Jessica Klein
Alma
New York, United States
Contact Jessica
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Jessica:
Why is Everyone Suddenly Using the Word Verklempt?
As a millennial, I’m guilty of an offense committed by many of my peers: I use hyperbole to describe my feelings, daily activities, the movie I saw last week, and the avocado toast I ate for breakfast (seriously, it was the best). Along with everything being amazing, epic, and the best thing ever, I’ve noticed … → Read More
Comedian Eric Andre's Most Iconic Jewish Moments
Eric Andre is a purveyor of nihilism. His surrealist talk show, The Eric Andre Show, ran for four seasons on Adult Swim, during which time he terrified and disgusted guests, prompting both The Hills’ Lauren Conrad and rapper T.I. to walk off the set mid-“interview.” He shocked Jack Black (literally, electrically) and had Seth Rogen … → Read More
Your Guide to Jewish ASMR Videos
On YouTube, you’ll find countless videos of men and women whispering into their microphones. Maybe they’re pretending to give you a skin examination or acting as a librarian helping you find a particular book. Or perhaps they’re just tapping hairbrushes, cutting up bars of soap, or running their hands across pillows covered in sequins. Regardless … → Read More
Is It Time to Reclaim the Word 'JAP'?
My former roommate Emma and I call each other “princess.” It’s a term of endearment, mostly — but I have to acknowledge its inherent connection to another term that could, if we’re being rude, characterize us both: Jewish American Princess, or as most say, “JAP.” “JAP” comes out of the stereotype of young Jewish American … → Read More
You Don't Need to Believe in God to Be a Part of These Synagogues
Last Friday night during a Shabbat service at Romemu, a Manhattan-based temple for “spiritual seekers and skeptics alike,” I marveled at the energy of an old man wearing a colorful yarmulke atop his gray ponytail as he danced through most of the service. Closing his eyes and swaying his arms, he stood alone toward the … → Read More
Embracing My Body Hair as a Jewish Woman
Jews are notoriously hairy creatures. Jewish men and women alike lament their excess of body hair in college blogs and the Forward, plucking, waxing, and shaving away dark, thick locks when they appear beyond the scalp. While we should not minimize the plight of hairy Jewish men, modern, secular society has traditionally accepted men who … → Read More
Rabbi-Approved Reasons to be Addicted to Technology
I am uncomfortable with my dependence on everyday technology. I constantly check my phone — “for the time,” I tell myself, though I know it’s for the little, red notifications. The number of times I look at my email on desktop eludes quantification. It remains open all day as I work, leaving me vulnerable to … → Read More
Why Jewish Women Go Blonde, From the Holocaust to Hollywood
When I dyed my hair blonde last month, I wasn’t trying to accomplish anything. I was just bored and figured it might be fun to take a break from my thus far lifetime status as a brunette. Of course I wondered the obvious: Do blondes have more fun? Maybe people would treat me differently. As … → Read More
Running on Office Snacks
If I didn't take the food now, the leftovers would eventually find their way into the trash. Why not stock up? → Read More
The Yiddish Word That Sums Up Jewish Anxiety
When I was a kid and I spilled something, my dad would react by saying, “Almost shpilkes!” He learned this phrase from Pittsburgh’s resident Jewish doctor in the 1950s, Lee Bass. To hear my dad tell it, Bass delivered all the Jewish babies in Pittsburgh for at least a decade. According to Bass (according to … → Read More
When Is It Time to Buy New Underwear?
Most of my underwear is from Duane Reade (a Walgreens-owned drug store that exists mainly in the New York metropolitan area). Time and time again, I’ve made a bee-line to the back of the drug store, plucked a couple $5 three-packs off their hooks, and quickly headed home to remedy my commando situation. See, I … → Read More
How Long Does a Guest Have to Stay Before They Start to Pay?
Having a long-term guest means spending more money than usual on all kinds of household items. → Read More
How to Celebrate Birthdays When You're Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I’m about to turn 28. By the time you’re reading this, I probably already am 28, in which case I survived another year of half-heartedly trying to organize a celebratory birthday event… Yay! Current me, however, is only just getting her bearings on what to do this birthday. My age group (late 20s through early … → Read More
Amy Schumer’s 'I Feel Pretty' Is More Progressive Than Critics Think
A woman who would only be considered overweight by Hollywood/glossy magazine standards feels terrible about her average body. Men pass her over, she works in a basement where her adorable outfits are wasted on a single, antisocial coworker, and she and her friends can’t get a Grouper date. Then, something happens that lets her see … → Read More
The Corporate, Soulless World of Wedding Dress Shopping
There was too much oxygen in the room. My five friends and I felt it as we brushed past fake cherry blossoms and urns filled with prickly “moss,” crowds of women with caked-on makeup sitting in clumps around the windowless lobby. Each group fidgeted expectantly, peering over their shoulders to see into the room behind … → Read More
I'm Obsessed with True Crime. But Does That Undermine My Work?
Law and Order (whether it was Special Victims Unit or another variety) played on the TV in my parents’ bedroom most evenings during my child/preteen-hood. Though the show featured fictional crimes, many of them were “ripped from the headlines.” In other words, they were based on true crimes. Thus marked the start of my obsession. … → Read More
How To Enjoy Your First Trip as a Couple Without Breaking Up
Having recently returned from a four-day trip to Las Vegas with my significant other (an inadvisable amount of time to spend in Las Vegas), it felt like a miracle that we hadn’t fought during our extended drinking binge. Okay, maybe we fought once, but it was a brief spat over whether he could smoke indoors … → Read More
I asked my Jewish friends to send me their family recipes. Here’s what I got.
Part of my campaign to not leave the house this winter involves cooking more. Recently, a few of my college friends and I decided to start an email chain for sharing recipes. I found that in thinking about recipes I wanted to share, I kept coming back to the classic, typically Jewish recipes often prepared … → Read More
Plants for People Who Are Bad at Plants
There are plenty of plants that require minimal sunlight and care; we've rounded up some of the most badass low maintenance plants. → Read More
I Asked the New York Public Library to Research my Anxious Jewish Mother’s Concerns –
Don’t leave the house with your hair wet. You’ll catch a cold! Here — eat all the food in my kitchen. You’re getting too skinny. You can’t run in the dark. You don’t know who’s out at night! Warnings like these sound familiar? Then perhaps you too have grown up with an overprotective Jewish → Read More