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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How One Orthodox Rabbi Keeps Singles Safe
Watching Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford during Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings was upsetting, shocking and commanded the better part of my attention (and that of my colleagues) for most of that day. The hearings made me realize how privileged I am to have been involved in Jewish community building for the past 20 years…
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Why Do Good Kids Do Drugs?
“What drives a person to stick a needle in their arm?” This was a question posed by a professor in one of my university classes. The question came after a fellow student told the story of her brother who grew up in a three-sibling, functional, middle-class family. All three children were exposed to the same…
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Does Pumpkin Spice Belong In Challah?
Pumpkin spice: it’s in lattes, Oreos, fake butter and pasta. But should it be in your challah? A quick google search for Pumpkin Spice Challah yields 800,000 results, including delectable versions from the queen of breads Shannon Sarna, Jewlish, Leah Koenig and Tori Avey. But despite how delicious they all look, the Forward staff is…
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Do Jews Celebrate Halloween?
Do Jews celebrate Halloween? It depends on which Jew you ask. Our executive editor Dan Friedman is of the opinion that All Jews Should Hate Halloween — And So Should Everybody Else. Others take a more lax approach, including Rabbi Irving Greenberg, who discouraged his own children from trick-or-treating but left out treats for the…
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I Was Assaulted Twice By The Same Known Predator. The Police Told Me There Was Nothing They Could Do.
We’ve heard about how Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony on Thursday was triggering for millions of women. I am one of them. I was attacked in a parking garage in Jerusalem when I was 23. It shattered my sense of safety, my then-idealistic image of life in the Jewish state, and for a time, my…
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We Need Another Justice Brandeis
77 years ago today, Justice Louis Brandeis died. In his monumentally consequential life and career, Brandeis proved to be one of the most gifted and precocious jurists to ever sit on the Supreme Court of the United States. A relentless pursuer of justice, Brandeis threw away the image of a judge as fettered to the…
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I’m A Survivor Of Childhood Sexual Abuse. Here’s What Dr. Blasey Ford’s Testimony Meant To Me
On Thursday morning, an incredibly brave woman, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, gave testimony to senators about a time she says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teens. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I was shocked and enraged to see the responses, many of which questioned, as President Trump…
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I Thought Paid Leave Mattered Most For Women — Until My Husband Got Sick
My husband and I have an annual tradition. Each year, the night before Kol Nidre, we throw on some sequins and watch The Jazz Singer starring Neil Diamond. It’s a ritual as important to us as bagels & lox for break-fast. This past Erev Kol Nidre, just as I was getting ready for the movie,…
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What To Do With Your Etrog After Sukkot
It’s been a long 8 days of eating and sleeping in the sukkah, shaking your lulav and etrog to and fro. But now that the holiday of Sukkot is coming to an end, what are you supposed to do with that fruit you spent so much money on? Because of the high amounts of pesticides…
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How Much Should You Spend On A Lulav And Etrog?
In preparation for the holiday of Sukkot, many Jews around the world will purchase a lulav (bound date, myrtle and willow fronds) and an etrog (a citron) for use during synagogue and in their sukkahs. Although the two objects may seem humble, together they can cost a very pretty penny. In a recent informal poll,…
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Why Do Jews Have Gravestones?
The past year had been a really tough one for me. I experienced a frozen shoulder which lasted over six months, digestive symptoms only a GI doctor could listen to, multiple skin problems and — oh yeah — one of my front teeth suddenly came out unexpectedly while I was out of town. Also, I…
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