With the Internet awash in outrageous images — from porn to boogieing IDF soldiers in the hotbed of Hebron — can a racy Jewish magazine whose stock in trade is shock value have the same impact solely online?

That’s the question this week following the announcement that Heeb Magazine — known for its covers featuring Roseanne Barr in Hitler attire, a sexualized image of Jesus and a pig trouncing a loaf of challah — has shut down its print edition.

After nine years of entertaining readers and riling adversaries, Heeb will operate solely in its recently re-launched online form, but editors promise that its shock value will be as strong as ever — if not stronger. Newly appointed editor-in-chief Erin Hershberg, a blogger who’s been a huge fan of Heeb since its inception, intends to include more food stories, music reviews and what she calls “goy columnists.”

“The print world has lost its shock value because of the Internet anyway,” Hershberg told The Jewish Week. “Heeb has to change its tune, and if anything my intent is to keep it low-brow but also to keep in a lot of high-brow and keep a play between the two.”   Continue reading…