Founder Stories

Founder Stories


Leket Israel Founder - Joseph Gitler

August 04, 2020

In 2003, Joseph Gitler founded Leket Israel - The National Food Bank - as a one-man volunteer operation to respond to the paradox of growing hunger and poverty in Israel, on the one hand, and significant food waste on the other. Today, Joseph’s operation has grown to distribute over 40 million pounds of food to Israel’s socio-economic periphery through its partnerships with 200 nonprofit organizations, feeding more than 175,000 people every week.  With 105 employees, a fleet of delivery vehicles and tens of thousands of volunteers, Leket now operates the greatest logistical and human resource capacity of any single food provision agency in Israel.