A Shavuot harvest
On the eve of Shavuot, 'Table to Table' invites you to pick surplus fruits and vegetables, from Nitzanim in the south to Kibbutz Lavi in the north
Who hasn’t seen the enormous quantities of food thrown out by banquet halls, farmers, or IDF bases? Consider the following: every year some 1.2 million tons of food, valued at some NIS 8 billion ($2 billion) is thrown away in Israel. For "Table to Table," which transports surplus food to soup kitchens and organizations that help people in need, food rescue is an all-out war, waged every day.
What can be done? On Sunday, May 20, in honor of the Shavuot holiday and in order to raise awareness, Table to Table will invite the public to pick fruit and vegetables for those in need. The harvest event, “Leket 24,” will take place in many farms throughout Israel, from Nitzanim in the south, through farms in Hod Hasharon and Rehovot, to Kibbutz Lavi in the north.
Collecting surplus food (Photo: courtesy of "Table to Table")
“A large portion of the unused food is fruits and vegetables that were not picked at all because there is no demand for them in the market or because of slight blemishes,” says Table to Table founder Joseph Gitler. “This year we decided to hold a day of awareness in which thousands of participants will pick over 30 tons of fruits and vegetables and through them we’ll also save the hard work of the farmers, which is going to waste.”
Harvest at Night for the PR Value
“The idea to launch a day of awareness stemmed from the need to publicize our work” says Gitler. “I don’t want to minimize the importance of fundraising evenings, but to us volunteerism is a major value. It bothered me that out of ten people I speak with every day, nine don’t have any idea who we are.” According to Gitler, the need to spread the word is what brought about the idea for the night-time harvest. “True, it isn’t convenient to harvest at night, but in order to speak with journalists, sometimes it’s what you need to do,” he says with a smile. “In any case, the harvest will take place only in one field where there will be lighting.”
For Gitler, a lawyer who made aliyah from the United States seven years ago, Table to Table is the fulfillment of a dream. Reports of widespread poverty in Israel caused him to leave his job in high tech four years ago and to set up Table to Table, and to this day he refuses to accept payment for his work there. “I never experienced poverty myself personally,” he admits, “but when I saw the situation of the poor in Israel, and all the bodies and organizations fighting each day in order to help them, I decided that we had to help those who are helping.” That is how Table to Table’s activities got going, and the organization now supports dozens of local non-profit organizations.
- Want to volunteer but don't know where? – Click here to find out which organizations need your help
Gitler is excited about the harvest. So far, 3,000 people have registered, adults and children from all over the country, who will mostly be coming as groups organized by youth movements and workplaces. The thousands of harvesters are expected to join quite a few singles who are JDate members. “The primary and the highest goal is to cause people to give back to the community,” says Na’ama Kurda, project manager of JDate. “But if in the course of making a contribution some of them become couples, that will be a great thing.”
To join “Leket 24” call 09-744-1757 or click here.
"Leket 24" is set to be one of the most dynamic not-for-profit events of 2007. During "Leket 24," volunteers will partner with farmers throughout Israel to harvest fruits and vegetables left unpicked at the end of the harvest season. This “Leket” session will last for 24 straight hours, and at the end of the 24 hours, all of the collected produce will be distributed to non-profit organizations that serve the needy, located throughout Israel.
The “kick-off” event will take place on May 20, 2007 from 17:00-20:00 at Kvutzat Schiller (next to Rehovot), and will include:
• Leket fruit picking session
• Complementary Dinner
• Meetings with major leaders of Israel’s non-profit sector
• Concert by "Reva l'Sheva"
