“The Man Who Turned Food Waste Into Dignity”

Chosen for transforming a simple act of compassion into Israel's national food bank: Joseph Gitler founded Leket Israel in 2003 after recognizing a painful contradiction, enormous quantities of nutritious food were being discarded while families across Israel struggled to put meals on the table.

What began as a one-man effort to collect surplus food from catering halls grew into Israel's leading food-rescue organization. Today, Leket Israel gathers fresh produce from farms and prepared meals from hotels, military bases, corporate cafeterias and other suppliers, then distributes that food through nonprofit partners serving vulnerable communities across the country.

The scale of Gitler's impact is extraordinary. Leket Israel reports rescuing approximately 10,000 tons of fruit and vegetables and one million hot meals, with the help of some 10,000 volunteers, to support 100,000 recipients. By building the logistical infrastructure needed to move surplus food quickly and safely, Gitler turned food rescue from a charitable idea into a nationwide system.

His work became even more vital after October 7, as war placed new pressure on struggling families, displaced communities, elderly Israelis and the country's agricultural sector. Leket Israel expanded its emergency response while continuing to support farmers and prevent nutritious food from going to waste.

But Gitler's mission is about more than feeding people. It is about restoring dignity, strengthening Israeli society and proving that one country's waste can become another family's lifeline.

He saw food being thrown away and people going hungry, and built an organization capable of bringing the two together.

That is why Joseph Gitler is No. 26 on The 36.