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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16 Over 61: Meet Arthur Grabiner
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Arthur Grabiner, 95, was shaped for life by his service during World War II. A Navy combat veteran who served in the Pacific Theater, Grabiner has devoted himself to educating…
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16 Over 61: Meet Joseph B. Hample
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Rabbi Joe Hample, 64, is still fairly new to his title — he was ordained by Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles in 2009, at age 53. But he’s already made…
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16 Over 61: Meet Randee Haven-O’Donnell
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Randee Haven-O’Donnell, 70, has brought a Jewish spirit to community service in her home of Carrboro, N.C. As the only Jewish member of Carrboro’s town council, Haven-O’Donnell has worked to…
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16 Over 61: Meet Dennis Klein
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Dennis Klein, 72, is a history professor and director of the Jewish Studies Program and Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Kean University. In addition to his…
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16 Over 61: Meet Sylvia Lustgarten
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Sylvia Lustgarten, 94, is something like the prototype of a macher. To cap a long record of avidly promoting Yiddish culture in Toronto, including as Director of the Committee for…
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16 Over 61: Meet Muriel Mandell
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Muriel Mandell, 99, is a model of commitment to her community. A devoted volunteer with SeniorNet and SeniorTechNYC, two organizations that work to help older adults incorporate technology successfully into…
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16 Over 61: Meet Noemi Masliah
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Noemi Masliah, 70, is a fighter for those often pushed to the side by society. An immigrant from Cuba, Masliah became an immigration lawyer committed to aiding those in need….
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16 Over 61: Meet Ellen Ratner
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Ellen Ratner, 76, is guided by music. It’s a love passed down from her mother, Ethel. That relationship also shaped Ratner’s commitment to building compassion and community. As an only…
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16 Over 61: Meet Stephen Rosen
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. What hasn’t Stephen Rosen, 87, done? A scientist, educator and advocate for scientists, including the 400-odd emigres from the former Soviet Union for whom he helped find jobs in the…
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16 Over 61: Meet Daniel Rothstein
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Daniel Rothstein, 66, has a mission in life: making sure people know how to ask the right questions. It’s a mission Rothstein, who goes by Dan, first developed while considering…
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16 Over 61: Meet Zelda R. Stern
This profile appears as part of “16 Over 61,” a collaboration between the Forward and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging. Zelda R. Stern, 72, has a guiding belief: Orthodox women ought to be permitted to be rabbis. She had long been deeply invested in Jewish education and women’s rights. “I…
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