Leket Israel

6/17/2013 10:08:00 AM

Leket Israel addresses conference on ...

Leket Israel recently addressed a conference targeting solutions to the issue of waste in Israel. Staff highlighted its meal rescue activities and the opportunities available to expand food rescue with the cooperation of the public and the corporate sectors. In 2013 Leket Israel will rescue and distribute 1 million meals, 120,000 bread loaves, 25 million lbs of produce and perishable goods, an...

6/16/2013 1:21:00 PM

Autralian Youth Assist Raanana Based ...

JANGLO - June 13, 2013. (J-Wire Repost) Australian youth, working as volunteers in the ''Israel By Choice'' (IBC) program, have been helping out at Leket Israel's logistics center in Raanana. The location sorts and distributes rescued unused food from all over Israel to benefit the needy. Each morning Leket Israel trucks load up and deliver the excess food to dozens of non-profit organization ...

6/13/2013 11:24:00 AM

Jordan Gonchar supports Leket Israel

To mark his Bar Mitzvah with chesed, Jordan Gonchar of Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island, Washington made a donation to several nonprofit organizations including Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank. Jordan also volunteers his time with the local Jewish Family Service Food Bank Thank you Jordan for supporting Leket Israel!

6/13/2013 6:52:00 PM

In Good Company

Leket Israel's activities depend on volunteers to achieve its goal of alleviating nutritional insecurity in Israel. Volunteering with Leket Israel is a great activity for companies; a unique bonding opportunity while giving back to the community. Want to bring your company to volunteer with Leket Israel? Join us in one of our initiatives. Read on to learn more:

6/13/2013 1:54:00 PM

One Day with the ZFA

J-Wire recently spent a day with the Zionist Federation of Australia in Israel…checking out Australian youth working as volunteers in its Israel By Choice program for Leket Israel. The Australians were sorting and packing vegetables into crates for distribution to Israel's needy. Read the full article here.

6/12/2013 12:31:00 PM

Visiting Yokneam

''First, on Sunday June 2, 2013, we went to Leket Israel, a non-profit organization that takes surplus food and delivers it to soup kitchens and needy families. Our group picked Kohlrabi for those in need, and filled several buckets to feed several people,'' so writes Bryan Sentnor. Bryan is part of a group of nine St. Louis families from a cross section of the St. Louis Jewish community, who ...

5/28/2013 1:08:00 PM

Jewish Food Festival benefits Leket I...

The smell of freshly baked Challah, falafel and strudel filled the air recently at the UK’s largest Jewish food festival. The fourth annual Gelfitefest attracted hundreds to the London Jewish Cultural Centre in Golders Green in honor of the annual event. As Israel's premiere food-aid charity and national food bank, Leket Israel was chosen as a beneficiary to receive a portion of the proceeds fr...

5/28/2013 12:14:00 PM

Sixth Grader's Pancake Breakfast bene...

Temple Sinai's sixth grade class sponsored its annual pancake breakfast recently with funds raised going to benefit Leket Israel and Breaking the Chain. Read Temple Sinai's full update here from Educator, Melissa Cohavi.

6/9/2013 8:37:00 PM

3-Door Digital Flexes Muscle with Lek...

Some of the Tel Aviv crew from ''3-Door Digital'' took a break from their usual routine and left the comfort of their desks (and air conditioning) to get down and dirty in the potato fields of Leket Israel. Leaving the big city life of Tel Aviv in the rear view mirror, the team set out in the wee hours of the morning to dedicate some volunteer time to harvest potatoes for Israel’s National Food...

6/9/2013 5:01:00 PM

US Ambassador Daniel Shapiro hosts ev...

Over 100 supporters attended a Friends of Leket Israel event in the home of US Ambassador to Israel, Honorable Daniel B. Shapiro. ''Leket Israel works to rescue fresh food and deliver it to tens of thousands of needy Israelis each week. Not only are their initiatives supplying healthy food to those in need but, at the same time they are helping the environment by preventing tons of unnecessary ...

