Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/26/2020
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Categories
Joseph Gitler, Founder and Chairman of Leket Israel, will be talking about the effects of the pandemic on Israeli society and the work Leket is doing to address the growing need for food support.
Joseph is a graduate of Yeshiva University and Fordham University Law School. After making aliyah in 2000, he worked for three years as Director of International Sales & Development for a family software business. He founded Leket Israel in 2003 after witnessing significant food wastage in Israel at a time of rising poverty. Joseph’s vision and steady hand have led the organization from a simple, one-man operation to Israel’s largest food rescue organization. He is married to Leelah, has five children and enjoys biking, traveling and spending time with his kids.
Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, is the leading food rescue organization in Israel. Unique among all other organizations that serve the poor in Israel and food banks worldwide, Leket Israel’s sole focus is rescuing healthy food and delivering it to those in need through hundreds of diverse nonprofit organization partners.
The economic crisis in Israel continues to deepen, with no end in sight. One in five Israelis are now unemployed, with many families requesting food assistance for the first time. In the past four months, Leket Israel has delivered over 1 million cooked meat meals and nearly 18 million lbs. of fresh, surplus produce to people in need, a 22% increase over regular operations. During March, Israel’s catering sector came to a halt overnight, cutting to zero Leket’s sources of excess, prepared food. Determined not to abandon those in greatest need, the organization moved – within a week – from a food rescue to food purchase model, providing at its peak 11,000 people with a daily hot meal; often delivered directly to their home by a Leket staff member. As a consequence, Leket is witnessing unprecedented demand on their resources, with many new poor seeking help from nonprofit agencies for the first time.
REGISTRATION AND TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT
Members – free *
Guests – purchase $10.50 tickets here
* All ticket purchases will be donated directly to Leket. Members, please purchase a seat if you can.
Link to Leket website: https://www.leket.org/en/
Link to donate online: https://www.leket.org/en/online-donation/
