KINKYJEWS NYC AND THE KGB BAR PRESENT
An Evening of Jewish Lit-Erotica
featuring:
Elisa Albert, Miriam Datskovsky, Allen Ellenzweig, Wayne Koestenbaum, Mindy Raf and Rachel Shukert
DATE: Wednesday January 24, 2007
TIME: 7:00-9:30 PM (Doors at 7PM, Readings begin at 7:30PM)
LOCATION: KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St. at 2nd Ave., New York, NY
http://www.kgbbar.com
COST: Free
OPEN TO: All
Elisa Albert is the author of the short-story collection How This Night Is Different (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, July 2006) and editor-at-large of Jewcy. She received her MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Her writing has appeared in Washington Square, Nextbook, and the anthologies Body Outlaws (Seal Press, 2004), The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt (Dutton, 2005), and the forthcoming Eight Nights (Algonquin, 2007). Free Press will publish her first novel in early 2008.
Miriam Datskovsky is a 21 year old writer and a senior at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she studies human rights and political science. Ms. Datskovsky is the Editorial Page Editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator, authors the newspaper's bi-weekly sex column, and speaks and writes about relationships.
Allen Ellenzweig has published as a critic, cultural journalist, and commentator. He is a founding member and President of the Board of The Robert Giard Foundation and a Contributing Writer to the Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide. His work has appeared in Art in America, The Village Voice, PASSION: The Magazine of Paris, and Response: A Contemporary Jewish Review. He has published short fiction and recently completed a novel. In 1992, his book, The Homoerotic Photograph: Male Images from Durieu/Delacroix to Mapplethorpe? was published by Columbia University Press.
Wayne Koestenbaum is a Professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center, and currently also a Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Art. He has published five books of poetry: Best-Selling Jewish Porn Films , Model Homes, The Milk of Inquiry, Rhapsodies of a Repeat Offender, and Ode to Anna Moffo and Other Poems. He has also published a novel, Moira Orfei in Aigues-Mortes, and five books of nonfiction: Andy Warhol, Cleavage, Jackie Under My Skin, The Queen's Throat and Double Talk. His next book, Hotel Theory, will be published in spring 2007 by Soft Skull Press.
Mindy Raf is a stand-up comic, actress, and writer living in New York City. Mindy authors a widely-read relationship column on Collegehumor.com that has been featured in The New Yorker and the New York Post . Mindy is also a regular actor for the popular Internet sketch comedy program, The Post Show, a frequent podcaster on VH1's Best Night Ever, and a comedy writer for WABC radio.
Rachel Shukert is a playwright, performer and author, born in Omaha, Nebraska. Beyond the stage she has been published by Nerve.com, Culturebot.org, HEEB, McSweeney's, and Critical Moment. Rachel's collection of essays, "Have You No Shame?" will be published by Random House/Villard in 2007.
An Evening of Jewish Lit-Erotica
featuring:
Elisa Albert, Miriam Datskovsky, Allen Ellenzweig, Wayne Koestenbaum, Mindy Raf and Rachel Shukert
DATE: Wednesday January 24, 2007
TIME: 7:00-9:30 PM (Doors at 7PM, Readings begin at 7:30PM)
LOCATION: KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St. at 2nd Ave., New York, NY
http://www.kgbbar.com
COST: Free
OPEN TO: All
Elisa Albert is the author of the short-story collection How This Night Is Different (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, July 2006) and editor-at-large of Jewcy. She received her MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Her writing has appeared in Washington Square, Nextbook, and the anthologies Body Outlaws (Seal Press, 2004), The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt (Dutton, 2005), and the forthcoming Eight Nights (Algonquin, 2007). Free Press will publish her first novel in early 2008.
Miriam Datskovsky is a 21 year old writer and a senior at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she studies human rights and political science. Ms. Datskovsky is the Editorial Page Editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator, authors the newspaper's bi-weekly sex column, and speaks and writes about relationships.
Allen Ellenzweig has published as a critic, cultural journalist, and commentator. He is a founding member and President of the Board of The Robert Giard Foundation and a Contributing Writer to the Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide. His work has appeared in Art in America, The Village Voice, PASSION: The Magazine of Paris, and Response: A Contemporary Jewish Review. He has published short fiction and recently completed a novel. In 1992, his book, The Homoerotic Photograph: Male Images from Durieu/Delacroix to Mapplethorpe? was published by Columbia University Press.
Wayne Koestenbaum is a Professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center, and currently also a Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Art. He has published five books of poetry: Best-Selling Jewish Porn Films , Model Homes, The Milk of Inquiry, Rhapsodies of a Repeat Offender, and Ode to Anna Moffo and Other Poems. He has also published a novel, Moira Orfei in Aigues-Mortes, and five books of nonfiction: Andy Warhol, Cleavage, Jackie Under My Skin, The Queen's Throat and Double Talk. His next book, Hotel Theory, will be published in spring 2007 by Soft Skull Press.
Mindy Raf is a stand-up comic, actress, and writer living in New York City. Mindy authors a widely-read relationship column on Collegehumor.com that has been featured in The New Yorker and the New York Post . Mindy is also a regular actor for the popular Internet sketch comedy program, The Post Show, a frequent podcaster on VH1's Best Night Ever, and a comedy writer for WABC radio.
