Monday, February 13, 2017

No Pressure. No Obligation. No Subscription Fees.

It's that time of year again. Most people like to be paid for the work they do. Even if they love their jobs. How many times have I heard a popular actor or actress who is well paid for their work say they love their jobs so much that they would do it for nothing. But the fact is that they are well paid for their work. Most of these people are multi millionaires. So I think you have to take what they say about ‘doing it for nothing’ with a grain of salt.  But I do appreciate that they love what they do.

I too love what I do here. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing it. But unlike those celebrities who make millions for their work, I make practically nothing. The few ads I have here barely pay for my yearly internet fees.  So once a year I make a pitch for a little financial compensation as an incentive - to go along with my labor of love.

I’ve been doing this now for over 10 years – contributing one post per day except for Shabbos and Yom Tov. It isn’t easy coming up with original material every single day of the year no matter where I am. But I have continued to do so with the rarest of exception.

I therefore once again ask that those of you that enjoy reading this blog - and if the spirit moves you - to donate* whatever amount you wish into my PayPal account (located at the top right margin). But - and this is really important - only if you can afford it. If you can’t afford it – or even if you just don’t want to donate anything, that’s perfectly fine with me. Everyone is welcome here and this blog will remain open and free.  But if you do want to show your appreciation for this blog in even a minimally financial way, it will be tell me that my work here is worth more than nothing… and it will keep me posting daily with what I hope is quality material (most of the time).

I am grateful to the Jewish Press and the Times of Israel for publishing so many of my posts online. Even though they don't pay me I appreciate the exposure. I also appreciate all those of you that are moved to comment on my posts. You add a lot and I have learned much from you.

As I said last year, good Jewish blogs are getting harder to find. I think that’s even truer today than it was last year. My blog is still here and going strong.

Once again, I want to thank all of my readers and those who comment for making this blog the success that it is.

Harry Maryles

*Contributions are not tax deductible.