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MSU Students in Poland Moved to Action
“I thought about what I would need in a vacation and traveling with a large group,” Klein says, noting that most of his clients travel in sizable groups of 20-45 people. “I tried to create a one-stop shop for a kosher traveler without having to compromise or miss on any aspect of their vacation.”
Klein’s Rentals can help with all elements of vacation planning, including finding a vacation villa house to rent. The business, which serves 1,200 families nationwide each year (roughly 10,000 individuals), also partners with different synagogues and local rabbis in various cities to help set up kosher items in rental homes for families.
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“A newer service we recently added a few months ago is kosher personal shopping,” Klein says. Right now, the business’ main target area is Orlando, Fla., which Klein explains is quickly becoming the No. 1 Jewish travel destination in the country.
“Kosher food in Orlando is very limited,” he adds. “When we started kosher personal shopping, customers simply provide us with the kosher groceries or items they need, and we’ll go out and shop for them, stocking their fridge and their house with everything they need.”
That way, when customers arrive, they can “focus on their family and their vacation and have a great time,” Klein continues.
SERVING CUSTOMERS NATIONWIDE
Outside of Orlando, Klein’s Rentals works with clients traveling to New York, New Jersey, California, Miami and even Up North Michigan, like Mackinac Island. All rental items are stored in a large warehouse full of thousands of products that clients can use for their full kosher vacation experience.
Now, Klein is gearing up for the busiest travel period of the year — Passover. “We expect to help thousands of people for Passover,” he says.
“I would love it when you think of planning a kosher vacation, that anybody in the country automatically thinks of Klein’s Rentals,” he says.
He even hopes to one day potentially branch his business out to Israel, a major destination spot for the Jewish community. “We have a lot of customers that ask us about helping them in Israel,” Klein adds, in addition to requests for vacations in Greece. “That’s definitely a goal for us.”
In the meantime, however, as he builds his dream business, Klein continues to give back to those in need.
“I was raised to always work hard to create opportunities for myself and for my family,” Klein says, who also supports Yad Ezra, Oak Park EZ-Roll and mentors young Jewish entrepreneurs in the area. “I was raised to help others and to give back, to help them be successful in what they do.”
— SRULI KLEIN
Back at the Ukrainian refugee center: the students, volunteers and refugees.
Students saw Ukrainian refugees in need of food, so they went grocery shopping.
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Three Michigan State University students, Jared Pazner of Franklin, Darren Hollander of Farmington Hills, and Tamara Hyman of Satellite Beach, Florida, are on the Chabad on Campus Alternative Spring break LivingLinks trip.
LivingLinks is an educational and inspirational student trip to Poland. According to its website, “the weeklong journey traverses through cemeteries, death camps, ghettos and other vestiges of Jewish life and loss across Poland.”
On March 8, the students were in Lublin, Poland, where the Jewish community is working at a Ukrainian refugee center, providing clothing, food and other necessities for thousands of fleeing Ukrainians.
While the students were speaking with some of the volunteers, they learned the center was out of food.
The students wanted to help. They pooled together funds by posting on social media and asking friends and family, and then went off to the grocery store.
Rabbi Benzion Shemtov, co-director of the Chabad Student Center at MSU, received a direct text from the students along with the photo: “We just left a refugee center. They were out of food, so we are getting more.”
The students were able to fill several grocery carts with food they brought back to the center.
