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.
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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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Intermarriage Agony? Been There, Past That
In the 1970s, The Rabbinic Center for Research and Counseling had a secret list of rabbis who were willing to perform intermarriages (1973 – still on the books if ignored) opposing “participation by its members in any ceremony which solemnizes a mixed marriage.” In the year 2000, the American Jewish Committee asked several questions about…
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Love, Hate, Fear And Hope: Four Snapshots from a Jewish Youth Conference
Around 70 young people fill the room at our session. All of them are here to learn about different grassroots projects for Israeli and Palestinian youth. I feel proud of the organizers of the conference, who put such an important session on the agenda. Facing the pain of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not easy for…
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Trump Has Replaced Israel As Our Favorite Thing To Worry (And Fight) About
For decades, certainly since the Six Day War fifty years ago, Israel has been the one subject committed Jews could not avoid when they got together. Nor did they want to. First there was the 1967 victory which, at the time, seemed like a glorious turn in Jewish fortunes. For once, the Jews prevailed and…
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Another Rock Giant Defends Radiohead’s Israel Performance
Radiohead has provoked a lot of criticism over their upcoming July 19th concert in Tel Aviv from those who advocate boycotting, divesting from and sanctioning Israel (BDS). In particular, lead singer Thom Yorke and BDS proponent Roger Waters have been engaged in a heated back-and-forth surrounding the event. Waters has repeatedly called on the band…
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A Billionaire Pair’s Ultimate Betrayal Of Jewish Values
A break-in occurred at the office of Senator Dean Heller, a Republican representing Nevada, on Saturday, July 15. Heller is a crucial swing vote in the current and chaotic effort to pass the Senate health care repeal bill. Apparently, a threatening note was left in his office as well. This Watergate-esque news comes as little…
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Dear Israel: I’m A Reform Rabbi, And I’m Not Going Anywhere.
Given recent events in Israel, I have to admit that I’m a bit nervous about the reception I’ll get in Israel as a Reform rabbi. I had hoped to have the flight to reflect and relax and get my head around the conversion bill and the Kotel decision. You see, I always look forward to…
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Don’t Judge Judaism By The Jews
A version of this article originally appeared in the Texas Jewish Post. Throughout my years in Jewish outreach I have heard the phrase “Don’t judge Judaism by the Jews” utilized numerous times in response to bad behavior exhibited by religious Jews. I have even employed the expression myself once in awhile. The problem? — The…
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My Father’s Jewish Mormon Funeral
We were living in Dublin when the first emergency phone call came in. My father, then 80, was heading into surgery in Baltimore. They ended up removing a lung and reaming out important arteries full of cancer. In my mind’s eye I saw the rogue cells that would then pump through his body and lodge…
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Sorry, Netanyahu: The Diaspora Won’t Take This Betrayal Lying Down
On the morning of July 12, I read a piece in the Opinion Page of the New York Times titled “Israel to American Jews: You Just Don’t Matter” by Thomas L. Friedman. In this piece, Friedman states that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has yielded to the whims of the Orthodox and has basically…
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A Heartrending Case For Skipping Synagogue
The kapos at Mauthausen beat Reb Isser ben Avrum so savagely he could no longer stand straight. Sustaining other permanent injuries to his nose and left eye, he was, incredibly enough, one of the more fortunate ones. He arrived in America in the early 1950s and began life anew, remarrying and raising a second family….
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The Funding Crisis In Our Day Schools
“The Jewish Academy will shut its doors after 13 years, the fourth day school to close in Suffolk County due of a lack of students.” The story in The New York Jewish Week is heartbreaking, as is the Canadian Jewish News article, “Parents, Community Concerned over Associated’s Potential Closing.” Three Jewish day schools in Toronto…
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