Dearest readers:
At the outset, I want to thank the thousands of you who have written
from around the world to express your obviously heartfelt wishes. To
say that I'm touched, would be an understatement. I'm only sorry
that I cannot do so personally. It is not intended as a slight in
any way.
Cliched or not, from the vantage point of a hospital window, the
world does indeed look different. VERY different.
Unfortunately, I now know this first-hand.
Over five years ago, I launched JewishWorldReview.com and told one
and all that I would "put my heart" into it what has resulted
may have been more literal than I had imagined.
On the afternoon of Sunday August 17, I was admitted to Maimonides
Hospital in Brooklyn. It's an institution that enjoys a reputation
as having one of the finest cardiac centers in the nation. Without
getting into the particulars, after a battery of tests, the problem
was diagnosed and a remedy is being worked upon.
Why am I telling you this? For a simple reason: Because I think you
care.
Though time and again I have been advised against publicizing this
fact, I do not hide that JWR is a one-man-show. I think the quality
of my webzine and, particularly, the quality of its readers
including White House staffers, senators, congressmen, syndicated
talk show hosts, editorial page editors, Fortune 500 CEOs and just
ordinary religious and patriotic Americans says a lot about who we
serve and what we stand for.
But the day to day stress in running JWR may, unfortunately, say a
lot more.
In order to keep JWR running smoothly, I'm often up all hours of the
day and night. And if this continues, I'm told, JWR will cease to
exist, BECAUSE I WILL.
What we need now is to get sufficient funding for a staff and a
technology upgrade. At this moment, every JWR page is designed by
hand. We need to purchase and customize a database similar to "Story
Server" in addition to hiring a staff.
That takes money. Something that about 95% of our readers don't yet
appreciate.
I'm grateful SINCERELY SO! to the 5% of JWR readers who have
expressed their kindness and gratitude in our appeal until now.
I've been advised to start charging a monthly or yearly fee to
access this site. At first blush, this makes sense. The reality,
though, is it will undermine JWR's mission.
Let me explain.
From its launching, JWR has been about ideas. I created this webzine
as the go-to source defending and being an exponent of
traditionalism, patriotism, and democracy. We've been around nearly
from the beginning of the commercial Internet and JWR articles now
show up HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of times in search engines. If we
start charging, that status will end. So will the likely growth of
this site. Simply put, folks will never sign-up and will never read
us.
This appeal is NOT about making anybody feel guilty. I know we have
many elderly readers and high school students who simply cannot
afford pitching in. But I also know there are many folks here who
are gaining from JWR and either don't fully appreciate the situation
or don't care enough to support us. I pray this changes!
Some here are simply are embarrassed to send what they may consider
a pittance, but to us is a lifeline. No expression of your gratitude
I REPEAT, NO EXPRESSION OF YOUR GRATITUDE will be discounted or
disregarded.
This note is getting long, so I will end.
Don't think the "other guy" will help BECAUSE HE HASN'T AND
WON'T. He will count on you.
I AM COUNTING ON YOU as are all of our future readers who have
yet to discover JWR.
JWR runs on an "honor system". If it is to survive, the 95% who
regularly gain from it, but who have not pitched in, must begin to
act honorably.
I apologize if this letter offends anybody. Perhaps if I waited a
few days or weeks, the tone would be different. As a cherished
reader, I just wanted to let you know what is amiss.
To give electronically, please click HERE.
Interested in donating by conventional mail? Please click HERE.
In gratitude and friendship,
Binyamin L. Jolkovsky,
Editor in Chief