Chana Klein,
MSEd, PCC, EEMCP, ACG, PACG, DIABMCP
Chana@TheSpectrumCoach.com
Phone: 201-357-8336
Click on Image Above to Visit The Academy of Spectrum Coaching
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The Benefit of the Illness A Life Lessons Story By Chana Klein How many of us feel we are seekers? How many of us are seeking the truth for ourselves, or for someone else, the truth of how to live, or what to do, or what to think. When we find what we are looking [...]
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Journey From Perfection: Were They Perfect? By Chana Klein Were Avraham, Yitzchak, Yosef, and Moshe perfect? If they were God’s favorites, they must have been perfect. Or so I thought… My Story: “There is no way that I am sharing this writing at that meeting. It’s just too embarrassing for me.” And I continued [...]
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Saved by Shabbos A LIfe Lessons Story by Chana Klein “When I safeguard the Sabbath, G-d will safeguard me…” (The Ibn Ezra’s Letter of Shabbat: October 30, 1158) The cooking was done. Before Shabbos, I lit the fire under the blech.* My husband went to shul. I went upstairs and got into bed to read [...]
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Considering the Consequences A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein In this time of examining our actions in preparation for the High Holy Days, I ask myself: How am I doing in the eyes of God? Does The Almighty find favor in what I do? Or do I get a frown? (God forbid!) So, I wonder, [...]
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Nachamu, Nachamu — I Will Wait for You A Life–Lessons Story by Chana Klein I heard this story from someone who heard the story from someone else who heard the story. There was no author cited. It goes like this: After the divorce, her teenage daughter became increasingly rebellious. It culminated late one night [...]
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The Lone Tree: Alone But Not Alone A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein Our community is so fortunate and blessed. Those who attend Shabbos services listen to announcements filled with wonderful news along with opportunities to support each other in tough times. Siman tov and Mazal Tov……..Mazal Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Greenberg (not [...]
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Beyond Choice: To Eat or Not to Eat…. A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein In the 1980s, I was new to Jewish law. I noticed so many people who obviously could not control their food intake. Yet, they were clearly able to refrain from touching anything that was not kosher… even if they were “starving.” [...]
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Life Lessons From Moshe, Our Teacher By Chana Klein The lives of our Patriarchs are often a model for how we should act, and for who we can be. So it is with Moshe, Rabbeinu… There are life lessons that I learn from the life of Moshe Rabbeinu that I could apply to my [...]
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Break His Teeth A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein Are we commanded to break our child’s teeth? The words of the Haggadah: “What does the wicked son say? What does all this mean to you?” Since he excludes himself from the community, and by excluding himself, he denies the basic principle of our faith. [...]
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A Matter of Focus A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein The power of knowing what we want… The power of focus on that one goal … We experience, as a people, the “focus” of an Achashveirosh on control, and then we experience the focus of Mordechai and Esther on growth? What can we surmise [...]
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Power in the Search (Where do we find the cure?) How is it that when all hope is gone, an answer often appears from an unexpected place? To a person in search of work, or a partner, or an answer to a health issue, from where does the answer come? How often has the answer [...]
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The Light They Can’t Put Out A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Is it an act of futility to fight for the truth, especially if we don’t seem to have won? I heard the basic framework of this story in the Carlebach Shul many years ago. I have recreated the details that my brain has [...]
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Missed Opportunity (Where’s The Love: Part 2) A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein Are we commanded to honor another no matter where s/he comes from? Is it okay to avoid or snub people who are not just like us? How do we know what the Almighty wants from us in this regard? As a [...]
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Where’s The Love? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Why do Jews leave observance? Why do they leave their family traditions? Why do they search in other places and what do they find there that keeps them? I held the door for a young woman, wearing a tichel (head covering), as she wheeled her [...]
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Heaven Sent??? A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein Mar Cheshvan We are leaving the time of the days of awe. Each day during that period had us doing something to celebrate the Kingship of our Creator, the knowledge that He is in our lives and that we care about what He thinks of us. [...]
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Grateful- A Different Perspective A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein Rosh Hashanah, a time to reflect and to return, a time to look back and glean on the lessons my soul has taken in. Looking back on my life, I ask myself, to whom am I most grateful for the greatest lessons? I do [...]
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The Voice of Your Brother’s Blood Cries Out to Me From the Ground: The Power of Asking for Forgiveness A Life-Lessons Story by ChanaKlein In my very first year as an observant Jew, I stood by as I overheard a man wearing a yarmulke say to another “moichel me” (forgive me). I did not know [...]
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Our Need … His Presence A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein Elul is the month that precedes the Day of Judgment. How do we relate to our Creator at this time? What does our Tanach tell us about Elul? What can we glean from that for our own lives? In Elul, we return to [...]
