25th Anniversary
Marathon 2008
February 25 - March 7

A quarter century ago, Nachum Segal unlocked the door to a broom closet in a dank college basement and chose the records he was to play on his first WFMU show. Back in 1983, the program we now know as JM in the AM struggled to reach a few hundred listeners in New York and New Jersey.

Today, JM in the AM reaches Jewish communities from Australia to Iceland. Nachum's leadership and your reliable support have transformed JM in the AM into the Jewish radio program of record, with a 24 hour service spreading Jewish music, culture and information to all corners of the globe.

As the 25th anniversary of Nachum's first broadcast approaches, I'm hoping that you'll be there for us once again to keep this remarkable institution going. The 25th Anniversary Marathon takes place from February 25th to March 7th. Your tax-deductible donation will keep Nachum and his unique blend of Jewish music, humor and community information on the air and reaching more Jews worldwide with each passing show. A lot hangs in the balance for us this year, including an incredible opportunity that I hope you'll help us fulfill.

At long last, the FCC has granted us permission to build a booster FM antenna in Manhattan. This could finally give us the radio coverage that our broadcast license has long promised but which local geography and buildings have always denied us. The booster antenna could greatly improve FM reception in all five boroughs of New York City, as well as Hudson County, New Jersey. But the booster will cost us over $100,000, and this tantalizing possibility comes at a time when our finances are falling short of covering our present operations.

This is an ambitious plan, but it's also essential to JM in the AM's long term health. Whether we can carry it out is up to you, and will be decided by the outcome of our 2008 Marathon. That's why we have a lofty goal for our Silver Anniversary Fundraiser--raising Three Hundred Thousand Dollars.

If you're new to our unique brand of fundraising, check the links above for more information, including details about the Mouse of Today and The JM Future Funds, and this year's gifts on our pledge page..

If you can help us out with a paid pledge of $90 or more by March 7th, we'll throw in a second JM in the AM baseball jersey. Early pledges really help, especially now when our financial engine is running on fumes.

So please join us from from February 25th to March 7th, either by making a tax deductible donation online, or by giving us a call during the Marathon at 800-989-9368.

Thanks for being there for us year after year. Hope we'll hear from you during Nachum's 25th Anniversary Marathon!

Ken Freedman, Station Manager (Send e-mail)