Written by Dirty Di. Di is a first-time Jewrotica writer.
When he arrived in the country for the first time he was happily married and expecting his second child.
She was just returning from a three month trip to Africa when the community board, along with the trustees, called for a meeting to introduce the new rabbi to the community.
It would be wonderful to say that when they first saw each other, their eyes met across the room, their glance locked and their fate was sealed. But that wasn’t what happened. Her eyes met his, her glance locked and her fate was sealed forever. He would be dragged in later on.
He only noticed her a few weeks later. She, along with twenty-four other congregants, was selected to be part of the ‘Junction Box,’ a committee created to make the new rabbi’s transition less traumatic for everyone. The ‘Junction Box’, or the Junk, as some started to call the group, was supposed to meet at least once a week for the first few months, until the rabbi got ahold of the routine. The reason this committee was so big was to foresee the inevitable desertion of those who had something better to do than endless meetings on religious and social affairs. But she wasn’t one of the deserters. She went to every single meeting, week after week, until there were only three remaining: the rabbi, an old man –one of the Patriarchs of the Community, always there, always trustworthy– and her.
When The Patriarch failed to show up to a meeting, well, that’s when things started to go downhill.
It was the first one-on-one the rabbi had with a member of the community, he told her, and it was a relief for him not to deal with the bureaucratic business he had been mired in for almost a month.
So they talked, mostly about her, because pulpit rabbis rarely talk about themselves. She was positively surprised when he told her, in a rare confession, that one of his life-long dreams was having many daughters so he could teach them the same way Rashi taught his.
That was the moment when she started embracing the idea of being an actual part of the prayer, even if it was under the privacy of their meetings, which began to occur in a much more regular fashion.
After that came the text messages. They started innocent enough, generally with a pertinent question, and ending far away from innocent in the long hours of the night. They never talked about it the day after; it was like it never happened.
Until something did happen.
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
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!
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.
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 love the inclusiveness – there is something for everyone, in and out of the Jewish community.
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!
I had a great time deejaying at the Jewrotica event at Columbia University. The live readings were hilarious, informative, and in some cases, deeply moving. I know that I, along with many of my AEPi fraternity brothers, loved being able to connect our Judaism and our sexuality in a way that made all of us feel comfortable and welcome. I look forward to being a part of this again in the future!
At Jewrotica’s Evening of Bedside Readings, students declaimed monologues on sexual encounters that had a Jewish twist. At Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the speakers pushed their own boundaries by performing a range of explicit narratives that challenged how the audience thought of the relationship to Judaism and sex. During the speakers’ preparation, the arguments about which narratives would be appropriate forced students to take a stand and voice their opinion on their own beliefs about Judaism an… Read more
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!
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.
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