6/5/2013 4:02:00 PM

Our Children Give

Students enrolled in Congregation Beth Israel’s Youth Education Program recently presented two checks each for $400 to Leket Israel, Israel’s National Food Bank and Hebrew Heath Care. The money was raised by the children of the religious school over the academic year, along with the help of their families, who gave each time they came to religious school. The concept of tzedakah requires Jewish...

5/19/2013 10:27:00 AM

OECD report: Israel, member with high...

According to a report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) this past week, Israel is the most impoverished of the 33 economically developed countries, with a poverty rate of 21% of the entire population (compared to 13.8% in 1995). The report also notes that Israel continues to be one of the countries with the largest income gaps between the rich and poor...

5/16/2013 11:56:00 AM

Ladies Night Cooking Demo and Dinner ...

Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ) recently held a ''Ladies Night'' Cooking Demonstration and Dinner by Professional Chef and Author, Kim Kushner, at Congregation Edmond J. Safra Shul of Manhattan. KJ and Safra are prominent Upper East side synagogues. The proceeds of the evening went to benefit Project Leket, a program run by Israel's National Food Bank (Leket Israel), which delivers each day tens of tons...

5/31/2013 5:24:00 PM

Giving Ideas: Jewish Community Founda...

''As we approach the holiday season, we are especially mindful of those who struggle to meet their basic needs and do not have access to nutritious food,'' so says the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego. ''In San Diego, one in five adults face hunger each day [while] in Israel, a full quarter of citizens live below the poverty line including many children. Below please find some ideas (in...

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...

5/31/2013 4:49:00 PM

Leket Israel on J-Give with the Jewis...

''Think about the good you can do,'' so says the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle in reference to its recent J-Give campaign. ''A $36 donation could provide Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank with 4 pounds of fruits and vegetables every week for a year to benefit the needy.''

5/29/2013 4:38:00 PM

''The armchair kitchen'' blog on savi...

''This little boy is holding a giant turnip that’s just been picked. He’s not a child laborer, he is working with his family in a field in Israel collecting vegetables that are not perfect and would otherwise be thrown away. The produce is packed and transported by an organization called Leket,'' so writes the popular blog ''The armchair kitchen''. Leket Israel's food-saving work was recently h...

5/28/2013 11:35:00 PM

Non-Profit Beneficiaries

Leket Israel serves 180 non-profit agency partners and 115 schools spanning a region from Nahariya-Kiryat Shemona in the north to Dimona in the south. In addition to the daily and weekly deliveries of fresh produce, sandwiches, hot meals, and other perishable food products delivered to its partners, Leket Israel also provides food safety training, capacity building support, and nutritional gu...

5/28/2013 11:23:00 AM

London food festival benefits Leket I...

The fourth annual Gelfitefest, a Jewish food festival that centers on the historic links between religion and food, attracted hundreds to the London Jewish Cultural Centre in Golders Green in honor of the annual event. As Israel's premiere food-aid charity and national food bank, Leket Israel was chosen as a beneficiary to receive a portion of the proceeds from the event.

5/23/2013 12:57:00 AM

jdeal Offer: Help Leket Israel

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...

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 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.

4/6/2013 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...

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 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.

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....

3/16/2013 9:31:00 PM

Food Waste in Rich Countries

GREEN PROPHET - March 10, 2013. In an article about food waste in Mid East countries, Maurice Picow discusses how regional food shortages combined with sharp increases in food prices are indicators that millions – perhaps billions of people are facing a lack of nutrients. Wasteful food production and distribution practices by both farmers and sellers of foodstuffs contribute to the problem. ...

3/5/2013 6:37:00 PM

Boosting Services in the Periphery

As part of a strategic initiative to boost services for the needy on Israel's periphery, Leket Israel is providing its partners with greater quantities of rescued food, targeted workshops on nutrition, and capacity building support to help improve operating standards.

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 10:39:00 PM

Birthright Inclusion Program Gleans w...

A recent Taglit-Birthright Israel trip sponsored by Shorashim and KOACH was both a typical Birthright trip and a “uniquely Asperger Syndrome” experience rolled into one. The 21 young adults, ages 18-26 and from all corners of the US, spent ten days over Winter Break taking in many of the important sites and experiences of Israel -- including picking oranges for the needy with Leket Israel.

