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 year, we all get to host seder
For years now, I have been attempting to rework the Passover Seder for my family. I’ve meditated on how to create excitement and renewal in our understanding of the story, how to include growing children in unique ways, and how to put on a seder without burdening others to help us prepare for the day….
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Feeling the Passover spirit even in quarantine
I have a confession to make: as a working mom, Passover is my least favorite holiday. It evokes images of endless cooking, cleaning, and arcane restrictions with the added pressure of making the holiday meaningful for my children. Furthermore, as an American married to a Frenchman and living in the Netherlands, the idea of spending…
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A new life and a virtual bris
In Genesis 17:12 God tells Abraham, “This is my covenant… And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations…” Apparently God left out the part about pandemics. And that a mohel could provide a substitute mohel for the “virtual” brit milah — the bris — because one…
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Is There A Jewish Blessing For Better Sex?
I’m 60 years old and I’m having the best sex of my life. Before you think I’m bragging or just a late bloomer, understand that this blessing of great sex comes from the infinite generosity of Hashem and though my beloved (though the wonders of modern pharmaceuticals may have something to do with it, too)….
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What Really Happened During The Birthright Walkouts
In recent months, several young Jews have walked off of or have been asked to leave their Birthright trips as part of an initiative by the anti-occupation group IfNotNow called Birthright: Not Just A Free Trip. I was a participant on the same bus as the three recent participants who allege they were kicked off…
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You Can’t Be An Effective American Zionist Without Witnessing The Occupation Firsthand
Like most American Jews, I live with the tension between Israel the dream and Israel the reality. I remember the hope of Prime Minister Rabin approaching peace with his lifelong enemies paired with the dismay at his assassination, I believe that every person living under Israeli sovereignty should receive equal treatment, though I know that…
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Want To Save The World The Jewish Way? Become A Vegetarian
My summer camp had a funny mealtime tradition. When the kitchen staff was planning a special dessert, for which we would need to hang onto a utensil after the dishes were cleared, they would ask one table of campers to announce it to the dining hall. Those campers would, in unison, pound on their table…
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It’s Time For Jewish Organizations To Divest — From Fossil Fuels
What do the University of Maryland, New York City’s pension funds and the country of Ireland have in common? They’ve all chosen to pull their money from fossil fuel companies. Despite the choices of many other faith-based groups, Jewish communal institutions are notably absent from the long list of major organizations that have taken this…
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Why Is A Jewish Group Fighting Against Sexual Abuse Survivors?
In fewer than 6 months, God willing, I will be ordained as an Orthodox rabbi. I am becoming a rabbi because I believe that rabbis play an important role in empowering and building strong Jewish communities. It is for this reason that I am ashamed and angry when rabbis of my denomination undermine that mission…
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Are Chabad Houses Synagogues? If So, They Could Be In Trouble
Recently, Chabad in Maryland filed a lawsuit detailing defamation and discrimination by Baltimore County, which led to a tear-down order on the Chabad House serving students of Towson University and Goucher College. What caught my eye was the county’s allegations that the Chabad House violated zoning regulations by being a “synagogue.” But the Towson Chabad…
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Orthodox Jews Have White Privilege, Too
The issue of whether or not fair-skinned Jews are white has been fiercely debated at length in the American Jewish community. I don’t want to get into that. However, I saw the issue reframed in an interesting way the other week. Assuming white Jews, in general, have white privilege, does that privilege still exist when…
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