Pitchon Lev's Foundation

“How a desperate mother and two hungry children changed my life”

“My two children and I are dying of hunger. Please help us.” This was the desperate plea of an anonymous woman who had come to Nissim Tziyoni in person for help. His assistance to that woman led to the idea of establishing an organization that would help thousands of needy in dire economic straits, or even on the brink of starvation

It all began ten years ago. Nissim Zioni headed a successful videography business, employing a staff of five who recorded some 100 weddings and Bar Mitzvahs a month.
When the local radio stations of the second TV and Radio broadcasting channel went on the air, Tziyoni teamed up with Radio FM 91 to host a daily radio show. “I took advantage of that pulpit to run various humanitarian projects, the most prominent of which was ‘Operation Winter for the Elderly’,” Tziyoni recalls emotionally.

“Help me, my kids and I are starving”
“One day, I was doing my show, and this woman shows up at the station, her whole body shivering. She was begging for food for herself and her two kids,” Tziyoni describes with pain in his voice. ”That second, I decided to rise to the challenge. I told the listeners that woman’s pitiful personal story.
“During the show, I made an emotional plea for help, asking people to donate blankets, heaters and food. At the same time, I called on people who were hungry to arrive at the radio station to pick up food.
“I couldn’t believe it. An unending stream of needy people showed up at the doors of the station. It was only then that I finally understood the scope of the problem,  that the kind of poverty we saw meant not having the most basic stuff in life. And it was only getting worse.
“The first money donated that landed on my desk was the trigger for establishing Pitchon Lev,” Tziyoni adds.
The donation – NIS 500 in cash – led Zioni to start the work of founding an organized, systematic association, with a bank account, representatives authorized to sign checks and receipts, and so on, to be based on donations from the public on behalf of the needy and the weak in the State of Israel.

“Pitchon Lev”
The name Pitchon Lev – An Open Heart – was chosen in honor of the late Gideon Lev Ari who hosted a radio show called Pitchon Lev. Lev Ari was a beloved man and generous spirit who helped the needy through his daily radio show dedicated to advance the organization’s work.
The work picked up in earnest when the radio show became the station’s showcase. “I would interview donors, artists, Knesset members, public figures, and we’d broadcast absolutely heartbreaking stories of economic hardship,” Tziyoni continues. “The activity at the station in turn triggered the initiatives of many volunteers who came to me wanting to help. In the studio, we’d hold forums with youth group members who had chosen to give of their time to the needy, soldiers who were moved to help in the precious few free moments they had during their military service, and businesspeople who gave money and encouraged others from the business community to do the same. The organization picked up momentum, and the tremendous change in scope of help it was extending to the needy was made possible thanks to all of these people.”

To follow the heart
The establishment of the organization and its administration became Zioni’s baby. “The urge to help was enormous. Bit by bit, I started scaling down my business activity, and instead started to put most of my time into establishing the organization, getting it up on its legs, and then administering it.” Tziyoni adds, “This brought me fact-to-face with the biggest dilemma of my life. In the end, I decided to follow my heart.” Zioni closed his business, giving up his own economic security, in favor of volunteering. “The reward is huge, and the satisfaction is unbelievable. The choice I made gave me a function with a level of interest and satisfaction I had never before experienced in my life.”

Helping over 250,000 people
Today, Nissim Zioni serves as Director General of the organization which employs a salaried staff of 20, and works together with hundreds of volunteers throughout Israel. The scope of the activity stands at 4,000 food basked a month. Yearly, Pitchon Lev assists some 250,000 people.

“Today, and for the ten years of Pitchon Lev’s existence,” Zioni concludes, “I know I made the right choice, the choice that changed my life. I know that my choice has made a difference in the lives of families and teens in distress.
“To see a kid from a disadvantaged family successfully complete the matriculation exams, thanks to the Touching the Horizon Educational Center, fills me with pride and joy.”

With heart-felt gratitude,

Nissim Zioni, managing director