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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This Teen Who Helps Clothe the Homeless Will Warm Your Heart
This piece is part of a series of perspectives from Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award Recipients on their experiences in philanthropic work. When I was 11 years old, I came upon a homeless man near my house, dressed in just a t-shirt and jeans, on what was by far, the coldest day of the year….
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Revitalizing the Body Through Judaism
In his essay on Jewish Megatrends, Rabbi Sid Schwarz identifies four “pockets of Jewish renaissance” driving individuals and organizations, each with differing motivating factors: wisdom (dorshei chochmah) social justice (dorshei tzedek) community (dorshei kehillah) lives of sacred purpose (dorshei kedushah) My life, work, and practice are informed by all four of these propositions. It is…
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Why Doctors Without Borders Has an Israel Problem
On June 30, 2016, Jason Cone, Executive Director of Medecins Sans Frontiers-USA (MSF-USA, Doctors Without Borders) attempted to defend his organization from scrutiny over its politicized, anti-Israel bias. He did so through a strawman argument, claiming that his organization was being falsely accused of antisemitism. In this way, Cone deflected attention from the larger issue,…
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How James Zogby Seduced Liberal America
While pro-Israel Democrats might feel relieved that their Party platform committee rejected language calling for “an end to occupation and illegal settlements” proposed by James Zogby, the committee did vote to express support for Palestinian rights. This was welcomed by J Street’s Jeremy Ben Ami, who called it “an important step forward” and can be…
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So, You Want to Write a Holocaust Book?
Elie Wiesel’s death makes us face, yet again, the loss of the generation that survived the Holocaust. We mourn for each of them. My in-laws, Sam and Esther Goldberg, born in Poland, survived the Holocaust. They are buried in Israel. I am writing a book that tells the story of their survival. Sam was one…
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Congressman Deutch on Gun Control: “We Will Not Stop until We Get a Vote.”
The gun lobby usually gets its way in Washington. In fact, National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre is so confident that he dismissed our sit-in to demand a vote on gun violence legislation as “trying to stop a freight train with a piece of Kleenex.” As a member of the House of Representatives, I am…
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What I Learned Volunteering with Refugees in Greece
At Piraeus, the port of Athens, every day as the clock in a nearby watchtower strikes 2 pm, a carillon plays the theme from the movie classic, “Zorba the Greek.” Down below luxury liners, having just plied the Aegean, enter their slips and disgorge sun-sated, archeologically enriched tourists, some having just completed a trip of…
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How DC Jews Can Advance Social Justice
The fact that Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) exists in the first place, and has grown and succeeded in recent years, is due to the groundswell of Jews who are actively seeking ways to act on their Jewish values to advance justice. We start from the Jewish community’s collective experience of moving from the margins…
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This California Teen’s Program Helps Thousands Learn to Read
This piece is part of a series of perspectives from Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award Recipients on their experiences in philanthropic work. The basis on and direction in which a country grows is highly dependent on youth. The youth are the ones who are developing alongside a generation; growing and learning more about themselves and…
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Meet the New Jersey Teen Teaching His Fellow Students Math
When I created YMath in 2012, it was a way for me to share my love for learning by providing free one-on-one support in math to students who otherwise would not be able to afford a private tutor. Over the past few years, I have seen the impact of YMath on the academic performance and…
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Letter: German and French Rabbis Lament Brexit, Call for Unity
Is this still a place we can call home? Had you asked us just a week ago, we wouldn’t have had to think twice – but after last Thursday’s vote in favour of Brexit, we cannot but feel as strangers. This German and this French Rabbi met here in England, while training for the rabbinate…
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