Rediscovering Israel as a Family:
An Interview with Lindsay Klatsky


Lindsay Klatzsky and family

Baltimore native Lindsay Klatsky cannot wait until December. That’s because she’ll be traveling to Israel with her family – her first trip back in decades. The last time she visited was as a teen, touring the country with classmates on the eighth-grade Krieger Schechter Day School trip. 

Now, as chair of The Associated’s Family Mission, along with her husband, Matt, she is looking forward to re-exploring the country in a fun-packed week of adventure, history, culture and food. And she cannot wait to share the magic of the Jewish state with her two teenage children. 

Lindsay, who graduated from Pikesville High and the University of Maryland, College Park, talks about the Family Mission and her love of travel, including the one rule her family has in place when they travel domestically. 

How did you meet your husband? 

I met my husband at the University of Maryland, College Park. After graduating, we both moved to New York, where I pursued a Masters Degree in speech pathology at NYU. We lived in New York for a decade before returning to Baltimore, after our first child was born. We now have two kids and have been living in Baltimore for 14 years. 

What was it like moving back to Baltimore after being gone for so long? 

When we moved back, I reunited with some of my old friends and met a lot of new ones. Yet my husband is from New Jersey, so moving to Baltimore was very new to him. I really attribute The Associated to helping us build new friendships and relationships. We got involved in The Associated’s Young Adult Division (YAD, formerly Impact) and it was a great way to meet people and get more involved in the community.  

How did you get involved with The Associated’s Family Mission to Israel?  

My husband went on The Associated Men’s Mission to Israel, and it changed him, leaving him feeling more spiritually connected. I haven’t been to Israel since my eighth grade trip with Krieger Schecter. Our kids haven’t had the chance to visit Israel yet. We had planned to go as a family, but COVID derailed our plans. 

Finally, the timing was right as my daughter will be a Bat Mitzvah in September. We thought The Associated’s family trip would be a perfect fit for us. When they asked us to chair the trip, I jumped at the opportunity, thinking it would be a great way to encourage some of our friends to join us. We recently hosted an information session at my house. Some people are close friends, while others I know in passing. The group includes families of multiple generations and kids of all ages, which makes it even more exciting. 

What are you most looking forward to? 

I have great memories of my eighth grade Israel trip. As an adult, I anticipate my perspective on Israel will be very different from what it was when I was 13 or 14 years old. I can’t wait to explore and discover all that the country has to offer. I can’t wait to be immersed in the magic of the land. Most of all, I am excited to be going on this trip as a family. My kids have learned about Israel, but nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. I can’t wait to see their faces light up with excitement as we explore this incredible land together. 

Your kids are older (nearly 13 and 16), but how do you think it will be traveling with them? 

Our family loves to travel. We’ve been traveling with our kids since they were young so now they’re very flexible and enjoy it. For this trip, I’m excited that there will be other kids on the trip too that our kids can hang out with. 

Where are some of the places you’ve traveled before? 

I did a semester abroad in Florence, Italy. I’d take classes during the week and travel on the weekends. Europe is just so accessible, it’s easy to just pick up and go. In six months, I visited 18 countries.  

What’s been the most memorable family trip so far? 

We went Glamping in Maine as Acadia National Park. It was something we’ve never done before. The tents were beautiful, but at the same time there was no heat, so we had to use wood to light the fireplace in our tent. It was a luxurious place, but it was still definitely like camping.  

Best traveling advice? 

When we travel domestically, we have one rule that we’re only allowed to fill up a carry-on suitcase so that there’s no chance of our luggage getting lost.  

Rapid Fire: 

  • One thing you can’t travel without: My Kindle because I love to read 
  • Best travel tip: Put an air tag in your luggage. In case it gets lost, you can easily find it. 
  • Favorite restaurant: Petit Louis Bistro 
  • Ideal vacation destination: Go back to Italy, I haven’t been since I was 20 and I’d love to show my kids and husband where I lived. 
  • Fun fact about you: I am a speech language pathologist but also have a passion for real estate and hold a real estate license in Florida. 
  • Last meal on earth: Pasta 
  • If you could have any superpower, what would it be: To not require a lot of sleep so I could have more time to get things done. 
  • Favorite recipe to cook for your family: Banana bread 
  • Who would you meet dead or alive: Iris Apfel. She’s a famous businesswoman and fashion icon. At her age, I hope to be thought of as being as glamorous as she is and still be doing amazing things with my life.   

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The Associated is a home for everyone in the Baltimore Jewish community. We offer several email lists to help people find a community, engage with their peers and support Jewish journeys around the world.

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