Volunteering in Israel can be a fun, rewarding, and often challenging experience. How do you find an organization? What can you do with limited Hebrew language skills, not to mention limited free time? What about transportation?
Before Andy and I visited Israel this past November, we asked friends and family in NJ and Israel about opportunities for volunteering. They repeatedly recommended LEKET ISRAEL. We easily communicated with the Israeli office and reserved one afternoon to glean in the fields. We rented a car in Jerusalem and drove to the fields in Rehovot.
What a wonderful day we had with our guide, Nechama, who left her life in Arizona to make aliyah with her husband. We picked 600 kg of oranges and 100 kg of clementines in four hours. We were having so much fun that we almost forgot we were actually doing a mitzvah. The 1300 pounds of oranges feed 150 Israeli families and the 320 pounds of clementines are enough for 25 families. The fruit was immediately placed in a van and promptly delivered to needy families.
Since we returned home, we have given tributes to Leket, in honor of engagements and Bar Mitzvahs. We have communicated with Nechama who told us about the blessing of 2 weeks of rain after our sunny and hot visit. She described how volunteers were knee-deep in mud, picking turnips in the rain and cold, and loving it!
Come to our Friday night service on June 5 and learn how you can help Leket and how Leket helps the hungry in Israel. You will learn the significance of the name, the origins of the organization and its role in Israel today.
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