Tuesday, May 13th 2025 |
THEODORE “TED” ROBERTS was a humorist and writer, who lived in the Deep South of Huntsville, Alabama and wove stories based on his lifelong love of Judaism. Roberts’ collection of columns that ran in the CCJN with his sobriquet “The Scribbler on the Roof,” are archived here in the hopes that reading his homespun brand of Talmud will bring you continued joy and love of Jewish learning and culture. Roberts, 89, died on March 2, 2020 and was buried in his hometown of Memphis.
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Don’t get the wrong idea. I like Jacob. But when the High Holidays near and I think of forgiveness my mind pictures Jacob, our progenitor, as improperly flawed as us. I think...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Can you imagine Adam – G d’s first human creation in Eden’s green meadow? See him, newly minted. His fresh body gleaming and his mind totally empty of facts, attitudes, opinions –...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – as every Jewish child learns in pre-kindergarten – are about forgiveness. Jews of all theological stripes – even those whimsical souls who spread mayo instead of...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
I just finished a book that every Jew should read. Constantine’s Sword (Constantine was the Roman Emperor who legitimized Christianity as the state religion). The book, though a gold mine of information...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
A historical test for our readers: In the cluttered library of history, what are the two most significant documents that have guided us politically, morally, culturally? Without too much thought I would ...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Since he was of the human race, troubles swarmed around his life like gnats surround a dead crow on the forest floor. The rent was overdue, he had a sciatica pain in...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Many bible scholars, both Jewish and Christian, make the obvious point that Christianity stresses forgiveness while Judaism gives it a glance, says it’s a nice thing, but then bounces back to justice,...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Have you ever seen a possum? Maybe not. But they come to my back door every night and eat the cat food. The Possum is so ugly she scares the cat. The...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
Let’s take a long, hard look at historical reality. Those ex-slaves called Israelites have escaped their Egyptian prison. And for the first time – like your six year old toddled off to...
By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF
You know, we Jews have a reputation for mobility. “The Wandering Jew” was a stereotype. In the three millennia or so that we’ve been around we’ve given more business to travel agencies...
