The Dungeon: Israel's First & Only BDSM Club
Ever since learning of its existence, I have wanted to see with my own eyes and fully experience Israel's s first and only Fetish and BDSM Club, the Dungeon. Yes sure, there is Dix Mix, an evidently somewhat dodgy gay club which is supposed to have a BDSM room, Maxim that throws regular events called Fetish (but from what we can see they dont really qualify as fetish, maybe it's just a catchy name), and the Sharav group has BDSM Munches and private parties, but if you are looking for a true alternative night out in Israel, The Dungeon is your best bet.
The Dungeon is located in the beautiful Kedumim Sqaure in the heart of Tel Aviv's Old Jaffa seaside area. One feels mesmerized by the Mediterranean view, the old stone cobbled pedestrian streets, the historic surroundings and the many nearby upscale shops and restaurants.
The Dungeon club is anything but dark and sleazy as Time Out Tel Aviv recently called it. It has a physical atmosphere that most other BDSM I have been to around the world have not had. As HaAretz wrote: The building was erected 300 years ago when Jaffa was under Turkish control and it was not until 1948 that Israel seized control from the local Arab occupants during the Independence War. For about 30 years the building was a club for the rich and the famous called The Cave, and featured prominent performers Yaffe Arkoni and Yoel Sher. Some years later the club was bought and reopened under the name of Van Gough where again it offered society's elite a refuge from the many clubs that had opened during the 90s around Allenby St., some distance from the confines of Jaffa. Just three years ago, in 2002, it became the Dungeon.
---
At the end of 2005, I was in Israel on vacation. I figured while here where better to ring in the new year than at the Dungeon. I had never been to the club before, so I was not exactly sure what to expect. It fascinated me to realize that my fellow clubbers were nearly all, if not actually all, Israelis (except for me) and probably more or less everyone was Jewish.
Walking down the stairs to get into the club, I saw that the woman selling the tickets was trying to enforce the strict dress code: kinky, fetish, rubber, cross dress, leather, vinyl, ultra formal, uniforms; the minimum demand is black. The couple in front of me, a older Russian Jewish male dom and his young army age looking boy sub were nearly refused entry because the sub was dressed in street clothes and wasn't even in the minimally required black. They negotiated their way in as evidently the dom was a regular and was raising a fuss.
Unfortunately the couple in front of me were not the only people who took liberties with the supposed strict dress code. Of the 80-100 or so people that I think came in over the course of the evening, there were only four or five women dressed provocatively and a couple of men wearing collars. But, in a PVC outfit carrying my new green UV flogger, I was probably the most dressed up person there other than one of the female bartenders. The dress code was not enforced at all and most people were in street clothes and not even in black; lots of people were just wearing jeans and t-shirts.
I guess it's not how you dress, but more how you play though. I saw only two couples engage in percussion play (spanking, etc.), one being the gay couple that entered the club just before me and a male dom with his female sub wife. Several men took great pleasure in serving as human benches for women or worshiping womens feet. One of the stunning bartenders who knew what she was doing took two men who were groveling before her and laid them on the ground next two each other and stood on their chests in her heals and proceeded to punish them with her body weight and a flogger that she slapped across their faces.
There were two or three lesbian couples making out and more than one trio getting tamely frisky with one another. One of these threesome was made up of this 50 something hairy guy with a beer gut, jewfro/kibbutz style hairdo, and overgrown moustache partnered with two hot younger women (what wrong with the world). Perhaps he was literally some sort of pimp or maybe he was rich and famous or maybe he had some hidden attributes that I cant fathom on my own.
Mostly people just chatted, drank and danced a bit. The club is split into two areas and for most fetish nights, including the new years party, only the smaller area was open to us alternative folk for play activities. The other area was used as a mainstream club that night. There was a lot of atmosphere in the place due to the buildings old stone structure, cloisters adorned with several cages, etc. In the play area there was no equipment like crosses which was a shame, but it seemed like most folks wouldnt have used it anyway. Overall there was very little actual play, especially involving sub women. A pity for me and my flogger which only ended up being used on a punching bag. Random people seemed to stream in from the mainstream club area across the entranceway with stares of curiosity and voyeurism glimmering in their eyes.
