Today I'm announcing a new endeavor I'll be starting in 2019 - "Tikkun Olam Tuesdays".

Tikkun Olam is a "jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world" (from learningtogive.org). As such, the goal of Tikkun Olam Tuesdays (maybe I should refer to it as TOTs?) is to habitually take some action to perfect/repair/give back to the world every Tuesday.

I don't really have a framework in place for what this action will be, but my current belief is that it will take more of a doing form than a giving form. Many people give money to charities and I think that's fine, I do that as well. But, in the current state of Ham, I think I will find it more rewarding to do something more hands-on (when it makes sense) and that my particular set of skills may produce value far beyond that which I would reasonably give.

Whether or not that is actually true is left to be seen, but rest assured I will be logging data to try and answer that question.

So what does this mean? In the near-term, nothing. But in the longer term, I should have some new projects/posts out describing my actions and their impact.

I want in, how do I contribute? One great thing about giving is that it's free! Just start giving back and let me know what you're up to. I'll try to feature your efforts in a way that makes sense. We can all help each other make this place a little better.

FAQ

Why Tuesday?

Seemed like a good day. Plus alliteration. And not a Monday. Or a weekend day. Or a Friday. And it recurs so it has a built-in habit-creator.

Why am I Giving?

I think giving is good. It makes you feel good, it helps the world, it forces you to act. I like those things.

It puts me on the good side of "Are you helping or are you hurting".

Why Tikkun Olam?

If you know me, you know that I'm not particularly religious. But that doesn't bar me from agreeing with many core philosophies. I was brought up as a reform jew and I'm proud of that identity. So when my plans overlapped with a core philosophy of the faith, I was ecstatic to pick up the mantle.

How do I stay up-to-date?

The best way to keep up with TOTs progress is probably to subscribe to my blog. I'll be posting updates here so you should get them by doing so.