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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‘The Jewish people may be called the People of the Book, but Jewish life revolves around being ‘people of the people’’
When my grandfather passed away from COVID-19 on April 24, I thought we might only have ten men, for an Orthodox Jewish prayer quorum, at his graveside funeral. I was wrong. Only his wife, his three sons and the synagogue’s rabbi could see him off. After 22 years of memories with him, I had to…
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A paean to camp: ‘I was a NFTY kid’
I am watching faded, ghostly but joyously animated images on my screen — a screen larger than that of any TV we might have owned in the summer of 1966 when my father shot this film with his new Super 8mm movie camera. There are boys in crisp white shirts and pressed trousers, many of…
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How Memorial Day and Shavuot can guide us through the pandemic
Yesterday I helped enter an eight-day-old boy into a covenant that is thousands of years old. That’s a privilege. I remember when at moments like these I would place my hands on the baby’s head as I offered a blessing. I remember asking the parents if I could hold the child in my arms. I…
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I’m donating my paycheck — you should too
My mom, Debbie Schleien was always someone I could depend on. But aside from me, many people relied on her. She became a certified yoga instructor and taught people with severe mental illness. It was the first time they experienced stillness. She led the Larchmont Temple support of Hope Soup Kitchen in New Rochelle, donating…
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Burying a bird and borrowing a chance to mourn
This evening, while Nancy and I were watching the news, a bird flew into the glass door that opens onto our deck. There was the sound of an impact. A few white feathers were stuck on the screen. And, below, the bird was lying on the deck. Motionless. Sometimes birds have hit our windows and…
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The biggest kosher news out of Los Angeles isn’t from Coffee Bean
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf going treif isn’t the biggest kosher news out of Los Angeles. The biggest story is how our community is keeping its local kosher establishments in business. Coffee Bean was a convenient kosher coffee chain. Losing it will have some impact, especially those looking for a quick kosher coffee break. It…
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Let’s thank our children for what they’ve sacrificed during the pandemic
A hero is characterized by sacrificing courageously for a cause. I would like to salute a new type of hero who is demonstrating this quality constantly in this era of COVID-19 – each of our children. For youth of all ages, tremendous effort invested in intellectual, creative and physical pursuits reaped no reward, and anticipated…
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The new Chancellor of JTS will take up a mantle of both tradition and innovation
This week, the Jewish Theological Seminary will celebrate its 126th (virtual) commencement exercises – the final of Chancellor Arnold Eisen’s tenure. With Eisen’s retirement date set for June 30, JTS will announce his successor in the weeks ahead, perhaps by way of a plume of white smoke from its newly renovated campus at 3080 Broadway….
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A mask is not anti-Trump. It’s pro-life
Yarmulke is such a funny word. Not as funny as phylacteries, which, as 12-year-old I thought had something to do with birth control. The one thing I knew about yarmulkes was I had to wear one in the Conservative synagogue our family attended. The ushers in the sanctuary and the teachers in Hebrew school made…
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Safe-guarding your post-pandemic synagogue requires fundraising — respectfully
Even while the world is experiencing chaos and confusion, it is inspiring to see organizations, particularly community based and religious institutions such as synagogues, engage with and draw in their communities in meaningful ways. The unknown is most definitely challenging, and over the past two months, people have turned to their local communities for support,…
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‘What are you all eating? Hold it up to the camera, let’s see.’ Ramadan adapts to Zoom
This year, Ramadan is like none we have experienced. While fasting involves abstinence from food, drink, and sexual relations from daybreak to sundown, what makes it the most wonderful time of the year is the communal gatherings. The spirit of community comes alive at iftar, when we break our fast together as the sun sets….
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