Tackling Hunger in Israel with Leket Israel’s Joseph Gitler (digital)

Congregation Emanu El has long been committed to tackling hunger in Houston from its involvement in projects such as Kids Meals, SEARCH Homeless Services and others.

As part of our on-going series of programs on Israel, we will have an opportunity to learn how Israel navigates the challenge of hunger with Leket Israel founder Joseph Gitler.

Gitler will share with us insight into how Leket Israel – the country’s largest food bank and food rescue network – distributes food in partnership with 200 non-profit organizations to more than 175,000 people in need each week.

Founded in 2003, Leket Israel helps impoverished people throughout the country, regardless of their age, gender, ethnic background or religion.

They run several projects, including Sandwiches for Kids, which was launched in 2006.There are 850,000 children suffering from hunger in Israel, and many of them have to go to school without sufficient meals. In order to help feed these children, volunteers make and distribute 7,500-8,000 sandwiches every morning in 40 cities.

Helfman Religious School students who travel on our Shirley Barish Memorial Israel Experience (SBMIE) trips to Israel participate in Leket’s “Harvest Helpers” program, working in the fields to rescue produce that would otherwise go to waste.

This activity helps to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for Leket’s thousands of clients, and is directly related to the Torah’s instruction that the gleanings of Israel’s fields should go to those in need. In 2018, Emanu El teens picked over 2,000 pounds of onions for Leket. We can’t wait to see what our 2022 SBMIE group will pick!

We ask that you register in advance, either online or by calling 713.529.5771. For more information, contact Jason Plotkin at jasonp@emanuelhouston.org or Stefani Carlson at stefanic@emanuelhouston.org. The Zoom information will be sent prior to the conversation.