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...

5/17/2013 12:15:00 PM

Leket: Budget makes it harder to help...

JPOST - May 17, 2013. In response to the draft 2013-14 state budget which included major cuts in services to the middle class, Gidi Kroch, the CEO of Leket Israel, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that the cuts will put added strain on agencies caring for the poor. ''NGOs doing food distribution will simply collapse when there is no financial support from the government and they are expected...

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...

5/16/2013 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.

4/30/2013 11:23:00 AM

Israel's High Poverty Rate

JPOST - April 10, 2013. ''Israel has the highest poverty level among OECD countries, and the gaps between rich and poor are among the highest of all developed nations--problems that must be addressed immediately,'' so says Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, CEO of the National Insurance Institute. As quoted in the following article, Gidi Kroch, representing the NGO food bank Leket Israel, stressed how th...

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...

5/14/2013 10:24:00 AM

Danish Food Bank Reps Visit Leket Israel

May 2013 - Representatives from the Danish Food Bank, who work to prevent the waste of excess food and provide for the underprivileged in Denmark, recently came to visit Leket Israel's central logistics center located in Ra'anana, in order to study our courses of action and protocol for the collection, salvaging, and subsequent redistribution of surplus food.

5/8/2013 9:22:00 PM

East Bay Jewish Community Gleans on I...

A contingent of East Bay (San Francisco, CA) community members on a recent mission to Israel met with Leket Israel Founder, Joseph Gitler to learn about nutritional insecurity in the country. After hearing from Mr. Gitler, the group harvested turnips and other crops to be distributed to the poor by Leket Israel. East Bay Jewish Federation President, Claudia Felson (pictured left in the article)...

5/7/2013 3:16:00 PM

Englewood Fathers & Sons Glean for th...

The Englewood Father-Son Bar Mitzvah Mission to Israel helped Israel's National Food Bank, Leket Israel, pick vegetables for the needy in honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). The group, led by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah and Rabbi Zev Reichman of East Hill Synagogue, gleaned an amazing 9,900 lbs of turnips to help feed 2,200 families in need.

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 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...

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.

4/6/2013 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.

4/4/2013 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.

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....

3/20/2013 10:31:00 AM

Beth Tikvah Supports Leket Israel

Beth Tikvah congregation of Richmond, BC Canada, is raising awareness about food rescue this Passsover. An annoucement in the congregation's ChaiLights newsletter reads: This Passover, please consider a donation for Food Rescue. A $1 donation to Leket Israel (Israel's National Food Bank) provides 10 needy Israelis with a pound of fresh produce.

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. ...

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...

2/12/2013 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...

6/6/2012 2:18:00 PM

Annual trips build connections with I...

CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS - June 5, 2012. Jewish youth are building important connections to the land and people of Israel through annual summer trips. Leket Israel has become a standard stop on these trips and always makes a positive impression on the youth. Daniel Weiss, Schechter Judaic studies principal and Israel trip guide explains how by gleaning fields with Leket Israel, his students lear...

6/3/2012 4:05:00 PM

NBN & Leket Israel team up

NBN NEWS - June 2012. In the spirit of Shavuot, the ‘Harvest Festival’, Nefesh B'Nefesh joined up with Leket Israel, The National Food Bank, to pick vegetables for the needy. Seventy volunteers picked 800 kilos of beets, with the harvest going to feed approximately 200 families. Leket Israel thanks NBN and the olim for their great work and looks forward to welcoming them back again soon.

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...

5/29/2012 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.

5/20/2012 10:09:00 AM

Nefesh B' Nefesh and Leket Israel Tea...

Last Friday morning, 70 olim from around the world came with Nefesh B' Nefesh to pick beets for Leket Israel – The National Food Bank. In a short amount of time, the volunteers managed to pick 800 kilos of beets to feed approximately 200 families in the coming week. Leket Israel thanks them for their great work and looks forward to welcoming them back again soon.

5/1/2012 2:27:00 PM

VIDEO: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Projects w...

Celebrating your child's bar or bat mitzvah in Israel? Learn how Leket Israel can involve your child and family group in a meaningful bnei mitzvah project via hands-on activities appropriate for all ages. What better a way to commemorate this special event than by volunteering to help the less fortunate in Israel.