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...

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 11:09:00 PM

The Face of Hunger

THE FACE OF HUNGER - Jan. 30, 2013. Ray Buchanan of STOP HUNGER NOW, reposted a compelling article on the reasons to end world hunger. The article, by Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the Commonwealth originally appeared in the Times of London. Buchanan says about the article, ''It is so well written and so forceful that I want to share it in it’s en...

2/5/2013 11:12:00 AM

If we act to eradicate hunger

Rabbi Aaron Goldstein discusses the issue of world hunger in a Tu B'Shevat blog post in the Jewish Chronicle Online. Goldstein cites organizations working to alleviate poverty, including Leket Israel, and leaves off with the words, ''I hope and pray that this Shabbat, this Tu B'Shevat, we may all be actively seeking the eradication of hunger.''

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...

1/26/2013 7:45:00 PM

Why Fighting Poverty and Hunger Is a ...

HUFF POST - The BLOG - Jan. 26, 2013. In an inspiring blog post about fighting poverty and hunger, Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks cites a contemporary translation of a biblical imperative - ''Leket (''gleanings''), Israel's national food bank, which rescues surplus food and agricultural produce that would otherwise be destroyed from catering halls, farms and Kibbutzim, restaurants, corporate cafeteria...

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...

1/17/2013 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...

1/2/2013 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 4:04:00 PM

Israel Provides for Special Needs

THE JERUSALEM POST - Blogs - Jan. 2, 2013. In a post about the great work the Jewish State performs for all of its citizens and for the world at large, Blogger, Michael Ordman highlights a recent news article that featured Leket Israel, as Ordman describes the organization as one, ''...that supports Israel’s impoverished citizens by salvaging non-saleable crops from farmers and unused food from...

12/31/2012 6:25:00 PM

Growing Divide Seen In Israeli Electo...

THE JEWISH WEEK - Dec. 26, 2012. Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel, is used to receiving desperate pleas from soup kitchens and other institutions struggling to feed the poorest in Israel. What’s unnerving Kroch now is the number of calls he’s getting from individuals who, he says, “clearly don’t know their way around the system...people who don’t know how to go to welfare or to seek support from...

12/27/2012 4:47:00 PM

Nutrition & the Family: Empowerment ...

Jan. 1, 2013. This past week began a series of 4 workshop sessions on ''Nutrition and the Family'' for mothers, all recent immigrants from Ethiopia. The first session “Eating Together” included mothers with their children who enjoyed learning how to prepare a fresh and varied meal and then eating the meal together. The instructive meal preparation included a vegetable salad with beans, pasta, ...

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...

12/19/2012 8:29:00 PM

Best (political) Blog on Leket Israel

In a recent blog post, Michelle Westmiller explains, ''...we joined Leket Israel, an organization that collects unused food from weddings, events, hotels, etc. to redistribute to poor communities and in food banks. The organization gleans left over food from fields to provide fresh produce which would have otherwise been left to rot. Together we picked a row of clementines filling a crate and a...

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, ...

12/16/2012 5:53:00 PM

Fighting Hunger

JEWISH WORLD - Dec. 14-20. AMIT and Leket Israel have joined forces to fight hunger among Israeli school children in the southern Israeli development towns of Kiryat Malachi and Sderot – two communities that recently suffered continuous rocket attacks during hostilities with Hamas. Needy school children from the region have been receiving nutritious sandwiches for lunch every school day (Sunda...

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.

12/9/2012 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...

12/5/2012 10:17:00 PM

Pardes Fellows laud Leket Israel

Pardes Institute Fellows, Katie Greenberg (2011), and Yael Kletter (2010) describe why they chose Leket Israel for their Fellowship project. ''The work that they do is super important. Environmental issues and especially food justice...issues are two of my big passions, and Leket focuses on both...it is also great to do a double mitzvah: save food that would otherwise have been wasted, and give...

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 ...

12/5/2012 8:20:00 PM

Proportion of working poor in Israel ...

