The ongoing war has devastated Israel’s farming community, damaging land, equipment, and heavy machinery. Most concerning, however, is that growers have been left without a labor force as foreign workers have left the country, affecting both the cultivation and harvesting of crops. At the same time, Israel’s once thriving foreign tourism industry has ground to a halt. After being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s 9,000 licensed tour guides were just beginning to recover, only to find themselves once again struggling to secure employment and make ends meet.
Since October, Leket Israel has sent almost 30,000 volunteers to farms across Israel to support the farmers until they are able to hire new workers. Recently, Leket began engaging tour guides in this project, paying them to accompany and supervise these volunteer groups. This project aims to bolster two sectors that are vital to the Israeli economy but have not received sufficient assistance from the government. Not only does this project provide farmers with much needed labor, but it also gives tour guides a sense of purpose and the opportunity to earn income that they desperately need.
Tour guides, employed by Leket, accompany volunteers six days a week on buses from cities across Israel (including Tel Aviv, Ra’anana, Rishon Lezion, Jerusalem, Ashdod, and Rehovot). Each guide acts as a point of contact for their group, liaises with the farmers, and ensures that the needs of the volunteers are met. Most importantly, as passionate and knowledgeable advocates of Israel, they provide participants with historical information and facts, shedding light on the challenges faced by the country following the outbreak of the war and offering insight into Leket’s role in addressing the needs of Israeli communities. Top of Form
Fifty tour guides have already signed up and are working on rotation. Volunteers from Israel and overseas remain eager to continue assisting farmers with crop cultivation and harvest, with each guide hosting 15-50 volunteers per trip.
A tour guide involved in the project shared: “This opportunity has given me a new lease on life. Tour guides are suffering terribly, and until now we have felt completely abandoned. Leket’s support not only shows me that someone cares, but it is also allowing me to continue working in the profession that I love, and above all, it’s enabling me to provide for my family.”
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