Sex and The Single Orthodox Jew: A MUST READ
In his usual sensitive and learned fashion, QED opens up a much needed discussion on a pressing and tragically avoided subject: the inability of the Modern Orthodox community to address Sex and Sex education.
The post was a big coarse. Don't you think?
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to discuss sex, it should be done in a tzniyus fashion.
I read that article. What a load of nonsense. First the writer chooses to live like a modern orthodox Jew, then gets exposed to anti halachic societal norms, and then wants to change traditional Jewish attitudes.
ReplyDeleteSure the problem is with modern orthodoxy?
Yonatan: I think that the post was from the heart and that sometimes we confuse modesty in speech with lack of clarity. There was no coarse speech or profanity, just straight discourse. Hazal laid down rules for euphemism. We go far beyond them. The inability of rabbis and educators to properly address sexual issues creates a price that young, religious people and not a few older ones pay. Often, far too often, it's paid in divorces.
ReplyDeleteHaredi: What non-halakhic norms? The therapeutic community constantly points out that this problem is as common in the Haredi community as anywhere else, perhaps more so.
What I mean is for example early marriage. Segregation of the genders until marriage, etc, etc. I grew up in the hareidi world, and so do my children. These issues are for us simply non existent. (I am not talking about exceptional cases, older singles, etc, I'm referring to regular boys that get married age 20-23, and girls aged 18-21)
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the R. Dr. Yitz Greenberg vs. R. Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein debates in the pages of the Commentator in the late 1960's.
ReplyDeleteIf i remember correctly, sex was brought up and RAL (rightly in my opinion) challenged YG to explain exactly what he meant, which ended up being unclear.