I’m a regular subscriber to JTA Daily Briefing, a compilation of news/views and, of course, argument for/by and about the global Jewish community. Today’s email subject head was:

March 27: Debating Gay Rabbis (my emphasis) Belarus & Iran, Election News

Ok, so immediately I have all sorts of visual permutations whirling around my head. We have:

• Gay Rabbis debating each other
• All kinds of people, including rabbis, debating Gay Rabbis
• Debating Gay Rabbis, the team

My mind reels with illustrative possibilities as I’m sure yours does right now, too. (Actually, I found a bunch of photos that, in context with this post, would have been quite hilarious, but I just couldn’t do it. There are some things that even I won’t do.

The story is actually a serious one about the Conservative movement within Judaism and its stance on homosexuality in the rabbinate, but you wouldn’t know it from the subject head I just shared. Was the writing of this head intentional to force more email opens or did someone just dash this off in order to make a deadline?

I’m thinking the latter but that’s because I’m an easy grader.

Moral of this story? Please, please, please take a second look at what you write before hitting the send key. (And if you’re thinking funny always works no matter what? Please, please, please - don’t quit your day job.

MM Update - The Maven Takes Game 3!

My thanks to John at Writer’s Resource Center for his thoughtful critique of my form, style and substance. (He also thinks I’m a pretty entertaining gal, but we already knew that.) I did good, but could do better. (And a gracious handshake to my writing colleague and match opponent, BeTheStory.com)

And so, in coming months, I shall.

• Enjoyed this post? Get free updates by email or RSS
• Need a copy critique or a consult? Contact the Maven
• The ultimate guide to writing and designing effective landing pages - Marketing Sherpa’s Landing Page Handbook, 2008 (aff)