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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Is the Jewish Body Fit for Sports?
A version of this piece originally appeared in Plus61J. Jews can’t fight, fence, ride, run or swim. That was the conventional wisdom of earlier centuries. By contrast, some time in the 1930s, the Russian–Jewish writer Isaac Emannuilovich Babel, a one-time Cossack (in an administrative capacity) alerted his readers: ‘beware a Jew on horseback’. So which…
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The Child Sexual-Abuse Survivor Who Fought Back
A version of this piece originally appeared in Plus61J. How does a twelve-year-old survive when he has been the victim of child sexual abuse and compounding abuses perpetrated by leaders of the community entrusted with his care? How does he grow up to become a Jewish community leader and one of Australia’s best known advocates…
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Hanukkah, What Does It Mean?
What does Hanukkah mean? . See more of the self-loving Jew on his website.
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In Israel, A Case For The Status Quo
The status quo is not the ideal solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it’s better than any of the alternatives. And sometimes that’s the best that can be done in an imperfect world. Secretary of State John Kerry argued in his recent speech that Israel can be either democratic or Jewish, but not both. What…
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Dublin Is Not Jerusalem
In the aftermath of the U.S.’s decision to abstain from a vote criticizing Israeli settlements at the UN, Barack Obama and company have shown their true colors and in a calculated move, going on to stab Israel, not in the back but in the front. The departing president refused to veto United Nations Security Council…
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Jews Should Demand A Special Investigation Into Trump’s Potential Tax Evasion
The Jewish community should join with the attorneys named below to demand that our government finally investigate Donald Trump for tax evasion. We’re two short weeks away from the day on which Donald Trump will gain control of the only government agencies with the power to investigate and prosecute him for federal tax evasion. The…
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For A Great 2017, Stop, Reflect, and Share
When I first heard about The Well’s month-long #Reflect4Rosh social media campaign of introspection and gratitude leading up to Rosh Hashanah, my immediate thought was: “Oh, so it’s like everyone’s gratitude posts during the month of November, leading up to Thanksgiving.” And yet, when I looked a bit closer, I was surprised to see that…
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Are Jews Less Likely To Be Alcoholics?
An earlier version of this post appeared in the Leviathan Jewish Journal, December 2015. The Magen David, or the Jewish star, used to be known as something else: The “brewer’s star.” As early as the 14th century, the six-pointed star was stamped on the bottom of beer barrels by the European brewers’ guild. Its purpose…
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When Neo-Nazis Collaborate With Hamas, Should Jews Trust The Right Or The Left?
In a January 5th post entitled “March on Whitefish Moves Forward,” Andrew Anglin, the American neo-Nazi who founded the “Daily Stormer,” updated his supporters on plans for an armed march that he earlier described as “against Jews, Jewish businesses, and everyone who supports either” in Whitefish, Montana. In this particular post, Anglin added that, “a…
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How to Rest Your Brain in Israel (Sponsored)
According to F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” The opposed ideas in this case would be: • Israel is an intense place, arousing strong emotions due to its history, culture and geography….
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When National Bobblehead Day Isn’t A Laughing Matter
Mark your calendar: January 7th is the 3rd Annual Bobblehead Day. Ordinarily I would pay as little attention to National Bobblehead Day as to “Name Your Car Day” and those sundry national calendar days promoted on social media feeds. But during these extraordinary times, I can’t stop thinking about the bobblehead that I inherited —…
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