By COLlive reporter
Jewish Educational Media, a Lubavitch multimedia organization otherwise known as JEM, is launching a worldwide fundraising effort for its weekly video magazine, COLlive has learned.
The campaign is calling “to keep the Rebbe’s face and voice in our homes, schools and Shuls.”
The 244th Living Torah Program, which is set to air on Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Emor, contains a video behind the scenes of Living Torah and an appeal by JEM’s director Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin.
“The income from sales and membership do cover a portion of the expenses,” says Shmotkin in the video, “but it very far from covers everything.”
He goes on to ask that individuals, especially those who view Living Torah at public viewings, to step forward and “help keep Living Torah alive.”
In addition, JEM sent an upbeat email Thursday to all subscribers requesting that those who hold public viewings give out the donation cards. It will be included in a package to be sent to all subscribers, an insider said.
The email, titled, “Please lend us a hand” states “at hundreds of public viewings across the world, people will be filling out cards to make a donation to Living Torah – in amounts of 50, 25, or even 18 dollars, shekels or euros.”
If you wondered whether the campaign is a result of the economic crisis, the email states: “Living Torah’s expenses are covered in part – 60 percent – by sales and subscriptions, but we’ve always relied on dedications and donation in order to keep us going.
Asked to further comment on the topic, Shmotkin told COLlive: “Thank G-d, the response has been very warm. Well over 100 locations around the world have already signed up to take part in the effort.
“People have been telling us that they recognize what Living Torah has done for them, keeping the Rebbe an ongoing presence for their families, mekurovim and communities, and they’re stepping up to get involved.”
He asked to contact him at [email protected] to join in the Living Torah-Thon.
in response to #16: the million and a half dollars that you are referring to were collected for JEM’s restoration project to keep the original videos of the rebbe from deteriorating and being lost to us forever — a worthy project in its own right that I hope is going well for them. But that has nothing to do with daily production costs for videos such as Living Torah.
Do you really think a non profit orginization makes money i think that you should pay the full price a DVD should cost someone told me if you try to put out a production JEM is puting out every month the price would be 3 times the amount they charge you so if there lossing money where was the other money ppl where matching up the cost now with the economy the way it is they need your donations bc those ppl cant afford to match any more!
Hi, I’m a subscriber to Living Torah.
#23, you make the exact point that Rabbi Shmotkin makes in the video. There are 150,000 viewers of LT every week. How many of them are paying?! So, besides for the small few who actually buy the DVD, it IS free!
#23, when is the last time you watched Living Torah/ And when is the last time you paid for it?
Case closed.
Try producing a small video yourself. Go out there and get the prices. The lowest possible price you’ll get for post production (once you have all the material recorded that is), is be no less than $1,000 a MINUTE. That does not include researching the sichos, narration, cleaning the material, DVD production, translation into multiple languages, etc. etc.. which quadrupole the price at least. do the math and you’ll realize that with the interviews at the end your talking hundreds of thousands a month
In my experience, people who bash other people or organziations, have nothing going on themselves.
I work in JEM and the amount of work that goes in producing a single Living Torah disk is immense!! Every sicha needs to be transcribed and researched, then trasnlated into 5 languages and subtitled. Then a separate children’s track is recorded in 2 languages, with professional voiceovers in a recording studio. Professionally recording each “My Encounter” costs close to $2000 an interview, NOT including editing time.
Go do something productive before you bash.
You obviously have no idea what video production entails…!
There is cleaning the video and video – which is tremendous amount of work. They have it subtitled in French, Russian, Hebrew, and Spanish. The DVD authoring is pretty intense itself – being able to use it in so many different languages.
And this is all besides the interviews – which is done in tip-top quality!
Please think before you reply brashly. We need Living Torah for ourselves, our children and our families….
I used to think that bochrim knew everything. Then I read your post.
Thanks
Why don’t you go visit the JEM offices and see for yourself how much work goes into each disc?
