Written by Ophira. Ophira is a first-time Jewrotica writer. [Editor’s Note: Be advised that this piece contains references to fantasy and sexual assault that may be triggering for some readers. And don’t forget to check the handy Jewrotica Glossary for any unfamiliar terms.]
Growing up in Efrat, I had a healthy level of interaction with both men and women. For those of you unfamiliar with Efrat, we are a vibrant Orthodox and Zionist community 8,000 strong located just outside of Jerusalem. Most of Efrat’s residents are ideologically motivated to live here and Judaism guides our daily life and practice, though we are not Haredi. We identify as Dati Li’Umi – this literally means “national religious” and can be compared to Modern Orthodox in America, but our community is really a different ballpark altogether.
I attended a girls-only ulpana during high school, though I would see the guys in the community on Shabbat afternoon at B’nai Akiva – our youth group – and that was fine by me. Social interaction between the guys and girls was permitted and even encouraged on Shabbat, but remained innocent enough. There was no making out with boys, no hand holding, nothing like that – and my friends and I internalized a lot of the values that came from living in this “wholesome” and at times sheltered world.
There was little romance in my life as a teenager, but I had role models for what a healthy relationship looked like: two loving parents who sometimes seemed too mushy as they would kiss all the time… in front of me and my siblings.
My parent’s interactions normalized the idea of romantic affection between spouses, but nobody had initiated any real discussions with me about sexuality and its place in a relationship. I didn’t have any outlets to understand or embrace sexuality, and certainly didn’t receive any real sexual education in high school.
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
The people behind Jewrotica are quite quality! I have confidence that any project these folks take on will be equally quality.
Learning about sex and what’s right and wrong when it comes to sex from a Biblical standpoint was an eye opening experience. I completely enjoyed it and think something like this could be a very cool thing to bring to even high school aged Jewish youth groups.
Such an amazing experience! The Sarah Lawrence Jewrotica workshop was more than I could have ever expected – a comfortable, safe, sultry environment where participants clearly felt good about sharing or listening to each other’s intimate experiences and relating them to sexy stories from the Torah. From the moment the workshop began, Ayo had a sweet presence that was kinetic and spread around the room; her storytelling abilities had everyone enraptured and made the conversation topics relata… Read more
I attended and participated in last month’s Jewrotica event. The engaging performers and Ayo, our inviting host, inspired the audience to feel like one big community. What a great way to inspire our community to embrace sex as a beautiful thing that can be fun, exciting, sacred, sensual, ridiculous, scary and everything in between!
I’m so glad that Jewrotica is represented here at Jewlicious! It’s bringing voices that need to be heard in the Jewish discussion and Jewish climate environment.
While many people fear the “sex talk,” Jewrotica offers an opportunity for writers and audiences to speak about sexuality in a open and safe space. When I attended a Jewrotica reading, I heard stories that reminded me that love takes many forms, and that expressing it is a vital part of who we are as a people.
You may not tell your mom that you’re going to a live Jewrotica reading (or whatever clever name you will dub these events) but you will tell your friends. However, both would be jealous if they find out that they missed it. I think it will only be a matter of time before Jewrotica helps us reclaim the term “Dirty Jew” the way rap music has done for “The ‘N’ Word.” I know I am now proud to be a Dirty Jew!
What an incredible night Jewrotica was!!!! There was this fantastic moment, in a sea of Jews of all sexualities, ages, backgrounds and denominations, that I realized we were all in this together! I hope that there are many more events coming to Austin soon!
Jewrotica is a great way to ask interesting questions about the interplay between sensuality and Jewish wisdom. Check it out.
Jewrotica was everything I had dreamed of and more: sexy attendees, tantalizing confessions, and well-written literature to boot! More importantly, it empowers us Jews to reach inside and own our sexy selves and heritage!
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