out for suppport from the Teen Funders. ...

10/10/2012 10:14:00 AM

Alleviating Hunger in Israel

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles recently hosted an event with Paul Leiba, Director of Development for Leket Israel, the country's National Food Bank and largest food rescue network. Leket Israel is working to alleviate the problem of nutritional insecurity among the growing numbers of Israel's poor. Mr. Leiba shared his wisdom as to why so much produce goes to waste – when there ar...

9/24/2012 10:17:00 AM

From Mall to Meal

ESRA MAGAZINE - Israel's Community Forum - Issue No. 166. In a blog post entitled ''From Mall to Meal'', Pnina Moed Kass describes how she and her partner Rebecca Kimelman make their weekly rounds rescuing food from Herzliya's Seven Stars Mall. The pair has been volunteering on behalf of Leket Israel for almost a year, and according to Kass, the food vendors recognize them easily from their L...

9/10/2012 5:30:00 AM

Joseph Gitler on the Nachum Segal Net...

NACHUMSEGAL.COM - May 31, 2012. Miriam L. Wallach interviews Leket Israel Founder and Chairman, Joseph Gitler, on ''That's Life''. On the recent broadcast, Gitler describes the organization's upcoming Family Picking Day scheduled for Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Tuesday, Oct. 2nd and how volunteers will pick an estimated 400,000 lbs of produce for the needy. In addition, Gitler describes the organizati...