Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel » Elie Klein

Yom Haatzmaut: Get on the Bus

Elie Klein — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:38:43 +0000

On the eve of Memorial Day, I experienced two extraordinary “firsts”: I stood perfectly still in the aisle of an Egged bus for a full minute while its engine was running without fear that it would jolt forward suddenly and catapult me through the windshield, and I experienced the raw emotional power of the Yom [...]

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So God made my wife

Elie Klein — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:54:20 +0000

As a die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan, I was thrilled with the outcome of Super Bowl XLVII. But as a fan of the annual paid media spectacle that is the Super Bowl telecast, I was sorely disappointed by this year’s showing. For the most part, the commercials were dry or disturbing and made viewers wonder why [...]

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Making aliyah the right way

Elie Klein — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:07:21 +0000

On Election Day, we hosted some friends from the “Old Country” for a classic Israeli barbecue (i.e. the kebabs were plentiful but there wasn’t a single hamburger bun in sight). The weary travelers were at the tail end of a week-long pilot trip (a largely successful fact finding mission that will hopefully set the stage [...]

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300 donuts later

Elie Klein — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 21:30:40 +0000

Homer Simpson was right: donuts can do just about anything. When coupled with hard work and a little ingenuity, that is. For the last three Hanukkah seasons, I have raised tens of thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations around the world…by eating donuts. (Feel free to read that again, if necessary.) What began as a [...]

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JFNA: masters of inclusion

Elie Klein — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:25:35 +0000

When a native Israeli asks me where I’m from, I usually tell them New York. For starters, everyone in Israel has heard of New York, so I’m able to move on to the next stage of the conversation without tripping over blank stares. Additionally, Israelis really enjoy that answer. It gives them an opportunity to [...]

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Rain of terror

Elie Klein — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:03:08 +0000

It’s officially winter in Israel. We recited “Tefilat Hageshem” (the annual prayer for rain) on Simchat Torah, and have rain on the brain during our personal supplications. We’ve started turning the air conditioning off at night. The ants have begun marching indoors to get out of the impending rain. And every woman you meet is [...]

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Hey, Anglos – it’s all in the jeans

Elie Klein — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 01:46:29 +0000

I did it. I cracked the code. For years, I have been trying to figure out if there was a way to “trick” a native Israeli into speaking to an Anglo-Israeli in Hebrew. Last week, I made it happen. Three separate times. Before divulging my secret formula, I think it’s important to explore the issue [...]

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Facebook-inspired repentance

Elie Klein — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:22:50 +0000

The outrage was palpable. So many had been wronged. So many lives had been thrown into chaos. “Why must they always stick their noses where they don’t belong?” “How could they?! Who are they to make such changes?” “I feel so lost. What do I do now?” On December 22, 2011, Facebook introduced its new [...]

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Indiana Jones and the Shavuot crusade

Elie Klein — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:01:22 +0000

With Shavuot on the horizon, I have been reflecting (perhaps even dwelling) on a news item from early February. It’s not that I’m having trouble staying up-to-date. Rather, the episode has regained its relevance, and even possesses newfound importance, as our annual reacceptance of the Torah draws near. The news story I can’t seem to [...]

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Joe Pitts is Right: “Arafat and Sharon Must…”

Elie Klein — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:17:31 +0000

Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA) couldn’t be more right. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasir Arafat must do more for peace in the Middle East. If they don’t “clamp down on Palestinian extremists that have perpetuated violence and restart the peace process” it will all truly collapse in a heap (kind of [...]

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Aliyah is a Cult (Classic)

Elie Klein — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:48:46 +0000

Anyone who knows me (even a little bit) is well aware of my affinity for Facebook. I love to share pictures, links and videos on a regular (at times hourly) basis. And I try to keep it interesting, with a good mixture of funny, interesting and religiously inspiring. But my “staple” has always been news [...]

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Death of the Holocaust Generation: The End of an Era

Elie Klein — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:28:07 +0000

It has been a difficult year for the Kleins. In November, just days after a beautiful family wedding, my grandmother (my father’s mother) was laid to rest in Israel. And then last week, my grandfather (my mother’s father) passed away after two agonizing years as a prisoner in his own body. Though they both enjoyed [...]

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