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The Lesson Through The Tears: The Curses & The Blessings A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein The Torah tells us of the blessings and the curses. (Devarim 11:26) It tells us that if we listen to what God commands, then, we will be blessed and if we don’t, then we will be cursed. To me [...]
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None of My Business??? A Life Lessons Story by Chana-Klein Can my friend have a problem that does not affect me? Can I avoid being touched by my enemy’s difficulty? Isn’t it all none of my business? A Chana Parable: A field mouse moved into the home of old Farmer Mike and his wife Lucy. [...]
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The Only Way A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein August is the time on the Jewish calendar of Nachamu (comfort). We reconnect with our Creator and find comfort after the terrible destruction of our Temples. It is written that we had been judged as a people and so we lost our temples. We were judged [...]
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The Tissue Box A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein It was Tisha b’av, the time on the calendar that we lost our temples. I entered the synagogue for the Tisha b’av service. I searched for the tissues so I could grab a few before they were all gone. After all, it was the ninth [...]
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Not For Nothing A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein By now, we have been praying for our temple to be rebuilt for thousands of years. The Three Weeks, a time of mourning for our Temple, and praying for it to be rebuilt, is once again upon us. Are our prayers heard by the Almighty? Will [...]
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Personal Touch A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein It happened to Adam, the first man, to Joseph, to Moshe, to Miriam, to King Shaul, to Ruth, and to so many in our Tanach (Bible). It happened, or will happen, to each of us at some time in our lives. What will happen? – A change [...]
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Not Despite . . . But Because A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein How many of us have disability either in mind, in body or even in spirit? What do we do with that? Does it stop us? Or, is it the stuff that creates our success? Do we achieve success despite our disability [...]
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Do We See Who They Are? Would King David Be Kicked Out of Yeshiva? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein If Ruth, the mother of the kingship of the Jewish people, and her great grandson King David, showed up in the world today, would we recognize them for who they are? Would we see and [...]
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Putting Out The Fire A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein How do we know how to handle difficult life situations? Where do these quandaries come from? Are we under some kind of eternal guidance and protection? Almost ready for bed in my coyote fur coat, I remembered that I did not yet take my supplements, [...]
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An Extra Portion A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein How often does it happen that when I am not receiving what I want, I begin to believe that I will never have it? The Israelites in the desert received an extra portion of maan (food) before Shabbos. In Hebrew it is called Lechem Mishna (double [...]
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Can We Know God? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Can we know God? Can we understand God’s ways? Can we understand what is happening to us? Can we predict what is going to happen based on what we see and hear? The Israelites in the desert seemed to know what God wanted for them. [...]
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Different Lights to the Light Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Our teacher, Moshe Rabbeinu spoke with God Himself. There have been great people throughout the generations who clearly adhere to the ways of the Master of the Universe. Others of us have been privileged to sit at tables with these people and take in what [...]
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Do It For YOU! A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Why do we live according to the commandments? Who are we doing it for? Why do we treat others with care? Is it: Love your neighbor the way you love yourself – for God? Or is it for yourself? My client, John, hates his mother [...]
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Moshe, The Care-Collector A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein In the desert, there was One Man who spoke to God, One Man who ascended to the Heavens, One Man whose hands touched the Torah. There was One Man who took each person’s cares and made them his own. People in the desert would wait in [...]
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The Butterfly Effect – Everything Counts A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein What counts more? How you speak to a cashier in the supermarket or how you speak to the head of your child’s yeshiva? How you take care of a stranger or how you care for your child? What if the effect were [...]
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The Rules A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Who needs all these rules? Who can live like that? Why would I want to restrict myself? I wasn’t even raised that way. I don’t have to do this. Or do I????? “I love Jews,” a person who has Aspergers Syndrome told me. “Even though I am [...]
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Who Is The Wicked Son? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana-Chaya Klein I get calls daily from parents suffering because their children do not fit into the box of the yeshiva or the regular classroom. I hear from parents who are frustrated with their sons and daughters who are not what they pictured they would be [...]
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The Choice A Life-Lessons Story By Chana Klein “Why is God doing this to me?” I would ask myself with each new catastrophe. I tried so hard. Yet they kept on coming (the catastrophes.) “Why do I have so many difficulties?” I read in one of those self help books: “You can choose each morning [...]
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Does It Matter? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein “So I did a small thing. It didn’t hurt anyone. No one will ever know.” I wonder how many of us have self-talked in that way. Is it really true that it will never matter, whatever it is, or was? I had borrowed a set of [...]
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Encounters With Angels A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein The Angels in the Tanach It had been 20 years since Yaakov had seen his brother Esav. He was scared. He sent angels, who are also called messengers, to prepare the way for him. In the Torah writings we find angels of different names and different [...]
