Two Years of Orthodox Conundrum Commentary

On May 17th, 2023, I published my first article on Substack. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I believed that I have something to say, and wanted to share it with anyone who would find it interesting.

I wrote an article entitled, “Must I Move to Israel?,” pressed the Publish button, and hoped for the best.

By the end of the day, I had 17 subscribers. One week later, it was up to 39, and a week after that, 52. The numbers weren’t big, but it was a start.

Today, two years later, close to 2400 of you subscribe to Orthodox Conundrum Commentary, and over 2700 follow it on Substack. What started as a small side project has become one of my most meaningful avenues of expression - and I could not have done it without you, my readers. Every comment, reply, share, and message has meant so much to me - whether you agree or disagree with what I wrote. And I’m especially grateful to have developed some beautiful friendships through your engagement.

I particularly want to thank the incredible paid subscribers who’ve gone the extra mile to support my work. Your belief in what I’m doing has kept me doing it, and I am very grateful to each and every one of you.

As many of you know, I’ve been keeping this newsletter open and free — no paywalled posts, no extras — simply because I haven’t had the time to create more. But I think the time has come to do more - more articles, more live podcasts, more interaction - and the only way to make that possible is to free up the time to dedicate to this work.

In fact, on Wednesday at 10 AM ET/5 PM Israel time, I will be hosting my first ever Jewish Coffee House Live podcast here on Substack, where Rabbi Mark Dratch - who had a face-to-face meeting with Pope Leo today - will help us know what to expect during Leo’s pontificate, what to be concerned about, and why it matters to the Jewish community.

If you’ve been enjoying what you read here and want to see this project grow, I’d love for you to consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s a small way to say, “I want more of this,” and it makes a big difference.

Whether you’re free or paid, longtime reader or new — thank you. This community is something truly special, and I’m so glad you’re part of it.

Let’s see how high we can fly!

Sincerely,

Scott