- Sponsored Content -
Rosh Hashanah is upon us and this is the time when the people of Israel show all their generosity. Thousands of farmers from all over the country are united to reach only one goal: ensuring that no one will go hungry over the holiday. Although the pandemic has impacted them as well, the farming community is happy to be part of Leket Israel's operations, which collects their agricultural surplus and donates it to dozens of nonprofit organizations throughout the country.
In the midst of this complex logistical operation, we managed to catch Yedidya Rosenberg, Agency Relations Manager at Leket Israel.
"I have been working at Leket Israel for 13 years now, in various positions and I do not remember a time when our work has been as critical as it has been during Corona. We literally supply oxygen to charities who feed hundreds of thousands of people in need," says Rosenberg.
"We have representatives at our Logistics Center in Gan Haim who are responsible for liaising with the nonprofits. On the produce side, we work with 220 nonprofits from all over the country who receive these fruit and vegetables. Each nonprofit has a specific day when it receives the produce, and the day before we send them a message letting them know what we have available. The process is based on research we have done to ensure that every person in need receives the same food basket, regardless the city, if it's Dimona, Tel Aviv or Kiryat Shmona. Each nonprofit organization receives produce according to the number of people in need registered in their system.
Any nonprofit organization that has all the proper legal documentation can work with Leket Israel. There are nonprofits who receive produce from Leket Israel and distribute it market-style with stands of onions, tomatoes and lettuce, having the recipients come to the stalls and taking whatever they need. Other nonprofits have a delivery system, where volunteers come and bring the parcels directly to the homes of the recipients. The second option is more popular in this climate because many people are afraid of leaving their homes due to the pandemic.
To donate a meal for Rosh Hashanah visit roshahashanah.leket.org/en
Do you feel there has been an increase in demand since the outbreak of the pandemic?
There is an increase of at least 30% in the demand for produce. I hear about a lot of nonprofits that are having a hard time keeping up with the number of requests they are receiving this year and that is why they are seeking to increase the amount of assistance they are receiving from us. We try to respond to every request we receive, but it is not that simple because the situation is difficult for everyone.
To illustrate the difficulty, Yedidya shares some of the messages he gets during the week. One the recipients write, "I'm asking you for help with food, I live on an allowance of NIS 2,250 ($700) and pay NIS 2,500 ($775) for rent. I have no money to buy food or medicine, not even medicine for my autistic son. I would be happy to receive any help you can give me."
A disabled father, a cancer patient, a single mother of four children, dealing with post-trauma, bankruptcy and many other very difficult stories reach out to Leket Israel's hotline and we cannot leave anyone feeling alone. When the person in need writes to me, "I have nothing in the house, please bring me something", or if parents of a baby from a low-income neighborhood say they do not work because of the pandemic and have nothing for the child to eat. "If you are a real human and not a robot, you cannot just let such messages pass you. You have to help, especially now before the holidays," says Yedidya."
Before the pandemic, there were a lot of people who had a hard time surviving but somehow managed to deal and keep their heads above water. With the outbreak of the pandemic, people lost their jobs, and they fell into the abyss. Even regular people who worked and had a good job suddenly became sick and fell below the poverty line. It is not a simple situation, but it is our reality.
How much did Corona and lockdown affect your operations?
It has had a dramatic impact. Especially, in rescuing cooked food, we had a serious problem this year because hotels and corporate cafeterias - which were significant suppliers to us - closed down.
The difficulty of the situation in Israel in 2021 is best illustrated by Yedidya next story. "We reached out to a donor who has supported us for a number of years and asked for his help this year as well. He told us he is ashamed to say but because of the corona, his business has collapsed and now he needs our help. Not easy to hear that," says Yedidya.
My message to everyone is just to be human. Look at the people who aren't being seen," says Yedidya. "You walk around the city and see people shopping and you think the situation in the country is better, but it's only an illusion. There are a lot of people you do not see, who do not leave their homes, who are searching for food in bins and their situation is very difficult, especially during this past year.
For them, we do everything so that they have the minimum to survive and I call anyone who reads this article to join this important mitzvah, because whoever saves one person is considered to have saved the whole world."
To donate a meal for Rosh Hashanah visit roshahashanah.leket.org/en