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The Angels’ Award – Less Than Perfect A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Who is the person most favored in Heaven? Is it the one who is the most perfect? Have you expected yourself to be perfect? The Angels’ Award (An Original Chana Parable) The Lord commanded the angels to present an award, the Angels [...]
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Holding Back A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Why hold back from what we feel like doing? Holding back sounds so difficult and even boring. Why not do what we want, when we want? As I grew in experience and wisdom, I found that by holding back, I drew God and people closer to me. [...]
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To Take or Not to Take A Life Lessons Story by Chana Klein The Fortune Cookie Message The message in the fortune cookie read: ”We cannot be happy unless we think we are the means of good to others.” While Torah is my life-guide, I thought it was interesting that I got a fortune cookie [...]
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What Does A Woman of Valor Really Want? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein This story is dedicated to women of valor and the men who love them. In the Book of Shmot we meet so many great women like Miriam, Yocheved, Bas Paroh, Shifra and Puah,. I thought about the greatness of these women [...]
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The Wisdom of the Commandments A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein A head full of Torah … and a belly full of pork …. is just about the most ripping feeling. While I was not eating pork, the feeling of having one foot in the secular world and the other in the world of Torah [...]
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The List A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Engraved in the sidewalk on East 41 Street in NYC are the words: ”The world is made of stories, not atoms.” I am in the process of writing those stories that my life was made of. Some people read my stories and are shocked by my suffering. [...]
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What God Really Wants from You A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Did you ever see a friend cry and not know what to do? Did you want to do something and then didn’t? Or did you not even think that it was your responsibility or your “business?” I am writing this in hope that [...]
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The Rest of The Story A Life-Lessons Story By Chana Klein Is the grass really greener? Did you ever look at another person and think why don’t I have that? Do you yearn for something that you see other people already have? Perhaps a shidduch? a baby? A good job? Do you say to yourself [...]
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Is Effort Enough? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Do you ever put effort into something and feel like you were not successful? Did you ever feel like you failed because you did not do something well enough? I was seeing a health professional. In conversation, he told me that his wife was working on [...]
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Does God Care What We Wear? by Chana Klein Does God watch over what clothes we put on in the morning? Does he really care what we wear? Does God pay attention to how we furnish our houses? Does it make a difference to Him if our rooms are neat? My client sat across from [...]
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Do it Anyway by Chana Klein Have you ever tried and tried to do something and then it just happened that you could? Or have you ever tried and not succeeded? It was the second week of the semester and as I sat in the Ulpan Classroom in Jerusalem, Israel and realized that I was [...]
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What Me Worry? by Chana Klein If you are one of the fortunate ones to have ADHD, then you are likely to find yourself reviewing an event over and over in your mind. You may feel that you just can’t let go of it, and may end up blowing it far out of proportion. In [...]
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The Secret of Happiness by Chana Klein What is the secret to happiness? How many of us do things, begin new programs, spend a lot of money, etc. all so that we may find happiness. As a life-coach I get calls from people who are not happy with their lives. Some are even depressed. So [...]
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The Emperor’s Seed Rewritten by Chana Klein (original author unknown) Have you ever been in a situation in which a lie sounded better than the truth? Let’s say you make a mistake in your work and it will make you look bad if someone knows. What would you do? Would you hide the truth? What’s [...]
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The Coat and the Glory by Chana Klein How does one really show kindness to another? Chesed in Hebrew means kindness or giving. In the Torah writings, there are many ways to give and to show kindness. One of those is Chesed of Hod. Hod in Hebrew means Shine. Chesed of Hod means to give [...]
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Light from the Darkness by Chana Klein We are approaching the three weeks, a time of darkness, a difficult time for us as a nation. What is that darkness really about? Have you ever in your own life felt that things are going so wrong that there is great darkness around you or within you? [...]
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I’m Okay by Chana Klein There she was again. My jaw tensed. I was at an OA (Overeaters Anonymous) meeting. I purposely went to a meeting different from the one I had attended yesterday just so that I wouldn’t be in the same place that my mother was. Obviously, she too was looking to go [...]
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Do Miracles Change Us? by Chana Klein Have you ever made a life change as a result of experiencing a miracle? I used to think that if only I could have a miracle happen, then I would be able to make the changes I felt I needed. I believed that when a person experienced a [...]
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Lucky Break by Chana Klein I remember when my 3 kids were teens. They would come home from school and I would ask them, “How was your day?” “Fine.” Would be the refrain. “What happened in school today?” “Nothing.” What did you learn?” “Nothing.” I wanted so much to be involved in their lives and [...]
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Are you missing the Miracles? A Life-Lessons Story by Chana Klein Have you ever felt really upset about something that was taking place in your life? Did you ever wonder how God could do that to you? In Parshat Chukat (Bamidbar 21:15) we are told that B’nai Yisroel were crossing the desert and they were [...]
