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
-
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
-
No, Trump Is Not Hitler — Here’s Why.
Trump is not Hitler. Only Hitler was Hitler. There’s nothing worthwhile to be accomplished by introducing that comparison as a rhetorical tactic. As German historian Thomas Weber points out in his article on DW, comparing anyone to Hitler is a distraction and any argument that draws that parallel is destined to futility. And yet this…
-
Shabbat Of Protest: Inside The Chicago Women’s March
The Women’s March was set for a Saturday morning. My first impression was that the organizers didn’t care whether Jewish women attended or simply knew nothing about Judaism. Such is the life of a minority. Religious Jews worship in synagogues on Shabbat mornings and don’t travel that day. Wanting to join the Women’s March, the…
The Latest
-
What The NFL Players Refusing A Trip To Israel Can Learn From Muhammad Ali
On February 5, 2017 the Times of Israel published a piece discussing an upcoming “Stars of the NFL trip” to Israel, organized apparently by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, to include a number of NFL stars, among them, Michael Bennett, a star defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. Shortly after the publication of this article, the…
-
Eternal Lessons From Eleanor Roosevelt
On my regular run through Riverside Park I pass Eleanor Roosevelt. I have come to depend on Eleanor’s comforting and consistent stance leaning thoughtfully on her chin and reflecting pensively on life: predictable, dependable, steady and constant as only a statue can be. But recently I noticed something unusual and different about her. Eleanor was…
-
Through Eggplant And Tahini, A Path To Mideast Peace
Several weeks ago I enjoyed a delicious lunch at Café Zamn with a group from our congregation. A couple of things stood out about the meal. First was the tangy, citrusy green juice. Second was the impossibly creamy eggplant with tahini sauce. Third, was the fact that Café Zamn is in Ramallah. And, finally, the…
-
My Twisted Trump-Era Travel Tale
As a member of the band Twisted Sister, I have traveled to over 30 countries in the last 15 years. I’m no stranger to rigorous post 9/11 airport security. Recently, however, I had one of the most absurd domestic travel experiences of my life. I am a member of several programs designed to aid the…
-
My Sephardic Valentine
Nearly five decades after our teen romance, the Internet brought word that Joyce has written a memoir. In it, I read of my teenage self destined for “an ordinary life.” In the theater of her own escape from her parents’ orb and adolescent angst, she never even saw me. Joyce was among the brightest at…
-
Is Activism Always The Answer?
Not long ago I had to get an MRI for a condition that might have been serious. It wasn’t; I’m fine. But I didn’t know that when I pulled up to the radiology building and saw it was on Activist Street. A message, I wondered, for someone facing mortality? If time is limited, then I…
-
When Well Behaved Women Revolt
A version of this article originally appeared in New Voices. “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” So read my sign, after several hours of dorm room crafting, not to mention the days of agonizing over what to write for the Women’s March on Washington. My roommate was the first to comment on the irony of my…
-
What The Media Gets Wrong About Life For Jewish Students
A version of this article originally appeared on New Voices. Everyone has their morning rituals. I roll over, sleepily grab my phone, and look at my Google Alerts for “Jewish students,” which supplies me with all the day’s news featuring campus Jews. As the editor of New Voices and a nerdy recent grad, this is…
-
What Makes A Jewish Heart?
“Meet our son, Lev!” I proudly declared in the hospital hallway nearly eight years ago. “Zev?” asked one excited relative. “No, Lev. L-E-V. It’s the Hebrew word for heart.” And so began a lifetime of telling-then-spelling Lev’s name. These days, we don’t pause between the two. “This is my son, Lev. L-E-V.” He does it,…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Culture Mamdani’s first statement on antisemitism as mayor-elect got some weird pushback
- 2
Culture Mamdani quoted Eugene Debs in his victory speech — there’s a long Jewish history there
- 3
Opinion The 3 profound Jewish lessons of Mamdani’s astonishing victory
- 4
News How Mamdani became New York’s next mayor, with Jews divided between fierce opposition and fiery support
In Case You Missed It
-
Yiddish גרשון ווײַסעס פּאָעטישע חידושיםGershon Weiss’ poetic surprises
אין זײַן בוך לידער פֿאַרטיפֿט זיך דער דיכטער אין פּסיכאָלאָגיע, רוחניות און צווישן־קולטורעלע פֿאַרבינדונגען.
-
Fast Forward First-ever empirical study of US rabbinate finds ‘shortage’ is more about fit than numbers
-
Fast Forward Trump formally requests pardon in Israeli legal system for Benjamin Netanyahu
-
Fast Forward Will Jack Schlossberg’s Jewish roots help him in bid for Nadler’s seat?
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