Rachel Shukert is a playwright, performer and author, born in Omaha, Nebraska. Beyond the stage she has been published by Nerve.com, Culturebot.org, HEEB, McSweeney's, and Critical Moment. Rachel's collection of essays, "Have You No Shame?" will be published by Random House/Villard in 2007.
KINKYJEWS.COM LAUNCHED - SIGN UP TODAY!
KinkyJews - The Next Generation of Jewish
Kinksters - is very please to announce the
launching of our very own website at
http://www.kinkyjews.com.
KinkyJews brings together hundreds of young
Jewish kinksters from across the USA and around
the world. We welcome from the curious to
newbies to the experienced. Similarly we welcome
all sexual orientations and all streams of Judaism.
Hip, funky, open minded, interesting and otherwise
different genres of Jews are encouraged to expand
their horizons with us as well.
If you are young, Jewish and interested in kink or
other alternative sexuality scenes, register with us
today for all the latest information on our events
and to participate in our online discussion forums
at http://www.kinkyjews.com.
Stay tuned to the website for information about our
official launch parties over the summer of 2006. If
you would like to host one of these parties in your
hometown, contact us at contact@kinkyjews.com.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE NEW YORK
AREA
KinkyJews NYCs Under 40 Group is pleased to
announce its
Clothing Optional Summer Pool Party and Kosher
Barbeque
DATE: Sunday July 9
TIME: 8:00 PM
LOCATION: An outer borough (exact details upon
RSVP)
ACCESSIBILITY: Accessible by subway and bus
OPEN TO: People who identify as being Jewish
are are between the ages of 19 and 40 and a
guest. All previous attendees to our events are
welcome as well.
RSVP, FURTHER DETAILS & QUESTIONS: email
kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com
COST: $5 if RSVP by July 2 (free for students
under 30)
$10 if RSVP after July 2 ($5 for students under 30)
BYOB and BYO Towels.
IF THE WEATHER FORECAST IS LOOKING BAD
IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE EVENT, WE
WILL CONTACT ALL RSVPS TO LET THEM
KNOW IF WE ARE STILL ON, MOVING
INDOORS, OR RESCHEDULING.
KinkyJews NY is still looking for a coordinator for
its 40+ group. If interested, please contact
kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com. Our last KinkyJews
NYC event was open to everyone, as will our next
event.
KinkyJews - The Next Generation of Jewish
Kinksters - is very please to announce the
launching of our very own website at
http://www.kinkyjews.com.
KinkyJews brings together hundreds of young
Jewish kinksters from across the USA and around
the world. We welcome from the curious to
newbies to the experienced. Similarly we welcome
all sexual orientations and all streams of Judaism.
Hip, funky, open minded, interesting and otherwise
different genres of Jews are encouraged to expand
their horizons with us as well.
If you are young, Jewish and interested in kink or
other alternative sexuality scenes, register with us
today for all the latest information on our events
and to participate in our online discussion forums
at http://www.kinkyjews.com.
Stay tuned to the website for information about our
official launch parties over the summer of 2006. If
you would like to host one of these parties in your
hometown, contact us at contact@kinkyjews.com.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE NEW YORK
AREA
KinkyJews NYCs Under 40 Group is pleased to
announce its
Clothing Optional Summer Pool Party and Kosher
Barbeque
DATE: Sunday July 9
TIME: 8:00 PM
LOCATION: An outer borough (exact details upon
RSVP)
ACCESSIBILITY: Accessible by subway and bus
OPEN TO: People who identify as being Jewish
are are between the ages of 19 and 40 and a
guest. All previous attendees to our events are
welcome as well.
RSVP, FURTHER DETAILS & QUESTIONS: email
kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com
COST: $5 if RSVP by July 2 (free for students
under 30)
$10 if RSVP after July 2 ($5 for students under 30)
BYOB and BYO Towels.
IF THE WEATHER FORECAST IS LOOKING BAD
IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE EVENT, WE
WILL CONTACT ALL RSVPS TO LET THEM
KNOW IF WE ARE STILL ON, MOVING
INDOORS, OR RESCHEDULING.
KinkyJews NY is still looking for a coordinator for
its 40+ group. If interested, please contact
kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com. Our last KinkyJews
NYC event was open to everyone, as will our next
event.
I will no longer posting the KinkyJews blog on SGs. I will continue to contribute to the forums, but if you are interested in the blog, you can find it on myspace or friendster.
Uniform Fetishes: The Men and Women of the IDF
Last weeks blog topic was Nazi Fetishes. Several people expressed their disdain for the whole idea of fetishizing uniforms in general. Other people mentioned their love of uniforms, yet they were still opposed to Nazi outfits. Obviously there are some people out there, who for various reasons, are really into it.
