While the Shabbat B’Shabbato weekly shul handout is not affiliated with the chareidi community, there is almost no one who has visited different shuls in Israel that has not come across a copy during the past 33 years of its publication. In fact, it claims to be the most widely distributed Shabbos dvar torah weekly in Israel.

The publication will be appearing this Shabbos, Shelach 5777, but according to Rabbi Yisrael Rozen of Zomet Institute, economic difficulties dictate reality, and this includes the cessation of Shabbat B’Shabbato.

Rabbi Rozen has sent a letter to the rabbonim and others who maintain columns in the weekly publication, explaining that over the last year it has been made very clear, that despite its adverts, the weekly is losing money, primarily due to the increase in competition, the wealth of weekly publications that appear in shuls nationwide. Rabbi Rozen adds much effort has been expended in finding interested partners to keep Shabbat B’Shabbato alive but to date, these efforts have been unsuccessful.

The rabbi explains they were alerted to the situation around Pesach and meetings were held with schools and others in the dati leumi sector, as well as with advertising agencies. Everyone was optimistic he explains, but nothing has changed to date.

Regarding the coming weeks, Rozen explains he believes Parshas Korach will be the final issue for now. The issue will contain a notification to the tzibur that the week’s issue is the final “for the time being, and we remain optimistic that we will find the way to resume in the future” he concludes.

Rabbi Rozen adds that a number of months ago he suffered a neurological incident that has prevented from continuing on his regular schedule and he is now returning to activities, albeit “on a lower gear”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)