MADAN.ORG.IL - Dec. 1, 2012. According to the National Insurance Institute's annual poverty report, almost two million Israelis lived in poverty in 2011. Poverty levels among working families rose from 19.4% to 20% based on their financial incomes between 2010 and 2011. To learn more, read the full article written by Haaretz news correspondents Haim Bior, Talila Nesher, and Hila Weissberg a...

12/2/2012 6:54:00 PM

Proportion of working poor in Israel ...

HAARETZ - Nov. 30, 2012. According to the National Insurance Institute's annual poverty report, poverty levels among working families rose from 19.4% to 20% based on their financial incomes between 2010 and 2011; overall, almost two million Israelis lived in poverty in 2011. To learn more, read the full article written by Haaretz news correspondents Haim Bior, Talila Nesher, and Hila Weissberg.

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...

11/21/2012 12:05:00 PM

They Migrated for Luxurious Life But ...

EUROPEAN PHOENIX - Nov. 10, 2012. The publication this week of the findings of a Maariv poll, conducted Nov. 1, among 491 respondents, with a sampling error of 4.5 percentage points, resulted in close to half of those canvassed indicating that they were worried about falling into poverty. According to European Phoenix, the findings of the poll should alarm all the decision makers in the State o...

11/21/2012 11:17:00 AM

Back to School with Leket Israel

The Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition -Dialogue Newsletter - Oct. 2012. Each school day, Leket Israel provides 7,500 sandwiches to disadvantaged school children from 110 schools in thirty cities across Israel. Most live well below the poverty line, and do not receive their basic nutritional needs from home. Read the full article as reprinted in the newsletter of The Alliance Against Hu...

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 ...

10/10/2012 12:07:00 PM

Women’s Giving Circle Affects Positiv...

The Jewish Federation Women’s Division Circle of Chai is a local women’s giving circle in Kansas City, made up of 50 women who pool their money and deliberate on where to use their dollars to make an impact. The group has decided to allocate additional funding to Leket Israel's Sandwiches for Kids project to provide 25-30 more children with school lunches in the Ramla school system for the ent...

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...

9/19/2012 10:21:00 AM

A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Israel

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE ONLINE - Sept. 17, 2012. In a blog post entitled ''A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Israel'', Rabbi Aaron Goldstein of Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue discusses the ethical statements of the ancient prophets and compares them to progressive Judaism's modern day values. Goldstein points out that the Synagogue's school has adopted Leket Israel as its tzedakah project for the ...

9/6/2012 9:16:00 PM

Leket Kids Fun!

Looking to entertain your children while preparing for the holidays? Download a fun crossword puzzle, find the differences, and connect the pictures.

9/6/2012 6:04:00 PM

E-News - Fall 2012

With the apple season underway, Leket Israel is on course to rescue 300 tons of sweet, delicious apples just in time for the holidays. Your continued support will enable us to deliver over 1,000 tons of nutritious food to hundreds of nonprofits servicing the less fortunate this month. Together we are ensuring a sweet new year for tens of thousands of needy Israelis. Wishing you a healthy and ha...

8/30/2012 8:28:00 PM

ICEJ Volunteers with Leket Israel

ICEJ News - Aug. 23, 2012. Taking time out from visiting Biblical sites, Arise Summer Hands-On Tour participants had a chance to help Israel's needy by volunteering with a variety of hands-on social welfare projects. One of their destinations included Leket Israel, where the group gleaned nearly a ton of fresh tomatoes from local farms fields for the needy. Thanks to the efforts of the ICJE v...

8/28/2012 11:31:00 AM

Israel with Kids / Picking crops at N...

HAARETZ - Aug. 22, 2012. On the last Friday of every month, families are invited to Moshav Nahalal, located in northern Israel's Jezreel Valley, to help pick vegetables for needy families. The activity is organized by Leket Israel, the country's largest food bank, set up in 2003 with the goal of salvaging surplus food and crops that would have otherwise gone to waste. To learn more, read the...

8/26/2012 7:45:00 AM

Rising Food Prices Impacts Hunger in ...

