Joseph Gitler (‘92), the founder and chairman of Leket Israel and a YUHSB graduate, spoke to Yeshiva University High School for Boys (MTA) this Monday in Lamport Auditorium. The topic of the lecture, the second in MTA’s ongoing Centennial Lecture Series, was “Poverty in Israel: Food Waste and the Local and International Response.” This aptly named talk addressed a core belief at the heart of Leket Israel: people waste over 2 billion tons of food per year in America, and roughly 2.45 million tons of good food in Israel, that can be put to use. This food is otherwise edible and goes to waste, while people starve nearby. Leket capitalizes on the surplus of unused food and redistributes the would-be wasted food, along with other types of unwanted produce that is collected from the fields, to those in need. In addition to describing the wonderful work Leket Israel accomplishes, Mr. Gitler educated the students on the proverbial skeletons in the closet of the food industry, like how expiration dates are essentially meaningless constructs and that ugly looking fruits and vegetables get thrown out. Mr. Gitler ended the incredibly informative presentation by telling the students that “before you go out to eat next time, think about eating some leftovers.”

After his talk to the student body, Mr. Gitler was kind enough to stay for lunch where he ate with members of the Hatzioni club.