Daniel Elbaum, at The Blogs

Daniel Elbaum

May 20, 2026, 9:59 AM

Lt. Col. Dan Maori z”l and his family (courtesy)

“Why don’t you live in Israel?” It was not the first time an Israeli had asked me that question, but this time felt different. The person asking was Yael Maori, who had joined me in Philadelphia and New York on a...

Mar 23, 2026, 11:40 PM

The Job We All Wish Didn’t Exist

“I hope that your job is eliminated.” Ordinarily, that’s not something you expect to hear when meeting someone for the first time. I hear it a few times a week. I don’t take it personally. As the Executive Director of IDF...

Oct 28, 2025, 10:29 PM

‘Ani Lo Medaber Ivrit’ (I Don’t Speak Hebrew)

During my more than 25 visits to Israel, I’ve said the phrase “Ani lo medaber Ivrit” more times than I can count — to taxi drivers, waiters, and strangers on the street. Each time, I’ve said it with a...

Mar 6, 2024, 9:39 AM

Featured Post

A tale of two taxis

Twin sisters Kayla and Taryn Megronigle, 19, sit on their friends shoulders wearing shirts that say "I love being Jewish" while attending a March for Israel rally Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

I'm a proud Jew and a public Zionist, yet even I have been wary around non-Jews recently. Connecting with the Israelis volunteering in my community helps

Aug 11, 2023, 5:47 AM

Securing Our Jewish Legacy: The Power of Legacy Giving and Jewish Future Pledge

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, there are many lessons that will be studied by historians and policymakers. But for the Jewish community there are two that tower above all others: First, quick action saves lives and, second, quick action is only...

Sep 19, 2022, 12:22 PM

Tribute to a Jewish giant: David Harris

David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. (courtesy)

Someday I will tell my future grandchildren that I saw Michael Jordan play basketball at the old Chicago stadium, that I heard Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall, and that I watched David Harris speak at the AJC Global Forum. During...

Jul 8, 2022, 5:48 PM

3 more things we do wrong when we talk to our kids about Israel

Customers enjoy dining at restaurants after they were recently re-opened, in Tel Aviv on March 07, 2021. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

We want our children to be close to Israel, to understand and accept its triumphs and its flaws, not just for Israel’s sake, but because it strengthens us as a community

Jun 12, 2022, 11:42 PM

Featured Post

3 things we do wrong when we talk to our kids about Israel

'Your kids need to go to Israel with you' (iStock)

Parents can interact meaningfully and memorably by switching the language, changing the location and, frankly, talking less and doing more

Jan 27, 2022, 3:56 PM

As long as a single Holocaust survivor walks the earth

We must not forget our obligations to those who experienced the unspeakable and who deserve to live out the rest of their lives in comfort and dignity

Jun 4, 2021, 12:30 AM

3 reasons why Israel’s presidential election matters

There is nothing like waking up to the news that one of the main people who hired you was just elected president of Israel. That was precisely my experience on Wednesday, when The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Chairman of the...

About Me

Dan Elbaum is Executive Director of IDF Widows and Orphans - USA. He served previously as head of North America at The Jewish Agency for Israel and the president and CEO of Jewish Agency International Development.