The Five Towns Jewish Times has issued a public apology to the community after coming under criticism for publishing a full-page advertisement for a cannabis dispensary — an issue brought to the forefront in a strongly worded YWN Mailbag submission from a Five Towns resident.

The letter, published by YWN on Wednesday, expressed shock that a newspaper serving the Orthodox Jewish community would carry such an advertisement, particularly amid serious concerns surrounding substance abuse and addiction within the frum community.

The writer called on local Rabbanim and community leaders to speak out and demanded that publications serving the frum community exercise greater responsibility when deciding which advertisements they accept.

Following the controversy, the 5TJT acknowledged that publishing the advertisement was a mistake and issued an unequivocal apology on its social media account.

“We want to acknowledge a recent advertisement that appeared in our paper. Publishing this ad was an error in judgment, and we understand that it caused pain and disappointment,” the newspaper said in its statement.

“As a family newspaper that strives to serve our community with sensitivity and responsibility, we should have exercised far greater caution. We sincerely regret this mistake and apologize to our readers. We are committed to doing better and regaining your trust.”

The accompanying post added: “We made a mistake. We take responsibility. We apologize to our readers and our community.”

YWN commends the Five Towns Jewish Times for listening to the concerns raised by members of the community, taking responsibility and publicly acknowledging that the advertisement should not have appeared.

Mistakes happen. What matters is how they are addressed. In this case, the newspaper heard the criticism, acknowledged it without excuses, and apologized to the community it serves.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)