I chatted with a few people including having some good conversations with the club owner Amos Levy and his bartenders and DJs. I danced a bit. At midnight champaign was uncorked and everyone wished each other a happy new year. But by 2AM or so, the last remaining of us trickled out to the mainstream event across the hall in the other part of the club. While it was mainstream party, it was still in a proper BDSM setting. This second area was a great room, with a gallery second floor that had several cages, cloisters, and a small dark room. On the main floor there were chains, crosses, more cages, a storage room with assorted equipment, a Japanese animated BDSM film being projected on the wall, all juxtaposed with a crowd that mostly was not there for all those goodies. Shame I guess. Those couple dozen of us that spilled over from the BDSM area merely blended into the crowd. Personally I changed back into my street clothes as to not freak folks out too much.
Amos and others assured me that their next major event, a Friday the 13th party this January was going to be huge and utilize both club areas for BDSM and alternative activities.
The Dungeon operates as an S&M club every Tuesdays and Thursdays from 23:00. It is also open on other days for special events and private parties which are published on the website's calendar at http://www.dungeon.co.il.
Overall, the atmosphere in the Dungeon was great. The place could use a bit more diverse equipment though. Most of all, the culture of BDSM play at the club and perhaps in all of Israel needs some refining, but perhaps that will come with time.
If youve been to the Dungeon in Israel consider leaving a comment with your impressions.
Ever since learning of its existence, I have wanted to see with my own eyes and fully experience Israel's s first and only Fetish and BDSM Club, the Dungeon. Yes sure, there is Dix Mix, an evidently somewhat dodgy gay club which is supposed to have a BDSM room, Maxim that throws regular events called Fetish (but from what we can see they dont really qualify as fetish, maybe it's just a catchy name), and the Sharav group has BDSM Munches and private parties, but if you are looking for a true alternative night out in Israel, The Dungeon is your best bet.
The Dungeon is located in the beautiful Kedumim Sqaure in the heart of Tel Aviv's Old Jaffa seaside area. One feels mesmerized by the Mediterranean view, the old stone cobbled pedestrian streets, the historic surroundings and the many nearby upscale shops and restaurants.
The Dungeon club is anything but dark and sleazy as Time Out Tel Aviv recently called it. It has a physical atmosphere that most other BDSM I have been to around the world have not had. As HaAretz wrote: The building was erected 300 years ago when Jaffa was under Turkish control and it was not until 1948 that Israel seized control from the local Arab occupants during the Independence War. For about 30 years the building was a club for the rich and the famous called The Cave, and featured prominent performers Yaffe Arkoni and Yoel Sher. Some years later the club was bought and reopened under the name of Van Gough where again it offered society's elite a refuge from the many clubs that had opened during the 90s around Allenby St., some distance from the confines of Jaffa. Just three years ago, in 2002, it became the Dungeon.
---
At the end of 2005, I was in Israel on vacation. I figured while here where better to ring in the new year than at the Dungeon. I had never been to the club before, so I was not exactly sure what to expect. It fascinated me to realize that my fellow clubbers were nearly all, if not actually all, Israelis (except for me) and probably more or less everyone was Jewish.
Walking down the stairs to get into the club, I saw that the woman selling the tickets was trying to enforce the strict dress code: kinky, fetish, rubber, cross dress, leather, vinyl, ultra formal, uniforms; the minimum demand is black. The couple in front of me, a older Russian Jewish male dom and his young army age looking boy sub were nearly refused entry because the sub was dressed in street clothes and wasn't even in the minimally required black. They negotiated their way in as evidently the dom was a regular and was raising a fuss.
