Amy Klein on Being Jewish Today

I chatted with my lifelong friend, author Amy Klein, about the current political situation, antisemitism, Jewish identity, Israel, motherhood, and life.....

A jarring thought entered my brain when I invited Amy Klein for a chat: I realized we have known each other for 50 years!

That sounds really weird to say out loud.

But it’s true. We were friends since before first grade when we both lived in Flatbush, studied at the Yeshivah of Flatbush, went to shul every Shabbat at the Young Israel of Flatbush, and hung out together at “groups” or more likely in the girls’ bathroom.

Our lives have had many similar forces at work — grappling with Orthodoxy, the status of women, living in Israel, writing, fighting for justice, going through big changes along the way. Even though we landed in different places over the years, I feel like we shared an upbringing and culture that informed decisions and ideologies as we have circled around the same themes over and again.

Amy is a very accomplished writer. Her New York Times column on fertility became her book, The Trying Game, which has become something of a bible for women going through fertility issues. Aside from being an infertility guru, Amy also writes regularly in many interesting outlets as well as for organizations. She has a chapter in Zibby Owens’ new anthology, On Being Jewish Now.

Amy was recently in Israel on a work trip where she met with many different kinds of Israelis and gleaned insights and observations. Today, she is back home in New York, and attending the funeral of Omer Neutra who was thought to be a hostage in Gaza but was actually murdered on October 7.

Against the backdrop, Amy and I chatted about all of this — our lives, our history, Israel, politics, identity, and on being Jewish today. Take a look.

DON’T FORGET to check out Season 2 of our Women Ending War podcast! Find us on Spotify Apple and Youtube. And follow us on FB , Instagram, Substack, and NEW! Bluesky. Every Monday we will be dropping a new episode with our amazing guests, so keep on the lookout!

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And other things to be on the lookout for: My newest book, In My Jewish State, out on Jan 22! Contact me if you’d like an advance review copy.