I’ve been there to see it for myself, and it appeared to me that putting out a new disc every month is far from a trivial task.
Kudos to the talented and devoted people who make it happen.
these guys are selling merchandise a legitimate business and get this they are asking for charity. th e shluchims office and chabd.org all of them charge and give nothing away for free so what’s up withthis idea — asking the same people they charged for their product to help them and bail them out with charity.
perhaps the next time you go to the gas station and he also asks you for charity and a bail out you should also help him
How much does it cost to put together a DVD, where the source material is not copyright, and there are no royalties being paid. The intro,audio, graphics are the same every week, the only thing that probably cost to put together is the interviews. How much manpower is needed to put together an (approx) 1 hour DVD every 4 weeks? Yes I look forward & enjoy them every week, but maybe it’s more important that our Rebbes in Yeshiva etc. get paid, and on time!
What you have to realize is that though both these organizations are geared towards the Shluchim and have a global impact, as they are based in Crown Heights they do not have access to reach out to all the people living out of Crown Heights (most Shluchim are able to raise funds locally, within their own areas). The fact is, is that many members of Anash (myself included) benefit greatly from both JEM and Chabad.org, I use their resources on a weekly basis , to find a quick Vort, find out what time Shabbos comes in and very often to… Read more »
is Elkanah Shmotkin of this Jem and in need related to the Zalman Shmotkin of the Chabad.org
why does Jem and Chabad.org get to beg their case on this site. How about featuring Chabad houses all over the world that need money as much if not even more desperate and much more effective than these two COMPANIES.
Your ignorance is breath taking. First of all, JEM does not get funding from Merkos. Second, you guys (I assume you are guys) obviously have no idea how much money it takes to run an organization, especially one that puts out such professional productions such as JEM does. As for how much $$$ they take for them self’s, how do you know what they get paid? From talking to some of my friends that work there, they are paid so little if it wasn’t for the help they get from their families, they would be forced to go get jobs… Read more »
i thaut acording to there site they rased a million and a half dolars not enof for them?
i dont get what all the pleeding is? they get thousands from very rich people, plus they get sponsors every week, and on top of that tehy get money from the sales!! why do they need to take huge $$$ for themself and hire such a large group of people to work with the most expensive supplies!!!
JEM is under Merkos which obviously has millions to spend on court casses so i dont see why they cant give some of that money for this!!
if you have money go give for tzedakah give it where it counts!!
nu, ver volt gevust?
Remember…it has been over 14 years since Gimmel Tammuz….For me and my family, Living Torah has kept the Rebbe at the forefront of our hearts and minds. Every Motzei Shabbos, I cant wait to see it at shul.
I dont have much to give but not to have Living Torah is not an option…
How long has Living Torah been out for?
that a Living Torah donation site will be going up this week.
go here to donate:
https://securesite.thelivingarchive.org/3tammuz/Membership.aspx
They deserve every penny!
if we want our kidz to remember the rebbe!
This is the most important peulah for our children. Do you have a “donate” web page?
I don’t think this is called “pleading.” I saw the video and received the e-mail, and i considered it a very respectable and dignified request for participation… They don’t come across as “pleading” to me.
I don’t think this is called “pleading.” I saw the video and received the e-mail, and i considered it a very respectable and dignified request for participation… They don’t come across as “pleading” to me.
keeps me alive on shlichus.
Probably is because of the economic crisis because they have never done this before. i heard that they even had to let some members of staff go….
I for one will contribute. I have been watching living torah (and been inspired by it) for the past 5 years in my Shul. There are over 50 of us watching each week, but we only pay for 1 DVD!
It would be a pity to lose this valuable resource only because we didn’t help them get over the current rough period!
I encourage everyone to contribute to this good cause.However JEM should also consider to publish interviews and sichos of the Rebbe concerning Inyonei geula which was the Rebbe’s main goal in life, so as to attract the full Chabad community and thereby increasing the revenue.
everybody should help them out!
its a good cause, they do an amazing job!!