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.
Jewrotica is inspiring Jews and erotica with holiness and coolness, and is the pride of progressive Judaism. Jewrotica – awesome!
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…
Jewrotica is awesome. It expands the mind and for people who were raised with narrow views on sexuality. Whether you are Jewish or not, or in different sects of Judaism like Orthodox, Conservative or Reform, no matter what your background or where you’re from, Jewrotica gets you to see Judaism and how it relates to sexuality in new ways. I really appreciate Ayo being here and helping us learn different ways to connect with our sexuality.
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!
The Jewrotica event “Evening of Jewrotica: Bedside Reading” was awesome. As Master of Confessions, I got to read the deepest, darkest secrets of people in the room out loud… It was scintillating, titillating, and – yes – even educational!
Jewrotica is a great way to ask interesting questions about the interplay between sensuality and Jewish wisdom. Check it out.
I love the inclusiveness – there is something for everyone, in and out of the Jewish community.
My opinion on Jewrotica is: It’s sexy. It’s awesome. It’s Judaism to the next level. It’s what we should all be getting into!
I’m Heshy Fried from Frum Satire and I am very, very frum. And I completely support Jewrotica – it’s doing a service to the frum community. We need some sort of kosher sexual education. Jewrotica even has a system that allows frum filters to filter out certain things to make it PG for us. It’s mamish Torah. It’s like The Little Midrash Says for sex.
I’m into Jewrotica. I went in for my second circumcision.
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