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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How To Build A More Inclusive Jewish Community
Judaism values inclusion. Yet, according to a study conducted in 2013 by RespectAbilityUSA and JerusalemU, most American Jews with disabilities feel excluded from their own gathering places. National Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), created in 2009, was designed to rectify this. As a community, we still have work to do. To that end,…
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What Breadcrumbing Is And How To Handle It
I recently learned about a new dating trend called “breadcrumbing.” In contrast to ghosting, which is “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication,” breadcrumbing is “when a guy or girl gives someone just enough attention to keep their hope of a relationship alive.” A…
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Stunning Court Decision Approves Passover Punishment
Three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit surprisingly rejected the appeal of Susan Abeles, a Washington D.C., Orthodox Jew, who was punished by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) because she took off work for the last two days of Passover 2013, as she had done for the past 26…
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Can’t Understand the Fuss Over Trump’s Ban? Read My Immigration Story.
A version of this piece originally appeared in Haaretz. My grandfather Joe was 14 when he left Fulda and my grandmother Ruth was 11 when she left Leipzig as part of the 10,000 members of the Kindertransport that left Germany for the U.K. They arrived with nothing. I was thinking of them this week in…
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Boston Mayor: It’s Our Job To Protect Immigrants
The Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA) held its annual meeting at Temple Israel in Boston on Sunday, January 29. Entitled “Joining Together for Social Justice,” the event, attended by several hundred friends, members and supporters, featured a keynote address by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. Following the meeting, many attendees proceeded to…
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No, The Syrian Refugee Crisis Is Not Another Holocaust
“He’s a Nazi.” “This is just as bad as the Holocaust.” Outrage like this has seemingly become the norm within American political discourse. Whenever a policy seems crass— or someone sees the specter of fascism— the American public is quick to deem the perpetrator to be Nazi. Since Donald Trump announced his candidacy on the…
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Do I Have To Forgive The Terrorists Who Tried To Kill Me?
Last week, I spoke on the topic of forgiveness at the Manhattan JCC. During the Q&A that followed, a woman in the back raised her hand. “Do we have to forgive?” she asked. As I began my response, a mutual friend nudged her. “Tell her the whole story,” she mouthed. She began again. “I was…
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How Standing Against Islamophobia Helped A Pennsylvania Community Heal
On November 9, we woke up in a Red State. Could it really be? Before school I broke the news to my 12-year-old daughter, who was completely distraught. “If anyone gives you a hard time,” I offered, “let your teachers know.” “What if my teachers voted for Trump?” she asked, in tears as I ushered…
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Coal Will Never Be Great Again
Our new President Donald Trump promised America that coal would make a comeback and that coal mining jobs would come back. Like many promises he has made, this one is not going to happen. To understand why, you have to understand a little about coal. Coal comes from vegetation that decomposed in swampy land about…
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This North Carolina Coffee Group Is Making Civil Conversations Great Again
I am part of a group that gathers at a local Starbucks in North Carolina most mornings. I am 1 of 4 of the most regular. We are a diverse group. 3 are transplants from the New York metro area, and 1 is a local. 2 of us voted for Donald Trump, 2 for Hillary…
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Are We Praying Against Trump?
Some American Jews may now find themselves in a largely unprecedented predicament: that of praying against their own government. It is well known among synagogue goers that there is a prayer for the U.S. government in most prayer books, recited on Shabbat after the Torah service (usually followed by a prayer for the welfare of…
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