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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Houdini, J.D. Salinger and Elvis: Your ideas for our list of Jews who made history
We apologize to those we missed (especially Bette Midler and Scarlett Johansson)
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The great-granddaughter of a Hollywood pioneer called out Dave Chappelle, and we got mail
Your turn: Readers respond to the Forward’s coverage of Chappelle’s SNL monologue
The Latest
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Readers share how they turn Saturday into Shabbat
Hot cocoa from the bible, bluegrass and opera, sleeping late and cleaning house
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We asked our readers about camp photos. Many say: ‘Enough already!’
The onslaught of online photos posted by camps has led some parents to wax nostalgic about their own summer days
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When crisis strikes, teachers are there
It will surprise absolutely no one that I love being in schools. Since April 2021, I have visited more than 100 schools across the country, seeing how students and staff are overcoming the challenges created by the pandemic, and talking to them about what they need to recover and thrive. Recently, I went home, so…
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I’m a Jewish teenager who takes medication to treat my mental disorders. Why do I face a stigma?
This article was adapted from a piece originally published in jGirls Magazine. It’s simple: When you have a fever, you take a Tylenol; when you get an ear infection, you take Amoxicillin. When you get sick, your doctor gives you a prescription, and you take it. We don’t assign the action moral value. Have you…
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Hillel on campus is thriving
Contrary to the concerns raised in the Forward earlier this week, Hillel is more relevant for and resonant with young Jews today than ever before. As we welcome a rising generation of college students that is more diverse in every way than all those who have come before them, Hillel’s singular brand of pluralistic and…
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Rosh Hashanah comes ‘early’ this year, but parents know what matters is the here and now
Hang around even the most remotely observant Jewish people long enough, and you’ll likely hear us remark about how a given holiday is either early or late in the calendar. For instance, right now, it’s a fact that Jews in the Diaspora are bemoaning just how early Rosh Hashanah is this go-round. The Jewish New…
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It’s like talking to a wall! Justice & inclusion at the Kotel
One of my favorite Jewish jokes involves a tourist watching an elderly Jew praying with fervor at the Kotel (the Western Wall). Day after day the tourist witnesses this devotion and says nothing. Finally, unable to hold back anymore, the tourist approaches the old Jew and asks, “You pray so regularly and with such intensity….
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‘We will win this war’ — Ruth Pearl, in her own words
This is an excerpt from “I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl” (2004), edited by Judea and Ruth Pearl. Ruth Pearl died July 20, 2021 at the age of 85. Growing up as a Jewish child in Baghdad left me with recurring nightmares of being chased by a knife-wielding…
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It’s time for Jews to mobilize for climate action
In the last month, record heat waves descended upon the Pacific Northwest, killing hundreds. Concurrently, wildfires are spiraling out of control, while once-in-a-generation flooding hits the Midwest. Last week, New York City’s air quality declined precipitously as a result of the fires more than 3,000 miles away. At this point, it is inarguable that climate…
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Fast Forward Why neo-Nazis marched in Ohio this weekend, and almost every weekend in the US
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News Your complete guide to Trump’s Jewish advisers and pro-Israel cabinet
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Fast Forward Netanyahu now faces arrest in several Western countries following ICC warrant
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Film & TV Bonhoeffer biopic tells of a pastor turned would-be Hitler assassin — but is the story true?
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News What Mike Huckabee’s ‘Kids Guide to Israel’ says about his views
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Opinion I’m a rabbi in Columbus. Here’s my answer to the neo-Nazis
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