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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WATCH: In Israel, Civil Marriage Is Only a Cruise Away
Eight years ago I got married in the little town of Wagoner, Oklahoma. It was my first time in the US. My wife Katie and I were living in Israel at the time, young and in love, and were ready to tie the knot. There was one problem – I am Jewish and she isn’t….
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Prepent Day 34+35: Unplug and Sing Out Strong
Friday 10/07/16 Tishrei 5 5777 Today, we are publishing a double love letter for your double super Sabbath souls. Wishing you a restful, peaceful, and love-ful Sabbath. Be back on Sunday! Dear Digital Distraction, I finally got time – made time – for Andrew Sullivan’s much talked about essay about digital distraction. I didn’t read…
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We Need to Talk About Kapparot
It’s 5777, and it’s time to change the conversation about Kapparot. Next week, in the day or two before we observe Yom Kippur, we’ll hear about or participate in the long-standing Jewish folk tradition that attracts explosive debate over its use of live chickens: Kapparot, or Kapporos, a ritual practiced by some Jews in which…
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WATCH: An Expert’s Top 10 Tips for Creating a Successful Dating Profile
I know this is probably something you don’t want to hear but it’s true. Pictures matter! Everything from their order to who is in them! We often host focus groups at our NY headquarters and what we found out is that 71% said pictures were the main reason to swipe left on a profile, followed…
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Prepent Day 33: In Search of Fewer Fake Smiles
Thursday 10/06/16 Tishrei 4 5777 Dear Smile, Research shows that even faking you helps boost morale and it’s tried and true – a smile is one of those contagious gestures that can transform a room or road in an instant to more pleasant. We smile for many reasons but perhaps we don’t do so with…
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WATCH: Prepare for Yom Kippur with this Mesmerizing Kol Nidre Video
Because Jewish offers a meditation during these Days of Awe: A short film, Kol Nidre # 3, featuring Because Jewish collaborators, musician Jeremiah Lockwood and artist Archie Rand. This project was born out of the collaboration between Rabbi Dan Ain and Jeremiah’s partnership leading High Holiday Services for the past five years, and the visceral…
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Two Months Ago, My Mother Committed Suicide. This is Why I’m Breaking the Silence.
Two months ago, my mother committed suicide suddenly and shockingly. Disclaimer: I have no background in psychology, so I can only share my personal experiences with suicide and mental health. I can only break the silence with my words. Many people were totally taken aback when they found out that my family went totally public…
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Prepent Day 32: A Necessary Break from Food
Wednesday 10/05/16 Tishrei 3 5777 Tzom Gedaliah Dear Food, Today is the Tzom Gedaliah, a minor fast day, commemorating a political assassination and providing needed gastro-check in following the new year feasts. With gratitude, we honor you today by keeping distance. I begin today, along with my friend Shira, for the fifth year now, a…
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Prepent Day 31: Between Innocence and Guilt
Tuesday 10/04/16 Tishrei 2 5777 Dear Rage, “Every human being should regard oneself as if perfectly balanced between innocence and guilt,” Maimonides wrote in his Laws of Return, giving us this season’s marching orders. “Simultaneously one should regard the world as being in the same case. It follows then that if one performs just one…
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Prepent Day 30: Listen to the Flow
Monday 10/03/16 Tishrei 1 5777 Dear Water, On this first day of the new year we head out of our sanctuaries and line up on your shores, breadcrumbs offered to your waves. We release our past and our regrets and toss away as much guilt as possible with each crumb of nourishment. The Tashlich custom…
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Prepent Day 29: Letting Go and Loving Fully
Sunday 10/02/16 Elul 29 5776 Dear Beloved, Just as 2016 started I began to work with Laurie, my helpful life coach, who taught me to cut through the negative voices and focus on my big dreams for the life I want to live. One of the dreams that she had me write out was about…
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