Pitchon Lev

Pitchon Lev (Hebrew: פתחון לב, "Open Heart") is an Israeli non-profit association founded in 1998 that works to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty in Israel. It describes itself as non-partisan and non-profit, and operates through public donations, support from friends of the organization, and a volunteer network across the country. According to its own materials, it assists approximately 220,000 Israelis each year regardless of sex, religion, race, origin, or nationality, maintaining direct contact with aid recipients so that solutions can be tailored to immediate and unique needs. The organization works on three main levels. In the immediate term, it runs humanitarian aid centers — including centers in Karmiel and Rishon LeZion — that distribute thousands of family food baskets and baby baskets each month, along with clothing, footwear, haircare services, legal and medical assistance, toys, and electrical products. Families are referred by social workers from across Israel. In the social sphere, its Rights Realization Centers provide information, guidance, and accompaniment on housing, National Insurance, health, debt management, and workers' rights, alongside legal support and a policy department that works for national-level change. In the long term, its educational enterprise "Laga'at BaOfek" ("Touching the Horizon"), active since 2004, promotes education, leadership development, and advancement for teenagers with potential but limited opportunities, in partnership with the ORT network and with approval from the Ministry of Education. On the strategic level, the organization has promoted the "Pitchon Lev Law for the Eradication of Poverty," which would require the government to implement a multi-year, multi-system national plan through an authority for poverty treatment, including measurable targets, timetables, and budgets integrated into the annual state budget. Pitchon Lev has been involved in high-profile public initiatives. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Interior initiated the distribution of preloaded food-purchase cards with a budget of 700 million shekels; Pitchon Lev and Eshkolot Jerusalem were the two main associations that carried out the actual distribution. In early 2021, Pitchon Lev petitioned against the Interior Ministry's plan to distribute food vouchers on preloaded cards to roughly two million people eligible for municipal tax discounts; following the petition, the court ordered the preloaded food card project frozen. The organization's founder and CEO, Nissim Tzioni, was convicted in 2005 of indecent acts and sexual harassment against four women who worked under him at the association. In April 2018 he announced his resignation following an investigation into sexual offenses involving an employee; after the board's decision, he was removed from his position. In 2024 it was reported that the 2018 case was closed for lack of guilt. Eli Cohen joined the association in 2011 as marketing manager, was appointed director of the resource development department in 2012, and became CEO in 2018. The chairman of the organization's public council is former Major General Yossi Peled. In 2024 the organization received the "Heroes of Israeli Society" award from the Zionist Council in Israel, presented in February 2025.

