The Main Hall of the President’s Residence is used to regularly host official events but on Tuesday, 11 Nissan, it was packed with hundreds of busy hands wrapping Pesach meal packages for needy families. President Reuven Rivlin joined employees of the President’s Office as well as volunteers from the ‘Leket Israel’ organization in putting together the food packages.

The President said, “This is the house of the Israeli people, of all of us together, and it is so meaningful for me that at this time, the holiday period, a time when we need to take care of all our people for Pesach, we are gathered here in the nation’s house in order to observe the mitzvah of mutual responsibility. This is not charity, it is our duty as a nation and this is our way of maintaining it.” The President then turned to ‘Leket’ Chairman Joseph Gitler and said, “You have promoted this social obligation in an incomparable manner, and all the people of Israel should thank you for the initiative that started in a small car. It is a situation whereby we all take care of each other together, of any who needs some kind of assistance, and today my grandson and I, as well as the President’s Office employees, have all came here to help.”

Director General of the President’s Residence, Harel Tubi added, “The President’s Residence, and its employees led by the President, has opened its doors to the important and blessed work that ‘Leket Israel’ does all year round and especially before the holidays, before Pesach. The importance of this activity, is the social safety net that organizations like ‘Leket Israel’ and others provide, doing amazing charitable work throughout the year. There is full cooperation of the President’s Residence as an official state body with civil society organizations, which work hard on a daily even hourly basis to create a safety net for all those in need and all those who cannot afford to buy food for the holiday, and I congratulate all our partners in that effort.”

‘Leket Israel’ is a food bank organization which was established to salvage left-over food and distribute it to those in need. The 500 food boxes which were packed today, will be distributed to 250 families in the Jerusalem area, and contained vegetables and fruits collected from farmer’s fields including cabbage, peppers and potatoes, as well as dry products which were selected on the recommendation of the organization’s nutritionist.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Kobi Gideon, GPO)