American Friends of Leket Israel

Leket Israel: The food rescue network nourishing hundreds of thousands As thousands of Israelis struggle to put food on the table, Leket Israel rescues surplus agricultural produce and cooked meals, ensuring that no one is left hungry. Each week, the organization distributes food to over 415,000 people through a network of 300 nonprofits and the dedication of 95,000 volunteers. In the wake of war, the need for food assistance has never been greater—and Leket Israel remains at the forefront, bridging the gap between abundance and scarcity For the full article: https://bit.ly/4bDqf8J American Friends of Leket Israel Sharon Shalmon Esman #LeketIsrael #FoodSurplus #FoodRescue #Purim2025 #Ynetnews #YnetGlobal

Thank you so much for everyone who invited me over the past month to share the Leket Israel?story! Upcoming highlights: 1. Two events in Portland Maine this weekend, message me for more info! 2. In May I'll be speaking across the Pioneer Valley, including the Springfield JCC https://lnkd.in/eivtakDR & New Haven, CT 3. Get your?#Purim?cards here?https://purim.leket.org/?while supporting?American Friends of Leket Israel 4. Plus later this month I'll be speaking at a synagogue in Peabody, Mass! P.S. What everyone is really curious about- yes those are?Naot shoes, handcrafted on a kibbutz in northern Israel. The #Naot factory recently reopened, and I just got them in January in Jerusalem! P.S. ?A big thanks to Congregation Ahavas Olam in Newburyport, Bnai Israel in Laconia NH, Dubi Gordon?and the rest of the?#Israel?Action Committee at Temple Israel in Natick, Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, Beth El in Plattsburgh NY, The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture in Boston, and TBZ in Brookline for inviting me to talk about food insecurity in Israel over the past month.

Fourteen years ago today (when I was just a baby), the greatest opportunity in the world came before me with Leket Israel ????????????and I didn’t hesitate for a moment to grab it. It is a privilege and honor to be able to wake up every morning and share the concepts of food waste and food rescue with those who care so deeply about supporting those in need. Do you know what I am holding in the photo? Bonus points to anyone who identifies the produce correctly! Thank you for all you do, Joseph Gitler, Gidi Kroch, Shachar Minkove and the entire team on both sides of the ocean.

This week Rabbis, lay leaders and professional staff from dozens of congregations & day schools from across three states, joined for an incredible event on Voluntourism "Making a Meaningful Difference When Visiting Israel." It was thrilling to see so much passion and interest in volunteering in #Israel. Thank you so much to Visit Israel, Consulate General of Israel to New England, & www.ReturningTheSparks.org for partnering with American Friends of Leket Israel on this program! A big thanks to Consul General Benny Sharoni, Simmi Shulman, Arinne Edelman, Chad Martin, Irit Yakhnes, and our keynote speaker Rabbi Amy Wallk for making this such happen! Thank you The Rashi School & JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School, and everyone else who took part! 95,000 people volunteered with Leket Israel last year. You can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eVt4DepE #Israel #Tourism #volunteering

It was an honor to spend an evening in Sarasota for American Friends of Leket Israel’s 2nd Annual Unity Dinner. Joseph Gitler and I were humbled to engage with such a dedicated and committed crowd of supporters united for the people of Israel, raising tens of thousands of dollars to serve a record-breaking and unprecedented 415,000 Israelis in need with fresh food each week. A special thanks to co-chairs Megan & Adam Heller and Shera Friedman & Jason Friedman, and everyone who helped make the evening a great success- Deborah Miller Sakellarios & Nick Sakellarios, Joni Steinberg, Emily & Rob, Rabbis Glickman, our wonderful friends at The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, Carol Marcus and so many others.?

It's not about love at first sight. Would you choose this potato at the grocery store??A funny shape, color, size, or blemish can cause produce to be wasted for "cosmetic reasons". Even though it may not look good on the outside, it's?still a Grade-A piece of produce on the inside. Leket Israel rescues 69 million pounds of otherwise discarded produce in order to distribute and feed 415,000 Israelis in need. Each $180 donation?will?directly enable the rescue and distribution?of 1,050?pounds?of?produce?to?struggling Israelis: https://lnkd.in/etBmYKfF Planning a trip to Israel? Learn more about volunteering to rescue produce first-hand here: https://lnkd.in/dJV74jHJ

Just wrapped up a whirlwind week, sharing updates on Leket Israel’s food rescue work and critical emergency relief programs with dozens of supporters from all across the Northeast. Mark H. Ettinger, MBA hosted Leket Israel CEO Gidi Kroch in the Boston area; the Soued family hosted a special evening for NJ supporters; and finally, we concluded with an intimate briefing and dinner in NYC, hosted by Marshall Huebner. Thank you to our very generous hosts and everyone who came out! To learn more or to volunteer with us in Israel visit www.leket.org/en Gilad Skolnick?Carol Marcus Jennifer Zwiebel Elena Rosenbaum

We just had an amazing event with Leket CEO Gidi Kroch for our major supporters in the region on Sunday! Despite the snow storm we forged ahead and dozens braved the conditions to join us and hear about the latest challenges and innovations in food rescue. Over the past four days I have also had the opportunity to share the Leket Israel story with three synagogues in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including the beautiful Congregation Ahavas Achim in Newburyport (one of the oldest synagogues in continuous existence in the commonwealth). It's been such a fun experience getting to know the Jewish communities all over the region. Coming up over the next few weeks: 1. Tonight, American Friends of Leket Israel at Temple Israel in Natick 8 PM at an event made possible thanks to Dubi Gordon! 2. Feb 22nd in Brookline https://lnkd.in/esN76JPG 3. Feb 28th in Boston https://lnkd.in/g7bcjSfj at The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture 4. March 14th in Maine! https://lnkd.in/edAmtPHm

Check out the scale of?Leket Israel’s?operations. Leket rescues surplus?produce and meals and distributes?it?to 415,000?struggling Israelis?each?week—kids?at?risk, evacuees, the?unemployed, the homebound elderly, and many more. The food that is not rescued is?wasted, needlessly ending up in a landfill. ? Find out more about Leket in the 2024 annual report:?https://lnkd.in/eDR6Adzd

Leket Israel is still?operating?in emergency mode.?Farmers are struggling, and produce prices are skyrocketing,?leading to a staggering increase in food insecurity. Leket is working hard to ensure that fresh food?reaches?a record-breaking 415,000 Israelis at?greatest?risk each week throughout the country. $180 = meals and soups for one person for a month: https://lnkd.in/etBmYKfF