Since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, Leket Israel has sent nearly 100,000 volunteers to assist the farmers around the country who were struggling to continue harvesting. Between damaged farms and the lack of foreign workers, farmers with hundreds of acres of produce were facing rotting fields and abandoned crops. People from all over the country and the world dropped what they were doing to spend a few hours, days, or weeks, learning how to work in agriculture to maintain the Israeli food supply. For some, volunteering was a one-off activity, a chance to help when they were able. For others, like Alexander Shiller, it was life changing.
Alexander, age 68, was born in Moscow and moved to the U.S. when he was 16. Alexander had visited Israel many times, even sending his children to participate on Birthright Israel, but until October 7th, 2023, Israel was just another vacation spot to visit.
When the war began, Alexander wanted to help. After reaching out to Leket Israel, he boarded a plane the very next day and began volunteering.
“Initially, I planned to volunteer for two weeks,” Alexander shares. “But working with Leket, meeting farmers and volunteers, and being in Israel during wartime changed how I felt. I no longer felt like a tourist—I felt I had a stake in Israel’s life and future. From there, it was only a small step to deciding to stay and share in its destiny.”
Since then, Alexander has become an integral member of the Leket Israel family. In the early days, he volunteered five days a week, working tirelessly in the fields and greenhouses. Today, while studying in an ulpan (immersive Hebrew language program), he continues to volunteer two to three times a week, dedicating his time to supporting farmers and bolstering the nutritional security of those in need across Israel.
Volunteering with Leket Israel not only connected Alexander to the land and the work, it transformed his personal life as well. One morning, on his way to a volunteer shift, he met Aya, another volunteer, and the two eventually became a couple.
Along with many moving moments, Alexander witnessed the heavy toll of the war. One day when Alexander was volunteering near the Gaza border, he found himself in a large greenhouse filled with peppers rotting on the vines. In that instant, he grasped the enormity of the crisis and the immense personal responsibility he and his fellow volunteers carried.
“I realized I couldn’t afford to waste a single moment. I knew I had to help as much as I could. I have unwavering faith in Leket Israel’s mission—to aid those in need and support our farmers. I’ve met some truly remarkable people here, and I intend to keep volunteering and contributing long after Israel wins this war,” he says with a smile.