In this unique collection of essays, some of today's smartest Jewish thinkers explore a broad range of fundamental questions in an effort to balance ancient tradition and modern sexuality In the last few decades a number of factors-post-modernism, feminism, queer liberation, and more-have brought discussion of sexuality to the fore, and with it a whole new set of questions that challenge time-honored traditions and ways of thinking. For Jews of all backgrounds, this has often led to an unhappy standoff between tradition and sexual empowerment. Yet as The Passionate Torah illustrates, it is of critical importance to see beyond this apparent conflict if Jews are to embrace both their religious beliefs and their sexuality. With incisive essays from contemporary rabbis, scholars, thinkers, and writers, this collection not only surveys the challenges that sexuality poses to Jewish belief, but also offers fresh new perspectives and insights on the changing place of sexuality within Jewish theology-and Jewish lives. Covering topics such as monogamy, inter-faith relationships, reproductive technology, homosexuality, and a host of other hot-button issues, these writings consider how contemporary Jews can engage themselves, their loved ones, and their tradition in a way that's both sexy and sanctified. Seeking to deepen the Jewish conversation about sexuality, The Passionate Torah brings together brilliant thinkers in an attempt to bridge the gap between the sacred and the sexual. Contributors: Rebecca Alpert, Wendy Love Anderson, Judith R. Baskin, Aryeh Cohen, Elliot Dorff, Esther Fuchs, Bonna Haberman, Elliot Kukla, Gail Labovitz, Malka Landau, Sarra Lev, Laura Levitt, Sara Meirowitz, Jay Michaelson, Haviva Ner-David, Danya Ruttenberg, Naomi Seidman, and Arthur Waskow.
Acknowledgments Introduction Danya RuttenbergI-It1 SotahSarra Lev2 ProstitutionJudith R. Baskin3 Divorcing Ba'alBonna Devora Haberman4 Th e Sage and the Other WomanAryeh Cohen5 Intermarriage, Gender, and Nation in the Hebrew Bible Esther Fuchs6 Good SexMelanie Malka LandauI-Thou7 The Erotics of Sexual Segregation Naomi Seidman8 Reclaiming Nidah and Mikveh through Ideological and Practical Reinterpretation Haviva Ner-David9 The Goy of SexWendy Love Anderson10 A Jewish Perspective on Birth Control and Procreation Elliot N. Dorff 11 Not Like a VirginSara N. S. Meirowitz12 Reconsidering Solitary Sex from a Jewish Perspective Rebecca T. AlpertWe-Th ou13 "Created by the Hand of Heaven"Elliot Rose Kukla14 Toward a New Tzniut Danya Ruttenberg15 On the Religious Signifi cance of Homosexuality; or, Queering God, Torah, and Israel Jay Michaelson16 H. eruta's Ruse: What We Mean When We Talk about Desire Gail Labovitz17 Love the One You're With Laura Levitt 18 Eden for Grown-UpsArthur O. WaskowGlossary List of Contributors Index of Sources Subject Index
