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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I always sang for my father
My father, a fan of life, music and his home state politician Joe Biden, died soon after the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Delaware — although fortunately not of Covid-19. He was felled by “natural causes,”also known as the physical vicissitudes of old age. Dad’s death was not unexpected, but because of the…
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We the ‘organized Jewish community’ need to get our priorities straight
I was recently on one of the hundreds of Zoom calls hosted by a major Jewish organization since the start of COVID-19, a routine affair that is part of my new normal. What was not routine, was a moment of crystal clarity I experienced after the call that I felt compelled to articulate to our…
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Coronukkah: Commemorating coronavirus as a Jewish holiday
What would’ve happened if the ancient Israelites had endured the coronavirus pandemic? If they were told to stay inside and completely alter their daily lives: no visits to markets, temples or anywhere else? This would have challenged them, no doubt, but would we, their descendants, still be talking about it today? Every year, we remember…
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How USYers gave over $20,000 to racial justice organizations
As two white, Ashkenazi Jewish teenagers, it could be easy for us to turn a blind eye to systemic racism. Our privilege has shielded us from ever having to fear the police, being left out of school curricula or feeling alienated in our daily lives. The easy route would be to look away and pretend…
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Working with Yiddish, I saw my own family’s linguistic story reflected
As a summer volunteer at the archive here at the Forward, I have been surrounded by many conversations about Yiddish, though few actually spoken in the language. In the stories of Yiddish, and the ways in which young Jewish-Americans are finding ways to reconnect to it, I saw my own family’s linguistic story reflected. When…
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A Juneteenth Haggadah for a new ritual meal
As Black Lives Matter demonstrations are being held across the globe with unusually large numbers of participants of different colors and ages, we are also witnessing an increasing awareness of the continuing impact of our shared histories of slavery and colonialism and their aftermaths. Ignited by the police brutality against persons of color, many people…
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Here is why I embrace Pride with pride
Just a few weeks into the pandemic, soon after we began sheltering in place here in California, the actor, writer, and director, John Krasinski, began broadcasting an internet series on Saturday evenings called “Some Good News.” A Jewish conversation for Pride Month. Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of The Forward, will be joined by a panel of…
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Zionism is the Jewish Black Lives Matter
There is a particular irony when I hear those in the mainstream Jewish community touting the specious “All Lives Matter” slogan. No, this isn’t just about a betrayal of our ethical tradition demanding that we uplift the oppressed. Rather it is an irony that cuts so deep that this slogan actually undermines a belief shared…
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How I hired Jackie Hoffman to be my pandemic celebrity Cyrano
What’s your pandemic guilty pleasure? My wife is cooking up a storm, my son is binging all 222 episodes of “Phineas and Ferb” and my daughter is posting dances to TikTok. Me? I’ve hired actress and comedian Jackie Hoffman ($20) as my personal avatar. You know how it is: My cousin graduates and we can’t…
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After the storm has passed, looking forward to camp — Summer 2021
While we are not the first to compare the challenges of Jewish institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic to the story of Noah’s Ark, the analogy is too apt to be ignored. The world as we’ve known it has been “washed away,” and we navigate strange waters in hopes of finding dry land once more. We…
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Rural synagogues and Jewish non-profits should apply for PPP loans before June 30
The last three months have challenged America’s synagogues and religious non-profits as the coronavirus closed doors and changed the traditional mediums of ministry. While your teams navigated unknown waters, the U.S. Small Business Administration stepped up to offer a lifeline. Through the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) – which includes eligibility for faith-based…
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