Scribe, the Forward’s curated contributor network, is a place for showcasing personal experiences and perspective from across our Jewish communities. Here you will find a wide array of reflections on Jewish issues, life-cycle events, spirituality, culture and more.
Community
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You say matzah — and matzo and matzuh and matzee and more
Readers respond to our editor-in-chief’s column about a Passover copy-editing conundrum
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Dear Spain: Want To Attract Jews? You’re Doing It Wrong.
Dear Spain, I couldn’t help but notice your overtures in recent years to appeal to Jewish tourists and immigrants. In an ostensible gesture of righting a historic wrong, Spain recently began offering citizenship to descendants of expelled Spanish Jews. A new museum dedicated to Jewish heritage is about to open in Málaga. There is a…
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How Do You Help A Child Who’s Feeling Homesick At Summer Camp?
A curly-haired, ten year old boy entered my office this week toting a colorful calendar sent to him from the sleep-away camp he will attend later this summer. On it, all of the colors of the rainbow indicated the different activities available – horseback riding, arts and crafts, sports, swimming in the lake… though the…
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5 Myths About Israel Boycotts That Every Theater Lover Should Consider
Ever since a group of surprisingly high-profile theater artists called on Lincoln Center to cancel its upcoming production of an Israeli state-sponsored play, New York City’s theater community has been reeling with discomfort. While many theater professionals sympathize with the Palestinian cause, few, in their heart of hearts, want to cancel a play, especially in…
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When A Small Town Mayor Spends Shabbat With The Rabbi
[Editor’s Note: I received this email this morning and it put a smile on my face — I hope it will put one on yours as well! The email has been edited for length and clarity.] Given your post about using umbrellas on Shabbat, I thought you would be interested in the story below: In…
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11 Jewish Things We Learned From A Director Of German History Museums
Erfurt is a small city in central Germany packed with medieval buildings. Due to its position along the ancient Via Regia trade route, Erfurt has strong Jewish associations as well — most famously the Efurt Old Synagogue, a beautifully restored medieval temple, parts of which date from the 11th century. In order to better understand…
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The Small But Mighty Greek Jewish Community Of Thessaloniki
From the street level, it is a nondescript gray building guarded by a single security booth. Inside however, there is a blend of rich Jewish culture, where an Orthodox rabbi leads services to a crowd of Sephardic Jews ranging in age from an infant to a 95-year-old woman humming along to his chants. Wine imported…
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5 Beautiful Stories That Will Make You Wish You Were Back At Summer Camp
Editor’s Note: In June, we asked you to share your best summer camp memories and stories with us — these are a few of our favorites. Some stories have been edited for length and clarity. When Muscles, And Feminism, Are Made In The Kitchen: The year: 2006. The day: Revo, a day when the counselors…
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What Not To Miss At The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
The 37th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, presented by the Jewish Film Institute, is returning to the Bay Area this summer for another stellar year of films, parties, events and special performances from July 20 to August 6, 2017. This year’s Festival presents 65 films from 14 countries and over 40 filmmaker guests in attendance….
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Spinoza’ s Radical Views On Freedom Still Have Something To Teach Us 350 Years Later
As the world becomes, to all appearances, a discordant, chaotic jungle inhabited by trees with glass shard leaves and strange, growling nocturnal beasts, it might seem counter-intuitive to seek comfort and guidance from the works of a 17th century Jewish heretic who spent most of his life living quietly as a lens grinder and exchanging…
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Want Peace Between Israel And The Arab States? Tech May Be The Key
As the late Shimon Peres argued in his book The New Middle East, peace in the Middle East will not come without economic cooperation between Israel and the Arab states. The supposed talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia about establishing economic relations is the latest attempt to promote peace in the region through such an…
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How One Interfaith Family Found A Home At Synagogue
For my husband and me, preparing for our wedding almost 30 years ago was a turning point. I was raised Reformed but no longer lived near my childhood Temple, nor had any connection to anyone there or to institutional Judaism at all. My husband, who grew up Catholic but was no longer practicing, was supportive…
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