JSpace - Aug. 23rd, 2012. As food prices continue to rise, cutbacks on essential food programs loom--especially in Israel where prices have risen much faster than the West. Leket Israel's ''Sandwiches for Kids'' is one program that is being forced to cut back. Despite a waiting list of 2,500 needy school children, the organization is being forced to cut its services by 2,500 meals daily.

8/23/2012 11:38:00 PM

An App That Helps The Needy

Leket Israel released its new iPhone and Android applications, which are available in both Hebrew and English. The new apps help the user find the closest food agency to donate any excess food from an event at a catering hall, an office party or a celebration at home. Leket Israel is the first nonprofit in Israel to design such an application.

8/19/2012 8:14:00 PM

From swords into ploughshares

The Kaufman family recently spent a morning picking tomatoes with Leket Israel. The volunteer experience was part of the Kaufman children's first trip to the country. According to the family's ''Israel Adventure'' blog the Kaufman's proudly picked 100 kilos of tomatoes - enough to feed 50 families for a week. ''Our young gardeners (mostly) enjoyed finding, picking and tossing tomatoes into the...

8/14/2012 3:11:00 PM

Join the Cucumber Harvest

It is the height of the cucumber season, and with the start of the new school year, thousands of hungry children need your help! Leket Israel invites you to a very special cucumber harvest to support the ''Sandwiches for Kids'' Project. Join us FRIDAY, AUG. 31st 2012 from 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 at Moshav Nahalal. Show the children how much we care about them! Participation is free and open to all. ...

8/1/2012 10:38:00 PM

Leket - The Power of Giving

In addition to writing about the charitable work of Leket Israel on her blog, freelance writer Liza Rosenberg links the Haaretz article she wrote that resulted from her meeting with Joseph Gitler, President and Founder of the organization. The article appeared in a special Haaretz magazine supplement insert, entitled ''The Power of Giving''.

7/29/2012 12:17:00 PM

Millions Approved for Jewish Programs

JEWISH EXPONENT - JULY 26, 2012. Leket Israel's ''Project Leket'' was among nine new initiatives, out of a total of 23 projects, selected by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia to receive funding this year. The Federation's Board of Trustees recently approved a total allocation of $22.1 million to fund the initiatives, ranging from Jewish education to social services.

7/22/2012 10:45:00 AM

Riding to Support Leket Israel

Rabbi Aaron Goldstein of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue in London recently pedaled hundreds of miles to support Leket Israel. The 3-week long “Rabbi Relay Ride” was organized by the UK’s popular Gefiltefest and involved local Rabbis taking part in the ride, to benefit charities of their choice. Thank you Rabbi Aaron for your endurance to feed Israel’s needy!

6/26/2012 10:38:00 AM

Farmington Hills School Pitches in to...

Eighth graders from the Hillel Day School traveled to Israel recently as part of an end of year trip, serving as a culmination to all they have studied and explored during their years at the Jewish Day School located in Farmingtion Hills, Michigan. An important highlight of the trip included a visit with Leket Israel staff in a potato field where the students harvested 3,500 lbs of potatoes in ...

6/19/2012 9:40:00 PM

Repair Interview: Leket Israel’s Jose...

In an interview conducted by Repair the World blogger, Leah Koenig, Leket Israel's Founder and CEO, Joseph Gitler, describes his inspiration for starting Leket Israel and the amazing impact the organization has had on Israel's food insecure. In addition, Gitler shares a couple of stories of real life people and the positive impact Leket Israel has had on their lives.

6/14/2012 11:00:00 AM

Christians Help Israel's Poor by Prac...

NATIONAL CATHOTHIC REGISTER - June 13, 2012. Leket Israel began to reach out to Christian pilgrims 5 years ago, first because of their heartfelt desire to connect with the land and also because the majority of visitors to the Holyland are Christian. Leket Israel provides food to all sectors of Israeli society, regardless of religion or ethnicity. Volunteers, either as individuals or in groups, ...

7/19/2012 10:13:00 PM

Hillel Day School 8th Graders Harvest...

An article reposted by the ''Jew in the D'' blog, highlights the great work of Hillel Day School 8th graders who harvested over 3,500 lbs of potatoes for the needy on a recent trip to Israel. The volunteer experience was part of an end of year trip, serving as a culmination to all they have studied and explored during their years at the Jewish Day School located in Farmingtion Hills, Michigan....

