Meet the pair saving the starving in Jerusalem

Since October 7, Jerusalem’s food security has been in crisis, says food expert Daniella Seltzer. Rising prices, disrupted supply chains, and the continued impact of war on the workforce has made it harder for many to access food. But Seltzer’s, Food Rescuers, is stepping up to the challenge, working to tackle food insecurity and waste.

The Food Rescuers collect surplus produce that would otherwise be discarded and redistribute it to those in need. With a poverty rate of 40 per cent, Jerusalem is one of Israel’s poorest cities, and the Rescuers' work is sorely needed.

Founded by Seltzer and Itay Peled in 2019, the pair began rescuing surplus produce from Jerusalem’s wholesale market to cook at supper clubs. “We filled two supermarket carts with food that was going to be thrown out,” Seltzer recalls. “We used a local canteen’s kitchen during its off-hours, and about 15 of us cooked a huge meal. By the end, around 80 people came to join us.”

“It was this big, beautiful gathering,” Seltzer adds. “People’s jaws dropped when they realised all this food was about to be wasted. It just didn’t make sense to them.”

More events followed - 12 in their first year - reaching hundreds of people. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, although their gatherings were no longer feasible, the need for food assistance grew. “People who were already struggling before Covid were hit even harder. Others, who had never faced food insecurity, suddenly found themselves unable to cope.”

Seltzer and Peled knew the wholesale market still had an abundance of produce going to waste, while many families could no longer afford nutritious food. “Fresh produce is often the first thing to disappear from people’s shopping lists because it’s expensive,” says Seltzer. Meanwhile, the streets were lined with government mandated airplane-style Covid meals dumped beside garbage cans because people wanted to cook their own food.

Food Rescuers shifted its focus to providing fresh ingredients, allowing families to cook.

If things were difficult during the pandemic, Seltzer says an even bigger pivot has happened since October 7. “The prices of fresh produce have skyrocketed,” Seltzer says, and the charity is supporting more people than ever before.

She explains that 30 per cent of Israel’s growing area is in Gaza and the north, where local production has been severely disrupted. As a result, prices have surged. “Tomatoes, a staple, have tripled in price. Even basic spices like garlic and ginger are hard to come by because the port that used to import them is barely functioning,” Seltzer says. “Most tomatoes come from Gaza, but one-quarter are imported from Turkey, which has boycotted Israel.”

Seltzer also highlights the government's failure to support local farmers, who have been battered by the war. “The treasury has said they will cut 22.7 million shekels from the Ministry of Agriculture over the next three years and cut 20 per cent of the jobs from the ministry” Seltzer notes.

The war has led to a shortage of people from the West Bank and Gaza who used to work on farms. This, in turn, has further disrupted production. “Farmers can no longer produce as much as they want, and those who lost their jobs have been pushed deeper into the cycle of poverty,” Seltzer says.

“There’s no clear vision for food security. We cannot rely on importing food.”

As prices rise, vulnerable communities - strictly Orthodox Jewish, Palestinian, refugee, Roma, and asylum seekers - are disproportionately affected. “The government’s food programmes often exclude people in East Jerusalem or non-Hebrew speakers. Even within the Jewish community, strictly Orthodox populations tend to get more support.”

Seltzer believes, “There is system racism engrained into the way the country works.”

She explains that anyone earning below a certain salary can get financial and food support, but this is harder to access in East Jerusalem. “There are fewer support centres in that part of the city and the service is less likely to be in Arabic. The system prefers people who are [strictly] Orthodox.”

As well as Palestinians, the charity works with asylum seekers who do not have access to any rights around food and benefits, the city’s Bedouin population, who are blocked by security checkpoints, and the 2,000 Roma in the city.

“The war has changed everything and the situation politically means that institutional racism has increased.”

Yet the Food Rescuers continue to seek creative solutions: “We do not have a choice but to hope.”

Each day, 10-15 tons of food, including vegetables, fruits, and grains, are discarded at Jerusalem’s wholesale market. Volunteers rescue what they can and distribute it to over 25 diverse communities across the city. “We’ve rescued over 770 tons of food in just the past year alone,” says Seltzer.

Evacuees from the north are invited to use the charity’s kitchen and are appreciative of being able to cook as many are still staying in hotels with no access to a kitchen.

“Every week, a group of women comes to cook with us. A lot of them are migrants from Iran, Iraq, Morocco and Nigeria. So we have 30 people sitting together with 15 different ethnic dishes on the table and a different story being told via each dish. It is beautiful.”

The charity also runs pop-up markets, where food is shared directly with residents. Supported by the Jerusalem Foundation, the markets are food hubs and community spaces. “Food isn’t just about sustenance. It’s about creating connections,” Seltzer explains. “These markets bring people together, building a network of food solidarity.”

Another key initiative is their education programme, which teaches people about sustainability, nutrition, and cooking. “We’ve set up workshops and classes in schools and community centres. The more people know about their food system, the better equipped they are to make positive changes,” Seltzer says.

Food Rescuers also generate income through catering. They use rescued food to cook for events like simchas and conferences, raising awareness about food waste and sustainability. “When people see how delicious the rescued food can be, it opens their eyes to the possibilities of reducing waste,” Seltzer says.

In addition, the organisation is advocating for a long-term food policy through its Urban Food Council, which works with chefs, food businesses, NGOs, and city officials to create a sustainable food strategy for Jerusalem. “The amount of food being wasted is a failure of management at every level. We need a new approach to how we deal with food policy and distribution in Israel.

“Food needs to be part of public discourse,” Seltzer says. “Right now, there’s no clear plan for how the city should handle food insecurity or how to plan for a sustainable food future.”

Food rescue alone cannot solve the problem of food poverty, “We need systemic change,” Seltzer insists.

The charity has 11 staff and six people doing their national service, but it is the volunteers who keep the operation running – 450 people, or “rescuers,” work tirelessly to distribute food, cook, run the stalls and deliver workshops.

“Food reminds us of our shared humanity. And that’s what keeps us going.”

With more than 770 tons of food rescued, over 9,000 students educated about food sustainability, and nearly 16,000 people fed, the team’s impact is undeniable.

The Food Rescuers