Leor Melamedov, at The Blogs

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Feb 25, 2020, 7:37 PM

Startup Nation or Antiquated Government Bureaucracy?

It seems that everyday, Israel is churning out new innovations that are making the world a better place. Thanks to Israel, we’ve long folded up our paper maps and traded them in for the magic of Waze, allowing even...

Oct 12, 2016, 2:04 PM

Fasting without faith on Yom Kippur

The morning of Erev Yom Kippur, I woke up two hours before my alarm went off, and couldn’t fall back asleep. The inner dialogue went off instantly. What can I say — sometimes, biggish questions keep me up at...

Jun 27, 2015, 12:10 AM

What We Need Now: Judaism Without Fear

Since making aliyah to Israel three years ago, I’ve had the chance to meet and strengthen my connection with some wonderful religious human beings: traditional, haredi, ba’al teshuva and frum-since-birth. Distinctions and categories of believers that had been practically...

Apr 18, 2015, 8:41 PM

A Cure For Whiny Anglo Syndrome? End Their Aliyah Benefits

A couple of weeks ago, an old acquaintance of mine posted a complaint on the Nefesh b’Nefesh Facebook group. Her tone was aggressive, accusing Nefesh b’Nefesh and the Israeli government of failing to pay her bills and of generally...

Apr 17, 2015, 11:35 PM

Saving the Holocaust From Ceremony

What do tattooed Tel Avivians, teachers tagging children with yellow patches and the IDF’s #WeAreHere campaign all have in common? Jewish Millennials on Holocaust Memorial Day are in a interesting position – their lives bear little to no resemblance to...

May 9, 2014, 9:33 PM

Miri Aloni, Still Singing For Peace

The next time you are shopping at the Carmel Shuk on a Friday afternoon, do yourself a favor and follow the rich and melodic voice coming from the entrance to the shuk. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a free...

Apr 28, 2014, 2:36 PM

How do we tell the story of the Holocaust?

Every family has a story, and I have always been fascinated by how the narrative a person receives shapes who they are, and how they view themselves. Our parents decide which stories are passed down, and which are forgotten...

Mar 30, 2014, 10:37 AM

The true face of the IDF: Off the field and in the office

In soft focus or in shadow, in color or in black-and-white, they pop up on our Facebook news feeds to wish us “Shabbat Shalom” through images: A young soldier receives his red paratroopers’ beret at a ceremony at the...

Nov 25, 2013, 9:34 PM

Tel Aviv: A big city with a big heart

As nice as it is to visit my hometown after not having been here for over nine months, something pulls me back to Israel. It probably isn’t just one thing. Sure, it would be easy focus on the beautiful,...

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About Me

Leor is a native New Yorker who made Aliyah to Israel in 2013, and found herself back in the US in the summer of 2024, when she moved with her husband and two boys to the Bay Area. Leor is a product marketing manager at a startup, and in her spare time a pro-Israel activist.

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