Joseph Gitler, at The Blogs

Joseph Gitler

Mar 22, 2026, 3:48 PM

Food, Resilience, and Responsibility During Operation Roaring Lion

During wartime, the immediate focus is naturally on defense and security. But another essential component of resilience often receives less attention: ensuring that every family can still put food on the table. War disrupts daily life in ways that extend...

Apr 9, 2025, 4:24 PM

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Wasting Passover food is irresponsible – and unaffordable

Rotten fruit and vegetable waste in a dumpster. (via Leket, via The Times of Israel)

The average Israeli household discards some 13% of the food purchased for the holiday. It's time to change how we eat

Sep 22, 2024, 4:41 PM

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The war is harming Israel’s food security and agriculture

A farmer in Kadesh Barnea, in the Negev, inspects the condition of cherry tomatoes, after heavy rains that caused floods in the Negev Desert, February 2024. (Gili Yaari/ Flash 90)

Healthy food costs more, more crops have gone to waste, and the risk of food insecurity is real. The people and the farmers need the government's help

Mar 20, 2023, 3:25 PM

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How a solo operation in my driveway became Israel’s National Food Bank

Leket Israel feeds those in need. (Amir Yakoby, courtesy Leket Israel)

For 20 years, Leket Israel has fed those in need - breaking the cycle of poverty and preventing massive waste. It's win-win!

Mar 18, 2021, 6:04 PM

Struggling with my own advice: Pandemic’s unprecedented problem for nonprofits

Exactly a year ago, I presented nonprofits with a call to action. Wake up to how COVID will change everything, I urged. And start crisis planning now. It’s eerie to read my glib predictions from then, and see how they...

Nov 25, 2020, 8:05 PM

The most inspiring Thanksgiving story you’ll read. From a Tel Aviv opera singer

It took an opera singer from Kishinev, now based in Tel Aviv, to get this American Israeli in touch with the cheery themes of Thanksgiving. After some of the hardest months many of us have known, it can be difficult...

Nov 18, 2020, 1:47 PM

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Waste and want: Dumpsters overflow with the food poor Israelis can’t afford

If schoolkids learn that dumping food is wrong, they'll bring that message home, discipline their families gently, and reform the country naturally, from within

Oct 14, 2020, 9:38 PM

Yes Mr. President, Israel needs a budget. And it must, for once, feed the hungry

President Reuven Rivlin speaks at the opening of the Knesset's winter session on October 12, 2020. (Yaniv Nadav/ Knesset Spokesperson's Office)

The viral video of a Tel Aviv shoe seller throwing his stock on to the sidewalk is the latest symbol of the economic devastation wrought by lockdown. In my office, we constantly hear the sound of desperation. It’s the...

Sep 27, 2020, 6:00 PM

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It’s déjà vu all over again: Lockdown already wreaking hunger in Israel, again

As stomachs rumble across the nation, our food distribution charity is again busier than ever, but it's hard to ask donors to give yet again

Aug 2, 2020, 8:26 PM

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The day Israel’s president showed up to help me feed pandemic poor

Ruby Rivlin came to sort and pack produce for needy families and to learn more about today's food security challenges. That's true leadership

About Me

Joseph Gitler is the Founder and Chairman of Leket Israel – the National Food Bank. Now in its 23rd year, Leket Israel rescues cooked meals from hotels, corporate cafeterias and IDF army bases and fresh surplus agricultural produce from farmers. This food is distributed through a network of nonprofit partner agencies feeding 470,000+ Israelis in need each week. Since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, Leket has sent over 100,000 volunteers to support the farmers in their harvest. To learn more visit www.leket.org/en.