Pitchon Lev was founded in 1998 as a non-partisan, non-profit association aimed at breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty in Israel. It operates through public donations, support from friends of the organization, and a volunteer network across the country. The organization states that it assists approximately 220,000 Israelis each year without distinction of sex, religion, race, origin, or nationality, and that it maintains direct contact with aid recipients to tailor solutions to immediate and unique needs. The association works on three main levels. In the immediate term, it runs humanitarian aid centers, including centers in Karmiel and Rishon LeZion, which as of 2015 provided about 4,000 family food baskets and about 1,000 baby baskets each month, along with clothing and footwear. Additional services at the aid centers include legal assistance, toys, clothes, electrical products, and haircare services for the needy. Families are referred by social workers from across Israel. In the social sphere, the Rights Realization Centers consist of three departments: rights realization centers providing information, guidance, and accompaniment on housing, National Insurance, health, debt management, and workers' rights; a legal accompaniment department; and a policy department working for national-level change. In the long term, the educational enterprise "Laga'at BaOfek" ("Touching the Horizon"), active since 2004, works for education, leadership development, and advancement of teenagers with potential but limited opportunities. In a seven-year program, the association helps teenagers complete high school successfully with a matriculation certificate and enlist in the army, accompanying them during military service and until a year after discharge, preparing them for successful integration into civilian life. The program operates in partnership with the ORT network and with approval from the Ministry of Education. On the strategic level, the organization has promoted the "Pitchon Lev Law for the Eradication of Poverty," which would require the government to implement, through an authority for poverty treatment, a multi-year, multi-system national plan including measurable targets, timetables, and budgets integrated into the annual state budget. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Interior initiated the distribution of preloaded food-purchase cards with a budget of 700 million shekels. About 170 households in Israel received a preloaded card that provided food and other products. The food card reached the door of every eligible family through two main associations that carried out the actual distribution: Eshkolot Jerusalem and Pitchon Lev. In early 2021, Pitchon Lev petitioned against the Interior Ministry's plan to distribute food vouchers on preloaded cards to about two million people eligible for municipal tax discounts, planned against the background of the economic deterioration during the COVID period. Following Pitchon Lev's petition, the court ordered the freeze of the preloaded food card distribution project. Following this, MK Avotbol attacked Pitchon Lev in a Knesset discussion, saying that the association's directors receive enormous salaries and do not care for the needy. In terms of leadership, founder and CEO Nissim Tzioni was convicted in 2005 of indecent acts and sexual harassment against four women who worked under him at the association. In April 2018 he announced his resignation from the association following an investigation into sexual offenses involving an employee. The court allowed him to remain in his position, but after a decision by the association's board, it was decided to remove him. In 2024 it was reported that the 2018 case was closed for lack of guilt. Eli Cohen joined the association in 2011 as marketing manager, was appointed director of the resource development department in 2012, and in 2018 was appointed CEO. The chairman of the organization's public council is former Major General Yossi Peled. In 2024 the organization received the "Heroes of Israeli Society" award from the Zionist Council in Israel, presented in February 2025. In 2025, even within a wartime reality and socio-economic challenges, Pitchon Lev maintained its central commitment — breaking the cycle of poverty in Israel. Alongside emergency activity, the organization continued to provide regular support to over 220,000 Israelis living in poverty through a variety of services and organizational programs, providing not only existence but hope, opportunity, and building personal and community resilience. The organization was proud to share that it won the Knesset Chairman's Award 2026, a national recognition for its effective and meaningful work in rescuing families and individuals from poverty during the war, for evacuees, soldiers, and residents of the south and north.

• 2026

  Pitchon Lev wins Knesset Chairman's Award.

• 2025

  Award presented in February; organization continues support to over 220,000 Israelis.

• 2024

  2018 case against Nissim Tzioni closed for lack of guilt; organization receives "Heroes of Israeli Society" award.

• 2021

  Pitchon Lev petition leads to court freeze of the Interior Ministry's food card project.

• 2020

  During COVID-19 peak, Pitchon Lev and Eshkolot Jerusalem distribute preloaded food cards under a 700 million shekel budget.

• 2018

  Nissim Tzioni resigns amid investigation; Eli Cohen appointed CEO.

• 2015

  Aid centers in Karmiel and Rishon LeZion distribute about 4,000 family food baskets and 1,000 baby baskets monthly.

• 2012

  Eli Cohen appointed director of the resource development department.

• 2011

  Eli Cohen joins the association as marketing manager.

• 2005

  Founder Nissim Tzioni convicted of indecent acts and sexual harassment.

• 2004

  Educational enterprise "Laga'at BaOfek" launched.

• 1998

  Pitchon Lev founded as a non-profit association in Israel.

Non-partisan, non-profit Israeli association focused on breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty through immediate aid, rights realization, education, and policy advocacy.

• Food baskets

  Weekly distribution of thousands of food baskets to families and babies.

• Baby baskets

  Baskets tailored to the needs of babies.

• Clothing and footwear

  Provided at aid centers.

• Haircare services

  Provided at aid centers for the needy.

• Legal and medical assistance

  Provided at aid centers.

• Rights realization services

  Information, guidance, and accompaniment on housing, National Insurance, health, debt, and workers' rights.

• Laga'at BaOfek educational program

  Seven-year program for teenagers to complete high school and enlist in the army.

1. 1Official website homepagepitchonlev.org.il
2. 2About pagepitchonlev.org.il
3. 3Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org