Unfortunately the couple in front of me were not the only people who took liberties with the supposed strict dress code. Of the 80-100 or so people that I think came in over the course of the evening, there were only four or five women dressed provocatively and a couple of men wearing collars. But, in a PVC outfit carrying my new green UV flogger, I was probably the most dressed up person there other than one of the female bartenders. The dress code was not enforced at all and most people were in street clothes and not even in black; lots of people were just wearing jeans and t-shirts.
I guess it's not how you dress, but more how you play though. I saw only two couples engage in percussion play (spanking, etc.), one being the gay couple that entered the club just before me and a male dom with his female sub wife. Several men took great pleasure in serving as human benches for women or worshiping womens feet. One of the stunning bartenders who knew what she was doing took two men who were groveling before her and laid them on the ground next two each other and stood on their chests in her heals and proceeded to punish them with her body weight and a flogger that she slapped across their faces.
There were two or three lesbian couples making out and more than one trio getting tamely frisky with one another. One of these threesome was made up of this 50 something hairy guy with a beer gut, jewfro/kibbutz style hairdo, and overgrown moustache partnered with two hot younger women (what wrong with the world). Perhaps he was literally some sort of pimp or maybe he was rich and famous or maybe he had some hidden attributes that I cant fathom on my own.
Mostly people just chatted, drank and danced a bit. The club is split into two areas and for most fetish nights, including the new years party, only the smaller area was open to us alternative folk for play activities. The other area was used as a mainstream club that night. There was a lot of atmosphere in the place due to the buildings old stone structure, cloisters adorned with several cages, etc. In the play area there was no equipment like crosses which was a shame, but it seemed like most folks wouldnt have used it anyway. Overall there was very little actual play, especially involving sub women. A pity for me and my flogger which only ended up being used on a punching bag. Random people seemed to stream in from the mainstream club area across the entranceway with stares of curiosity and voyeurism glimmering in their eyes.
I chatted with a few people including having some good conversations with the club owner Amos Levy and his bartenders and DJs. I danced a bit. At midnight champaign was uncorked and everyone wished each other a happy new year. But by 2AM or so, the last remaining of us trickled out to the mainstream event across the hall in the other part of the club. While it was mainstream party, it was still in a proper BDSM setting. This second area was a great room, with a gallery second floor that had several cages, cloisters, and a small dark room. On the main floor there were chains, crosses, more cages, a storage room with assorted equipment, a Japanese animated BDSM film being projected on the wall, all juxtaposed with a crowd that mostly was not there for all those goodies. Shame I guess. Those couple dozen of us that spilled over from the BDSM area merely blended into the crowd. Personally I changed back into my street clothes as to not freak folks out too much.
Amos and others assured me that their next major event, a Friday the 13th party this January was going to be huge and utilize both club areas for BDSM and alternative activities.
The Dungeon operates as an S&M club every Tuesdays and Thursdays from 23:00. It is also open on other days for special events and private parties which are published on the website's calendar at http://www.dungeon.co.il.
Overall, the atmosphere in the Dungeon was great. The place could use a bit more diverse equipment though. Most of all, the culture of BDSM play at the club and perhaps in all of Israel needs some refining, but perhaps that will come with time.
If youve been to the Dungeon in Israel consider leaving a comment with your impressions.
Shabbat Candles: A Hot Wax Primer for Beginners
One image that seems to crop up in fiction &
photos is that of a dominant slowly dripping hot
wax on a helplessly bound submissive. I'm here to
tell you that it's an erotic experience
for both parties, when done right & with safety.
The 1st question usually asked is "what kind of
candle should I use?" I've tried out several varieties
& for both price, & for other practical reasons I've
settled on using Shabbat candles. These pure
paraffin wax candles are found in most big
grocery stores in the section where they keep the
matzoh & other Jewish food supplies. They come
in a fairly large box, a couple dozen of them in it.
DO NOT use the candles that come in a
glass jar, also found there. While Shabbat candles
are kosher, they have no other special
significance. The ones in the glass jars DO.
A typical Shabbat candle is about 4 inches long
made of pure, white paraffin. It has a simple cotton
wick.
