By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO–Help is wanted.
My wife Nancy and I have been publishing San Diego Jewish World for several years now. After the San Diego Jewish Press-Heritage and the San Diego Jewish Times folded, we created this publication to make certain San Diego had a daily Jewish news voice. San Diego Jewish World has been coming out continuously on a shoestring budget, and with little advertising support, but with a tremendous commitment of our time, energy, and love for the Jewish people.
Nancy and I believe that we are filling a real need for the San Diego Jewish community, but we’re at the stage where we would like to put that belief to the test. Do San Diegans want this independent, online Jewish publication that provides a spectrum of Jewish viewpoints? Does the San Diego Jewish community need a home for Jewish news? Or is the community content with what the metropolitan media and the local monthly Jewish magazine provide?
Since we began, we have published thousands of stories, with nearly 50 writers and commentators contributing to us on a regular basis.
But should we continue?
If “yes” is your heartfelt answer, then we ask you to help make this community news publication a success.
Here’s what we need to better serve you.
–Someone with real business savvy to volunteer to help us develop a financial plan that will assure this publication’s success, while providing incomes for its editors and reporters.
–Equity investors to make that plan work.
–Advertisers who want to expose their products and services to the Jewish community, while building an independent Jewish voice.
–Advertising representatives willing to work on commission only, at least until the business plan is formulated and implemented.
–Editors and reporters in San Diego, who, like us, are willing to volunteer their efforts pending creation and implementation of a financial plan that will enable us to pay a fee for their work.
–Friends who will take free subscriptions to San Diego Jewish World (by filling out the email form on the left side of the front page), and who will help us to build circulation by asking their friends to do likewise.
–Readers who will give us their advice on what they’d like to see that is not now appearing in San Diego Jewish World.
There are a number of ways you can let us know your responses. You can write to us by email at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com. You can send postal mail to San Diego Jewish World at PO Box 19363, San Diego, CA 92159. Or you can phone us at (619) 265-0808. We will listen to everyone’s comments and advice. By June 1, we figure we’ll know your collective answer. And, with your help, we’ll decide how best to proceed.
Thank you.