Beautifully said. I’m so happy I read this on the last day of Sukkot as we close the Chagim. You are an inspiration dear Melanie. Brilliant, articulate, a true thought leader. Shana Tova.
Rebecca, what an incredibly generous note. You’ve made my day! Coming from you, these words mean so much, especially as we’re closing the Chagim—such perfect timing for a piece about the stories we are still writing. I’m so glad we’re actively writing our stories together again; your friendship and encouragement have meant a lot to me. Here’s to another year of trying to be better—and helping each other along the way. Shana Tova, my dear! ❤️
Melanie, the Catholic Church has long had a principle called “subsidiarity” that, like “Effective Covenant,” directs social reform efforts first toward the near and dear. Sadly, American bishops by and large have long been seduced by Democrat Party immigration policies and the federal dollars they have reaped from “resettlement services” and the like. Saving the World is not just a “feel good” enterprise, but a very profitable one, usually at the expense of local neighborhoods and American taxpayers.
On a less somber note, your mention of Dolly Parton somehow leads me to thoughts of Sydney Sweeney and her probable conversion to Judaism, which has prompted one pundit to declare this to be “the biggest pickup since Ruth.” A topic for your next column?
Chad, incentives matter—even in religious institutions! And subsidiarity is an interesting parallel to “Effective Covenant.”
And I owe you an acknowledgment: your comment on my last Substack post was what sent me down the Effective Altruism rabbit hole, and it became part of the premise of these remarks. I found it fascinating to compare an ethical framework largely unmoored from Judeo-Christian tradition with Judaism.
I’d also been inspired by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, a prominent NYC rabbi, who argues that a good sermon needs an arguable premise—not simply an uplifting message. I took that to mean: What am I arguing? Why might an intelligent person disagree? And what Jewish wisdom changes the way we see the question? Dana Nessel gave me that tension for my Rosh Hashanah remarks; thanks to you, Effective Altruism gave it to me for Yom Kippur.
It also led me to address tikkun olam, which has become almost synonymous with Judaism for many American Jews, though the phrase never appears in the Torah. Its “social justice” orientation has become conflated with contemporary political causes—including, “Free Palestine," becoming a substitute for the extraordinarily rich Jewish tradition we inherited.
So thank you for inspiring my YK remarks!
As for Sydney Sweeney becoming the next Ruth—from your lips to God’s ears!
Beautifully said. I’m so happy I read this on the last day of Sukkot as we close the Chagim. You are an inspiration dear Melanie. Brilliant, articulate, a true thought leader. Shana Tova.
Rebecca, what an incredibly generous note. You’ve made my day! Coming from you, these words mean so much, especially as we’re closing the Chagim—such perfect timing for a piece about the stories we are still writing. I’m so glad we’re actively writing our stories together again; your friendship and encouragement have meant a lot to me. Here’s to another year of trying to be better—and helping each other along the way. Shana Tova, my dear! ❤️
Melanie, the Catholic Church has long had a principle called “subsidiarity” that, like “Effective Covenant,” directs social reform efforts first toward the near and dear. Sadly, American bishops by and large have long been seduced by Democrat Party immigration policies and the federal dollars they have reaped from “resettlement services” and the like. Saving the World is not just a “feel good” enterprise, but a very profitable one, usually at the expense of local neighborhoods and American taxpayers.
On a less somber note, your mention of Dolly Parton somehow leads me to thoughts of Sydney Sweeney and her probable conversion to Judaism, which has prompted one pundit to declare this to be “the biggest pickup since Ruth.” A topic for your next column?
Chad, incentives matter—even in religious institutions! And subsidiarity is an interesting parallel to “Effective Covenant.”
And I owe you an acknowledgment: your comment on my last Substack post was what sent me down the Effective Altruism rabbit hole, and it became part of the premise of these remarks. I found it fascinating to compare an ethical framework largely unmoored from Judeo-Christian tradition with Judaism.
I’d also been inspired by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, a prominent NYC rabbi, who argues that a good sermon needs an arguable premise—not simply an uplifting message. I took that to mean: What am I arguing? Why might an intelligent person disagree? And what Jewish wisdom changes the way we see the question? Dana Nessel gave me that tension for my Rosh Hashanah remarks; thanks to you, Effective Altruism gave it to me for Yom Kippur.
It also led me to address tikkun olam, which has become almost synonymous with Judaism for many American Jews, though the phrase never appears in the Torah. Its “social justice” orientation has become conflated with contemporary political causes—including, “Free Palestine," becoming a substitute for the extraordinarily rich Jewish tradition we inherited.
So thank you for inspiring my YK remarks!
As for Sydney Sweeney becoming the next Ruth—from your lips to God’s ears!
Great sermon.
יָשֶׁר כֹּחַ
Thank you for your readership!