5/30/2012 10:28:00 AM

Federation-Supported Food Program Hel...

JEWISH IN ST LOUIS - May 2012. Leket Israel, the country's National Food Bank, is working very closely with Kol HaLev, a food pantry in Yokneam, St. Louis’ sister-city in Israel, to support the organization's food parcel distribution activities among needy families. Leket Israel receives a targeted donation from Jewish Federation of St. Louis as part of its strategic plan to assist vulnerable...

5/22/2012 2:32:00 PM

UK Gefiltefest benefits Leket Israel

TIMES - May 21, 2012. Gelfitefest, a Jewish food festival that centers on the historic links between religion and food, attracted hundreds to the Ivy House, home of the London Jewish Cultural Centre in Golders Green London in honor of the annual event. As Israel's premiere food-aid charity, Leket Israel was chosen as a beneficiary to receive proceeds from a raffle conducted at the event.

4/29/2012 11:00:00 AM

Leket: Social Action & the Bible

According to this week’s portion...Any grain dropped by a harvester or fruit left on trees or grapes that fell out of the gatherers basket must be left for the poor to collect. Join in this commandment, make it part of your tour to Israel and work in a field gathering fallen crops to give to those in need.

4/16/2012 8:54:00 PM

Volunteer Tourism-Experience Israel H...

Tourists in Israel looking for another, hands on way to experience Israel and, at the same time, help feed Israel’s needy can now enjoy a great day out picking fruits and vegetables courtesy of Leket Israel. The free activity is available for groups of all ages, sizes and backgrounds, as part of Israel’s National Food Bank gleaning initiative to pick fresh produce for distribution to Israel’s ...

4/16/2012 7:47:00 PM

Leket Israel: Fulfilling Biblical Co...

ISRAEL MINISTRY of TOURISM - Christians visiting Israel who are looking for a unique and meaningful experience are encouraged to volunteer for Leket Israel. Providing nourishment for the people is of great concern to G-d, so much so that He commanded in Leviticus: ''And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you leket (gather) every grape of your vineyard: you shall leave them for the po...

4/16/2012 4:54:00 PM

Huduyou website donates to Leket Israel

A new Israeli company -whose website, ''huduyou,'' allows users to find local service providers recommended by their Facebook friends and neighbors recently announced that it will donate $1 to Leket Israel each time a new user joins the website and $3 each time either an existing or new huduyou user writes a service provider review. Although the promotion has expired, Leket Israel thanks Yoav ...

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 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...

1/27/2013 11:02:00 AM

It is a day for sharing our fruit wit...

In an inspiring article in the Times of London about fighting poverty, Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks cites a contemporary translation of a biblical imperative - ''Leket (''gleanings''), Israel's national food bank, which rescues surplus food and agriculture produce that would otherwise be destroyed from catering halls, farms and Kibbutzim, restaurants, corporate cafeterias and bakeries and distributes...

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 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...

1/24/2013 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...

1/19/2013 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 ...

1/9/2013 11:14:00 AM

Eating Locally in Israel: A Food Diary

GOOD FOOD STORIES - Jan. 7, 2013. Local food advocate, Anabelle Harari, says she learned a few things on a recent visit to Israel. ''First, most supermarkets in Israel have their own farms and regulate the amount of pesticides they spray on their crops. At the local markets, no one is monitoring and there’s really no way of knowing. Second, the national food bank rarely relies on canned goods. ...

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...

12/31/2012 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, ...

12/16/2012 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 ...

12/31/2012 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.

12/20/2012 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...

12/12/2012 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 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.

12/5/2012 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.

11/21/2012 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 11:36:00 AM

Poll Shows 43% of Israelis Fear They'...

JAM NEWS - Nov. 11, 2012. In a recent Maariv poll, 43.1% of Israelis canvassed are worried about falling into poverty. An increasing number of the country's citizens cannot meet their payments and are worried about their financial situation. During a recent conference organized by Leket Israel, heads of social welfare associations recounted the difficulties they were encountering in respondin...

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...

11/7/2012 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.

