As you would expect at the second Jerusalem International Tourism Summit, there was no shortage of display booths promoting various and sundry tourism-related products and services.

But, visitors noted, one of these booths stood out from the rest because of its focus: a booth announcing “We pack Tikun Olam into Tourism.” This attention-grabbing idea belonged to Pantry Packers, a division of Colel Chabad that offers tourists an unforgettable, 90-minute opportunity to help provide food for thousands of needy families that Colel Chabad sustains throughout Israel.

The booth itself was a condensed version of the Pantry Packers facility in Jerusalem. It enabled attendees to experience a hands-on mitzvah by packing basic items such as rice, beans and other dried cooking staples, which are added to food baskets that go to the pantries of Israel’s neediest.

According to the project's director Rabbi Menachem Traxler, “the interest level in our operation was intense, and we succeeded in grabbing the attention of hundreds of delegates, who were mesmerized by the whole idea of ‘Tikkun Olam Tourism.’ That’s because visiting Israel is meant to be an elevating experience, and few things elevate a visitor more than the chance to do something truly good and that can be shared by the entire family.”

Among notable individuals who stopped by to fill bags of goods were Korean Tourism President Charm Lee; Elhanan Dvir of Kenes Tours, one of Israel's leading tour operators; Simi Mor and Yaakov Halprin of the Jerusalem City Council; and Israel Tourism Minister Uzi Landau.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” says Traxler. “For us, the real measure of our success is whether it yields any increase in traffic at the Pantry Packers plant in Jerusalem. Thank G‑d, the answer is a resounding ‘yes,’ as new reservations keep coming in as a result of our presence at the summit."