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 To Talk To Your Children About Suicide
Upon hearing about the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, many are in a state of shock. How could this happen to people who were so wealthy and seemingly happy? Didn’t anyone realize something was wrong? Why didn’t they seek help? However, as a mental health professional, I was not at all surprised. Depression…
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4 Myths About Poverty That Are Nowhere In The Bible
Why are people poor? It is, on the face of it, a simple question. People are poor because, in comparison to other people, they have less money. But the question is often asked in moral terms. What makes people poor? American political discourse, especially in conservative circles, views poverty as a moral failure of the…
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George Soros Is Not — And Has Never Been — A Nazi
The occupation of Hungary by the Nazis began by invitation in 1944. In his masterwork “Night,” set in his hometown of Sighet, Hungary (now Romania), Elie Wiesel wrote of Moshe the Beadle, who secretly mentored the young Wiesel in the Jewish mystical writings of the Zohar until Moshe was deported on cattle trains from the…
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My Uncle Escaped The Nazis — And Became A Racist
I came to America in June of 1969. The chaos of the post-Russian invasion of my native Czechoslovakia was still unfolding. My parents, who survived the villainy of the Third Reich and endured the one-party Communist regime, were wary of the next power shift. As Jews we were perfect scapegoats for whatever trouble might ensue….
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Separating Children From Their Families Flies In The Face Of Biblical Values
Think of a young child whom you love. Remember a time when your beloved child was tired, hungry or uncomfortable. What did she do? Naturally, she fussed, cried and reached for her parents for comfort. Now picture another parent’s beloved child, exhausted and terrified after a perilous journey, forcibly separated from their parent. The child…
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Don’t Teach Students To Fight For Israel — Show Them How To Fall In Love With It
For decades, pro-Israel organizations have been teaching students how to argue on behalf of Israel; they equip students with talking points, facts and figures, data sheets and detailed pamphlets on the conflict, on the innovations of Israel and on the obstacles to peace in the region. In short, they’ve been teaching students how to litigate…
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This Orthodox Woman Spoke Out After Her Mother’s Suicide. Now, She’s Breaking The Silence About Her Own PTSD
On June 5, the iconic 55-year-old fashion designer Kate Spade committed suicide, leaving behind a husband and 13-year-old daughter. The news shocked the world: Spade was known for her bright and cheerful designs, incredibly successful and seemingly in the prime of her life. But it’s not just the family members of the rich and famous…
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As Families Are Separated, I Remember My Ancestors’ Plight
In these times when families are being heartlessly separated, I cannot help but think of my maternal great-grandmother Alice (Goldman) Sherman. In 1920, she escaped with her four children, among them my grandmother Jennie, from a village they called “Yumpelah,” near Kiev. My great-aunt Dora would later tell my mother that she witnessed firing squads…
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The SCOTUS Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision Doesn’t Say What You Think It Says
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the long-awaited “Colorado Cake Case,” Masterpiece Cake Shop, Ltd. v. Colorado Human Rights Commission. The case arose when Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece, refused to create a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding. Both sides claimed constitutional protections: the vendors under the First Amendment and the couple…
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I Used To Be A Trump Troll — Until Sarah Silverman Engaged With Me
I used to be That Guy. I always voted Republican. I watched Fox News. I read clickbait articles on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I echoed these slanted talking points when I was a Radio show guest prior to the 2016 Presidential General Election. In one sense, I was just your average, conservative, pro-Israel Jewish…
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Israel Has A Fake News Problem, Too
During an interview on the Knesset channel last week, Member of Knesset Bezalel Smotrich was asked to comment on a statement made by his party member, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who recently said she would be willing to welcome LGBT candidates to the party. Smotrich responded by saying that “fundamentally, a religious party can contain,…
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