7/10/2012 12:28:00 PM

PM announces NIS 100m. food aid program

THE JERUSALEM POST - July 9, 2012. PM Netanyahu announced Monday the allocation of NIS 100m for a new food aid program, after a similar move 2 years ago was never funded. Leket Israel & Latet, Israel's 2 largest food aid agencies, in a joint statement told the J Post this step showed that the government is finally taking some responsibility to solve a problem that “until now has only been addre...

6/28/2012 11:42:00 PM

The Idea That Feeds Millions

VIRTUAL JERUSALEM - June 27, 2012. In an exclusive article about Joseph Gitler and the organization he founded, VirtualJerusalem (VJ) interviewed Mr. Gitler to hear insights about Leket Israel's initiatives in helping the needy, their work within the Arab Israeli community and with African refugees, and to get the full story on how millions of people benefited from one man's idea.

6/14/2012 10:34:00 AM

Digging Deep

JERUSALEM POST - June 11, 2012. Children pick vegetables in a field to be donated to the poor through Leket Israel. The public is invited to join the anti-hunger charity this Friday, June 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. during an open house at Nahalal in the Jezreel Valley. Participants will harvest butternut squash, beets, and onions that will be donated to the needy. (Leket Israel)

6/10/2012 6:13:00 PM

''The Narrow Door'' blog features: L...

''This organization looks amazing,'' begins a blog post featuring Leket Israel -- Food Bank Program. ''The Narrow Door'' blog, written by blogger ''Gail'', continues: ''I applaud them for what they are doing with getting fresh produce to people and healthy food to poor school children.'' Read more about what ''The Narrow Door'' has to say about Leket Israel.

6/3/2012 10:38:00 AM

Leket Israel: closing the gap between...

THE JEWISH STAR - May 31, 2012. In an exclusive interview with Joseph Gitler, Founder and Chairman of Leket Israel, The Jewish Star's Malka Eisenberg writes about the country’s largest food bank and food rescue network. As part of Mr. Gitler's recent trip to NY, Gitler spoke at Beth Sholom and Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst to raise awareness and funds for Leket Israel, an organization t...

5/30/2012 10:13:00 AM

Food aid agencies threaten to strike

THE JERUSALEM POST - May 30, 2012. According to J Post correspondent Ruth Eglash, nonprofit organizations involved in distributing food to the country’s needy threatened to launch a public campaign in the coming days unless the government starts to address the nutritional needs of the thousands living below the poverty line. Leket Israel and Latet, Israel's two largest food aid agencies, told ...

5/29/2012 10:31:00 AM

D'var Torah - Bemidbar

In a blog post by Rabbi Billy Dreskin, Dreskin writes about his experience volunteering with Leket Israel and the importance of the sacred work the organization carries out on a day to day basis.

5/3/2012 2:34:00 PM

Interfaith Journey through Israel

Congregants of Temple Emanu-El and Wilshire Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas recently joined together for a Journey through Israel. Follow them on their trip and see them in action as they glean potatoes with Leket Israel in the field. The group picked enough potatoes to help feed 800 families. Great work Contact volunteer at leket.org to find out how your group can schedule a gleaning project...

6/10/2012 5:49:00 PM

June Tzedakah Box Supports Leket Israel

Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, California, has chosen Leket Israel as their beneficiary for all Tzedakah (charity) collected during the month of June. Donations may be placed in any of the tzedakah boxes on the Beth Am campus or may be mailed to Congregation Beth Am, Attn: Tzedakah Box - Leket Israel, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022. Thank you for your support!

6/10/2012 5:00:00 PM

Hillel Day School Feeds the Hungry

Eighth graders from the Hillel Day School traveled to Israel recently as part of an end of year trip, serving as a culmination to all they have studied and explored during their years at the Jewish Day School located in Farmingtion Hills, Michigan. An important highlight of the trip included a visit with Leket Israel staff in a potato field where the students harvested 3,500 lbs of potatoes in ...