Why I use them is
a)their size makes them easy to handle
b) they burn at a relatively low temperature &
c) you get about 24 of them for around $5.
Why do you care if they are pure paraffin?
Because the hot wax of dinner tapers often has
dyes or scents in them. These pose a hazard of an
allergic reaction to the skin they contact. You can
try them out at some point, if you wish, but they
should be used only sparingly until you know
whether they will react on a given person's skin.
When you have your candles & your victim, you
want to get started, right? Of special note to those
who wax men is body hair. The chest is a great
target, but the wax sticks like glue to chest hair
when it cools, making a problem for after-session
clean up. One solution is to oil the areas to be
waxed. Crisco or good ol' Canola Oil works. You
need to rub whichever substance you choose over
the areas you are going to wax. This will coat the
body hair, making it easier to dislodge wax once it
has cooled. The oil also helps to spread the
heat of the hot wax on the skin, helping to make
the session more bearable, depending on other
factors.
You should lay the submissive on the floor for you
first go-round with them. I'd suggest having them
lay on a beach towel or old sheet, too, to prevent
wax from getting into carpet or elsewhere. You
have them all oiled up and now you want to begin.
First step, take off your shoes & socks. You are
doing this so you can tell what it is they are feeling.
You stand over them and light the candle and
begin once it is going good by tilting the candle,
held at your chest level, over your own foot, so the
first drop hits the top of your foot. Now you know
for a fact what the impact of wax from that height
feels like as it hits the top of your foot. You begin
high up, at your chest level, & start working lower
as the session progresses, re-checking the heat
level.
Wax cools as it falls. The further it falls, the cooler
it is when it hits. The closer it is to the target, the
hotter it is. As some areas become layered in the
session, the heat is not as severe as it is falling on
top of older, cooled droplets.
Good targets on most folks include the chest,
belly & thighs. You can also do the back &
buttocks, if you desire. Care should be taken NOT
to hit the face & you will likely want to stay away
from direct genital contact for any but the most
severe painpuppy. A small towel laid over the
genital region provides a shield for it when working
on the thighs and lower belly.
Start slow & high, work in small droplets. Over
time you will become comfortable with what you
are doing and quite accurate in droplet placement.
You can move in closer to the target area when
you know the reaction in the submissive.
For clean up, you have a couple of choices. One is
to peel the wax from the body, perhaps with a
chilled butter knife or with fingernails. This can be
quite an erotic time, with the right
mind set. For efficiency and expediency, a hot
shower also works
well.
Take care, have FUN, play safe.
One image that seems to crop up in fiction &
photos is that of a dominant slowly dripping hot
wax on a helplessly bound submissive. I'm here to
tell you that it's an erotic experience
for both parties, when done right & with safety.
The 1st question usually asked is "what kind of
candle should I use?" I've tried out several varieties
& for both price, & for other practical reasons I've
settled on using Shabbat candles. These pure
paraffin wax candles are found in most big
grocery stores in the section where they keep the
matzoh & other Jewish food supplies. They come
in a fairly large box, a couple dozen of them in it.
DO NOT use the candles that come in a
glass jar, also found there. While Shabbat candles
are kosher, they have no other special
significance. The ones in the glass jars DO.
A typical Shabbat candle is about 4 inches long
made of pure, white paraffin. It has a simple cotton
wick.
Why I use them is
a)their size makes them easy to handle
b) they burn at a relatively low temperature &
c) you get about 24 of them for around $5.
Why do you care if they are pure paraffin?
Because the hot wax of dinner tapers often has
dyes or scents in them. These pose a hazard of an
allergic reaction to the skin they contact. You can
try them out at some point, if you wish, but they
should be used only sparingly until you know
whether they will react on a given person's skin.
When you have your candles & your victim, you
want to get started, right? Of special note to those
who wax men is body hair. The chest is a great
target, but the wax sticks like glue to chest hair
when it cools, making a problem for after-session
clean up. One solution is to oil the areas to be
waxed. Crisco or good ol' Canola Oil works. You
need to rub whichever substance you choose over
the areas you are going to wax. This will coat the
body hair, making it easier to dislodge wax once it
has cooled. The oil also helps to spread the
heat of the hot wax on the skin, helping to make
the session more bearable, depending on other
factors.