11/5/2012 1:01:00 PM

Warm Home, wholesome food

RASHI FOUNDATION - Newsletter. Leket Israel's certified dietician, Sigal Faran, offered a training workshop to the housemothers of southern shelters for teenage girls recently. The workshop began with an introduction to the principles of proper nutrition, with an emphasis on adolescents, and then included hands on food preparation with ''Healthy Chef'' Sagi Schwartz. The participants learned ...

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 ...

10/24/2012 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...

10/14/2012 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 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...

9/6/2012 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.

8/23/2012 10:46:00 PM

The Camper As Philanthropist

NY Jewish Week - Aug 21st, 2012. Passport NYC was one of 20 Jewish overnight camps piloting a teen philanthropy project this summer with the Jewish Teen Funders Network. Each camp got leadership training and funds to be allocated by campers to a nonprofit of their choice. Passport NYC awarded a portion of their funds to Leket Israel, Israel’s National Food Bank.

8/23/2012 10:20:00 PM

Food Waste in US Reaches 40%; Is Isra...

ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS, Arutz-7 - Aug. 23, 2012. Head of Leket Israel, Joseph Gitler, responds to a discomforting Washington Post report concerning the state of food waste in the US. Comparing the western world's tendency to waste, Gitler says that the situation in Israel isn’t much different. Gitler discusses the positive response to his organization but concludes at the end of the article th...

8/19/2012 8:57:00 PM

Monsanto: Researching How to Increase...

In a featured article on Monsanto's blog, Elizabeth Niven discusses the latest research by Monsanto to increase tomato yields. In Israel, where Monsanto runs an abundance of test sites, the company contacted Leket Israel, a local food bank that distributes food to more than 290 not-for-profit organizations serving the needy. As a result of the contact, Monsanto donated 100 tons of tomatoes. T...

8/15/2012 11:47:00 AM

BakersinIsrael blog shares trip to Leket

The Baker family recently harvested pumpkins with Leket Israel on their first family trip to the country. According to family blogger and father Marc Baker, ''...it was important to us to make this chesed (volunteer) project part of our Israel experience.'' In a recent blog post, a younger Baker described the experience: “We went farming, and picked lots of pumpkins to give to people who don’t ...

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''.

8/1/2012 4:49:00 PM

Israel Helps - Help Israel

The Zionist Federation of Sweden's ''FROM THE BRIGHT SIDE'' newsletter recently featured Leket Israel in an article highlighting the benefits of volunteering with the organization. ''Help poor people in Israel with two hours of your time,'' the article, written in Swedish, begins. An English translation of the full article follows the original Swedish below.

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 10:21:00 AM

Embedding ritual, memories

JEWISH INDEPENDENT - July 13, 2012. As Israel's premiere food-aid charity, Leket Israel was chosen as a beneficiary to receive proceeds from monies raised at Gefiltefest, a Jewish food festival that explores the historic links between religion and food. The event, held recently at the London Jewish Cultural Centre in Hampstead, treated more than 500 people to a day-long smorgasbord of worksho...

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....

7/19/2012 9:50:00 PM

As the sun sets on Tel Aviv

In a blog post by TorahLady, the blogger describes her volunteer experience on a group visit to Leket Israel where she participated in gleaning a tomato field near Rechovot, Israel. Her group worked alongside a Taglit-Birthright group and a teen group, as they all got their hands dirty filling crate after crate of tomatoes to be distributed to needy families. Way to go TorahLady!

7/3/2012 3:56:00 PM

Food to the Rescue

In its July newsletter, learn how IsraelExperts collaborates with Leket Israel to rescue food. As a highly acclaimed tour operator, IsraelExperts involves its groups with vegetable picking through Leket Israel's innovative gleaning initiative. All of the produce picked by the tour groups go for immediate distribution to the needy. Throughout the years, IsraelExperts has incorporated Leket Israe...

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.

6/26/2012 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 ...

6/24/2012 10:49:00 AM

Helping Others

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS - Thursday, June 21, 2012. Detroit's Hillel Day School 8th-graders picked 3,500 pounds of potatoes to help feed hungry Israelis on a trip to Israel this spring. The student group took time on their trip to harvest crops in support of Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank.

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, ...

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.

6/10/2012 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 ...