San Diego Jewish World will return on March 1st

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO – I have very mixed feelings about putting San Diego Jewish World and my Facebook account on hiatus for the next two months, from January 1st through February 28^th.  I am both looking forward to the change in routine and dreading it.

I realize that this two-month break will affect not only me, but also will affect other people as well. To those regular readers of this publication, who may miss having articles delivered to their computer every morning, I offer my apologies.  Likewise, I must say to the writers whose columns regularly grace our pages that I’m sorry for temporarily taking away an outlet for their wonderful writing.

So, yes, I do have regrets.  On the other hand, I believe that everyone at some point in his or her lifetime probably needs time to reflect, recharge one’s batteries, and to rejuvenate (in my case, re-jew-venate?).  Nancy and I are going to tune out, unplug, relax, and ponder the passing world until March 1 when publication will resume.

It’s a challenge to disconnect oneself from normal routines.  I must admit that I find myself wondering how I will pass the time when there are no stories that must be covered, no deadlines to meet, no Facebook messages to answer.  I hope to sightsee and meet some new people during this period, and probably I will keep a journal of my musings.  I’ll also stock up with plenty of reading material.

During this upcoming period, I also will reflect upon the future of San Diego Jewish World.  Should I limit its coverage to the output of our own writers, plus a few relevant news releases, as we have been doing in the past week?  Or should I spend hours at my computer compiling stories from other news sources?  I’ve heard a few comments from family and friends on both sides of the question.  I’d welcome more input via the email donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com

Recently, as readers of this column are aware, I published the book 77 Miles of Jewish Stories, which can be found for sale on Amazon along with two other books I’ve authored: Louis Rose: San Diego’s First Jewish Settler and Entrepreneur, and Schlepping Through the American West: There Is a Jewish Story Everywhere.  I enjoy researching and writing books, and I have been compiling material for several more that I hope to publish soon.  This hiatus may help me clarify exactly which book projects should take priority and how best to divide my time between daily journalism and authoring books.

For those readers who are wondering what websites I might recommend in my absence, there are several. For San Diego area news, I recommend Times of San Diego (https://timesofsandiego.com/) and East County Magazine (https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/); for Israel news, The Times of Israel (https://www.timesofisrael.com/ ); and for an interesting assortment of opinion, news and commentary, I recommend The Moderate Voice (http://themoderatevoice.com/ )

As I take my temporary leave, I’d like to thank all the readers and writers of San Diego Jewish World. May the Year 2018 be happy, healthy, and prosperous for all of us!

*
Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com