You should lay the submissive on the floor for you
first go-round with them. I'd suggest having them
lay on a beach towel or old sheet, too, to prevent
wax from getting into carpet or elsewhere. You
have them all oiled up and now you want to begin.
First step, take off your shoes & socks. You are
doing this so you can tell what it is they are feeling.
You stand over them and light the candle and
begin once it is going good by tilting the candle,
held at your chest level, over your own foot, so the
first drop hits the top of your foot. Now you know
for a fact what the impact of wax from that height
feels like as it hits the top of your foot. You begin
high up, at your chest level, & start working lower
as the session progresses, re-checking the heat
level.
Wax cools as it falls. The further it falls, the cooler
it is when it hits. The closer it is to the target, the
hotter it is. As some areas become layered in the
session, the heat is not as severe as it is falling on
top of older, cooled droplets.
Good targets on most folks include the chest,
belly & thighs. You can also do the back &
buttocks, if you desire. Care should be taken NOT
to hit the face & you will likely want to stay away
from direct genital contact for any but the most
severe painpuppy. A small towel laid over the
genital region provides a shield for it when working
on the thighs and lower belly.
Start slow & high, work in small droplets. Over
time you will become comfortable with what you
are doing and quite accurate in droplet placement.
You can move in closer to the target area when
you know the reaction in the submissive.
For clean up, you have a couple of choices. One is
to peel the wax from the body, perhaps with a
chilled butter knife or with fingernails. This can be
quite an erotic time, with the right
mind set. For efficiency and expediency, a hot
shower also works
well.
Take care, have FUN, play safe.
About us:
We treat both our Judaism & kink seriously. We admire, associate or affiliate with the following: Jewish Power Exchange (JPEx), LeatherJews, AhavahRabah, The Ties that Bind, Birds of a Feather, The Dungeon, Sharav, Kesher, The Cage, BDSM Israel, Dix Mix, SadoJudaism, Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, The Shekhina Project, Goy Toys, Kosher Cuties, The Philip Roth Society, Heebonism, Fairy Butch's Annual Hannukah Hoe-Down, Twice Blessed, Paddles, Conversio Virium at Columbia Univerisity, The Eulenspiegel Society, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Unfettered, Spanner Trust, Backlash, Sexual Freedom Coalition, SM Pride, Torture Garden, Informed Consent, Wasteland.
Who we'd like to meet:
Please befriend us if you're Jewish & interested in kink or other alternative sexuality scenes. We welcome from the curious, to newbies, to the experienced. Similarly we welcome all sexual orientations & all streams of Judaism. Hip, funky, open minded, interesting & otherwise different genres of Jews are encouraged to expand their horizons with us too.
We treat both our Judaism & kink seriously. We admire, associate or affiliate with the following: Jewish Power Exchange (JPEx), LeatherJews, AhavahRabah, The Ties that Bind, Birds of a Feather, The Dungeon, Sharav, Kesher, The Cage, BDSM Israel, Dix Mix, SadoJudaism, Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, The Shekhina Project, Goy Toys, Kosher Cuties, The Philip Roth Society, Heebonism, Fairy Butch's Annual Hannukah Hoe-Down, Twice Blessed, Paddles, Conversio Virium at Columbia Univerisity, The Eulenspiegel Society, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Unfettered, Spanner Trust, Backlash, Sexual Freedom Coalition, SM Pride, Torture Garden, Informed Consent, Wasteland.
Who we'd like to meet:
Please befriend us if you're Jewish & interested in kink or other alternative sexuality scenes. We welcome from the curious, to newbies, to the experienced. Similarly we welcome all sexual orientations & all streams of Judaism. Hip, funky, open minded, interesting & otherwise different genres of Jews are encouraged to expand their horizons with us too.
