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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Two women of valor and a rental rabbi
We decided that it was our job to fill in our mother’s grave. In the time of COVID, funeral protocols dictated that you either give a ceremonious shovelful or two and back away or do the whole deed. And we were told to bring our own shovels as a safety precaution. So there we were…
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Winning “chai-kus” from around the country
Ever heard of haiku? Well what about “chai-ku?” The Book Meshuggenahs is a group of 18 award-winning Jewish children’s book authors – all women – from the United States and Israel. This year, they began an annual contest for “chai-ku,” and awarding each winner with a certificate and one of their books. They hope to…
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When a meditation is Zoom bombed
Why would anyone Zoom-bomb my online meditation class with racist slurs, genitalia references and anti-Semitic links? I had been looking forward to teaching Mindfulness Meditation for Changing Times for Silver Spring Town Center, my first foray into teaching online. After covering the mechanics of how to meditate, I led a visualization to relax the body…
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Asylum is becoming nearly impossible; we can’t let it
When we traveled with congregants to the U.S/Mexico Border over a year ago to bear witness to the brutality being perpetrated, we didn’t imagine we’d confront a strikingly modern version of our own ancient story — our religious narrative — of trying to escape degradation for a chance at dignity. But that’s precisely what we…
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Protecting the souls in an African Cemetery
On Monday July 6, I illegally entered a crime scene. If necessary I will do it again. Here is why. The Macedonia Baptist Church of Bethesda, Md. invited me to participate in an interfaith gathering that day in order to raise a voice against the desecration of the sacred bones of their ancestors. Members of…
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Racial justice will drive Jewish votes in November
Over the Fourth of July weekend, President Trump made a calculated decision to give two incendiary speeches depicting a culture war in America. Painting a dark picture of “us versus them,” the president exploited our national holiday as an opportunity to defend Confederate symbols that are synonymous with racism. Trump declared at Mt. Rushmore that…
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When the ideal bar mitzvah is a Zoom Mitzvah
When the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic and we were forced to have my twins’ b’nai mitzvah on Zoom, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. Truly, I believe that we would not have had the same level of success in person. Why? Because one of my twins is autistic. How…
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Is anti-Semitism the only un-cancellable offense?
In early June, amidst the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, New Orleans Saints Quarterback, Drew Brees was asked about players kneeling for the national anthem. Brees answered, “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.” Needless to say, that answer caused tremendous backlash…
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Is this Shabbat prayer non-binary?
The liturgical poem (piyyut) Yedid Nefesh, sung as part of the Friday night kabbalat shabbat (welcoming the sabbath) service, is incredibly powerful. The melodies are beautiful. The memories of so many Friday nights – at camp; in ad-hoc minyanim (prayer quorums) in people’s houses; in synagogues around the world — are resonant. The cue to…
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Dear Stephen Jackson – educate yourself on anti-Semitism
On July 8, former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who has become an admirable leader in the Black community during the George Floyd protests, went on Instagram and turned on the camera. After he had already doubled down on NFL player DeSean Jackson’s misinformed Instagram post about a Jewish conspiracy theory, for which DeSean has since…
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Turn to Tractate Shabbat for wisdom navigating the pandemic
Four months ago, those of us who take part in Daf Yomi opened Tractate Shabbat to begin a 157 day journey through the longest volume of the Talmud. Daf Yomi is the practice of reading a page of Talmud everyday. The seven year cycle takes readers through 2,711 winding, nuanced and fascinating pages of ancient…
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