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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Creating Heroes out of High Schoolers
Like many kids in America, I grew up spending a couple of Sundays a year doing local community service. I restocked food pantries, replanted gardens, and repainted old buildings. I was fine with the repetition as I knew each act helped community members in need, yet thought there had to be a more long-term solution…
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Barney Frank Warns America’s Respect for All Religious Traditions is Endangered
“I’m glad to be here,” said master pontificator and former legendary congressman Barney Frank, at the DNC Jewish Roundtable in the Philadelphia Convention Center on July 28th. “I would even be gladder if this was in the same place as the Convention,” he grudgingly continued. “The idea of having two Convention halls several miles apart…
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How Elie Wiesel Taught Me to Sing the Miracle of Jewish Survival
In l976 I entered a classroom full of hopes and dreams, hoping to study with Prof. Elie Wiesel at Boston University and dreaming of singing a Yiddish song for him, and even better, with him. Who knew that this classroom would lead to a lifetime of meaningful study, song and the cantorate? When the classroom…
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What Jewish Women Can Learn from Hillary Clinton
As a woman, a journalist, and a living and breathing human being, it has been impossible to avoid the topic of gender in recent months. Hillary Clinton, now the official Democratic presidential nominee, has reached historic milestones and faced the banal, routine criticism that ambitious women everywhere know quite well. Ambition requires choices: choosing, as…
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Senator Boxer: America Under Trump would be Midnight in Gotham City
Sen. Barbara Boxer began addressing yesterday’s DNC’s Jewish Roundtable at the Philadelphia Convention Center as people were shuffling in. “It’s like a Jewish wedding,” she proclaimed. “Everybody’s late!” Boxer, a Brooklyn native who has served in the U.S. Congress since 1982, expressed bewilderment that any members of the Jewish faith could be voting for Trump,…
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The Last Jews of Salzburg
Like many travelers with a purpose beyond simply sightseeing, I journeyed to Europe earlier this month with a specific set of expectations. Destination: Salzburg. Itinerary: A three-day United Nations conference at the city university. Objectives: Deliver a talk and meet others in my field. My agenda did not include getting swept up into the local…
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What It Was Like to Watch Hillary Clinton Shatter the Glass Ceiling
“Watch out for the shattered glass!” an usher cheerfully warned as we streamed into the Wells Fargo Center yesterday. It was hokey, but I smiled, feeling a shiver of delight and awe despite the 90-plus degree heat. I came to the Democratic National Convention because I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be a witness to…
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Why Donald Trump is a Big Time Idolator
I accuse Donald Trump of something that I believe no one has accused him of—idolatry. No, I don’t mean idolatry in the sense he worships himself. The truth is those running for President need to have a lot of confidence in themselves. I am using the term idolatry as the Bible uses it— worshipping a…
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Congressman Jared Polis at DNC: Jews Should Vote Democrat
The centrally-located Philadelphia Convention Center, a DNC shuttle bus ride away from the Wells Fargo Center main convention stage, has hosted numerous daily caucuses and councils this week. On Tuesday and Thursday, Jewish Rountables featured speakers, discussion, and training forums. At the Democratic National Committee’s Jewish Roundtable, Rep. Jared Polis urged attendees to increase the…
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Meet the Teen Bringing Birthday Fun to Underpriviledged Kids
I co-founded Celebrate U with my friend, Chase Kauder, to take our philanthropic efforts to the next level. Through Celebrate U, we strive to spread joy by throwing birthday parties for disadvantaged children living in underserved communities. We work with local and national organizations to donate gifts, crafts, food, music and other services to create…
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Life After Surviving the Seattle Jewish Federation Shooting
On the ten year anniversary of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle shooting, one woman who was shot and the rabbi who stood by her side through her recovery recall the experience, how their lives have changed since then, and the action they feel we must now take. Dayna Klein: Friday morning, July 28th, 2006…
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