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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A War Widow’s Message To Parkland Families
I know loss. Fifty years ago my husband of three years died in the Six Day War. Seeing his scorched body and hearing him gasping for air minutes before his death was emotionally and physically so traumatic that I miscarried our unborn child. I was twenty-three, and I felt I had nothing to live for….
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The Jew-Free State Solution
In a recent solicitation email, J Street President Jeremy Ben Ami proclaimed that the “Palestinians are the only party willing to publicly endorse the goal of two states for two peoples.” Referencing Abbas’ speech to the United Nations Security Council, Ben Ami claimed that “Abbas laid out explicit support for the two-state solution and put…
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It’s Time For Disability Inclusion At The Oscars
As the Academy Awards declare their winners this weekend, I start my annual plea for inclusion of people with Disabilities in Hollywood. It has been over 30 years since Marlee Matlin won her Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God. She is the last actress with a recognizable physical…
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This Beloved Jewish Food Could Be Zapping Your Energy
These Five Foods are Draining Your Energy and Making You Tired Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS If you’ve been feeling completely exhausted before your day even begins, you’re not alone. It’s something most of us have battled with at one point or another, even if we manage to get in the bed at a…
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In Defense Of Dressing Up On Purim
The Forward recently ran an article by Elon Gilad that argues that dressing up for Purim is a relatively new tradition, dating back to a particular banquet in Vienna in 1900. The article is interesting, but it has one of the worst headlines I’ve seen in recent memory: Wearing Costumes On Purim Is Not A…
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Drinking On Purim Is Good For Your Soul
Purim is the Jewish holiday on which we are commanded to drink. And I’m not just talking about a Kiddush cup full of Manischewitz. No, on Purim we are supposed to get shickered, that it is to say, drunk. How drunk? What’s the point? Where does this all come from anyway? This seems a bit…
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Should Israeli Politicians Be Meeting With The European Far Right?
The Israeli government and the Knesset are formulating approaches to address the rise of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party and the new Polish law regarding the Holocaust. In this effort, there is a need to address the growing gap between official Israeli policy and the actions of Israeli right-wing politicians. A recent Mitvim Institute study,…
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Does Power Rot Your Brain?
A version of this article originally appeared in the Texas Jewish Post. We are all well aware of the side effects of power. It can intoxicate as well as corrupt. But can it cause brain damage? This is the question asked by author Jerry Useem in a summer 2017 article in The Atlantic. His conclusion,…
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My Fellow American Jews Need To Learn How To Shoot A Gun
I don’t have the room to debate the variables that create a ruthless killer. But I do have the room to briefly point out the benefits of a society that appreciates marksmanship. Understandably, there are those who have a visceral reaction to the destructive potential of firearms. As an experienced school psychologist, I am well…
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Is It Constitutional For The Government To Honor Billy Graham?
On February 28 and March 1, 2018, the body of Rev. Billy Graham will lie “in honor” in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Previously, in our Nation’s history, Congress has accorded this privilege to only four private citizens — Pierre L’Enfant, Rosa Parks and two Capitol Police officers killed in the line of duty….
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My Synagogue Turned Against Me For Supporting J Street
We have read and seen much recently about the way our society has been divided into warring tribes unwilling to hear each other. This was brought home to me recently and very painfully by an incident within my own tribe — indeed within my own intimate spiritual community. When my wife Shulamit and I arrived…
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