With all of those thoughts and views mulling about and in honor of Yom Ha-Zikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) and Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) which are this week, I want to ask each of you what would you all think of someone wearing an Israeli military uniform to a fetish event? Is it inappropriate? In what ways would it be different from someone wearing a Nazi uniform? In what way would it be different from someone wearing a US military or police uniform? Would it matter if the person wearing the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) uniform was Jewish or not? Would it be symbolizing pride and strength or unbalanced power, dominance and possibly evil or simply just authority? Would it be sexy and appealing or distasteful or even revolting to you?
I have to say that Ive never seen anyone dressed in an Israeli military uniform at a fetish event, but it is far from an unimaginable possibility. All of this is simply food for thought; as such please share your opinions with the group about fetishizing an IDF uniform.
Putting aside the discussion of whether you think it is appropriate or inappropriate for someone to wear an IDF uniform to a fetish event for a sec, I want you to please raise your hand if you ever went on a teen tour to Israel as a teenager. [I promise this isnt a meandering digression.] Im sure many of you have your hand in the air 9literally or figuratively). Perhaps you went with a youth group, summer camp or synagogue group. Maybe you just with your family or on your own.
If you were like the kids on the trip I went on at age 15 or the teen tours I led while I was in college, you may very well have gone gaga over many of the Israeli soldier in uniform. The hunky, dark and handsome macho young men and the fit, mature, alluringly sexy young women, all of whom are just over 18 themselves. Good for teenage lust or adult fantasy. Hmmm
Maybe it was something about the uniform or even possibly the guns; or could it have been the knowledge that these young Israeli draftees may be facing life and death at any moment. Maybe it was the accent. Maybe it is the authority and discipline. Maybe it was something about their ripe age. For gays and lesbians there is often something about the camaraderie or the taboo nature of gays in the military in the US that somehow homoeroticizes soldiers. For every person it could be something different.
If you went to Israel as a teenager and ever walked down Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem or ventured into the Underground Nightclub (uck!), chances are you know how the slimier male soldier macho hotties as well as the not so hotties hit on some of those impressionable North American teenage girls. Did any of you snap a photo with one or steal a kiss? Ive got to say that unfortunately the female soldiers never seemed to show the least bit of interest in any of us foreign boys. I guess we were not mature or tough enough for them.
So what is it about these men and women in uniform that get folks hormones flowing? Let us know your thoughts and experiences or even fantasies?
Ive somewhat intentionally glossed over the politics of militarism in general and within the Middle East in particular as that was not my purpose here today. But likely your political views will contribute to your feelings towards that are aroused when you see someone in an Israeli military uniform for real or simply as a costume. So if your opinions are shaped by your political perspectives, you are welcome to share your thoughts, but I again ask you to try to remain respectful of others who may disagree with you and please try to avoid hate speech.
To end on a more upbeat tone, I thought I would share some hot pictures of Israeli soldiers.
Here are a couple of classic pictures.
And these are a couple of Israel promotional posters
I liked this erotic and disciplinarian style cartoon of Israeli soldiers in training.
There women is Israeli and is modeling the Israeli made Uzi semi-automatic machine gun.
These are some candid shots of hot Israeli female soldiers.
I couldnt resist but to include a couple of pictures of Israeli Suicide Girl, Katya, in her uniform. She is currently still serving in the army.
Lastly these are some pictures by Israeli photographer Kobe Israel who put together a collection of homoerotic photos of Israeli soldiers. See more at http://www.kobi-israel.com.
Since Mr. Ts is long gone from Ben Yehudah Street (I know, can you believe it?), you can order Israeli military uniforms and accessories online at:
http://www.zahal.org/
Last weeks blog topic was Nazi Fetishes. Several people expressed their disdain for the whole idea of fetishizing uniforms in general. Other people mentioned their love of uniforms, yet they were still opposed to Nazi outfits. Obviously there are some people out there, who for various reasons, are really into it.
With all of those thoughts and views mulling about and in honor of Yom Ha-Zikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) and Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) which are this week, I want to ask each of you what would you all think of someone wearing an Israeli military uniform to a fetish event? Is it inappropriate? In what ways would it be different from someone wearing a Nazi uniform? In what way would it be different from someone wearing a US military or police uniform? Would it matter if the person wearing the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) uniform was Jewish or not? Would it be symbolizing pride and strength or unbalanced power, dominance and possibly evil or simply just authority? Would it be sexy and appealing or distasteful or even revolting to you?
I have to say that Ive never seen anyone dressed in an Israeli military uniform at a fetish event, but it is far from an unimaginable possibility. All of this is simply food for thought; as such please share your opinions with the group about fetishizing an IDF uniform.
Putting aside the discussion of whether you think it is appropriate or inappropriate for someone to wear an IDF uniform to a fetish event for a sec, I want you to please raise your hand if you ever went on a teen tour to Israel as a teenager. [I promise this isnt a meandering digression.] Im sure many of you have your hand in the air 9literally or figuratively). Perhaps you went with a youth group, summer camp or synagogue group. Maybe you just with your family or on your own.
If you were like the kids on the trip I went on at age 15 or the teen tours I led while I was in college, you may very well have gone gaga over many of the Israeli soldier in uniform. The hunky, dark and handsome macho young men and the fit, mature, alluringly sexy young women, all of whom are just over 18 themselves. Good for teenage lust or adult fantasy. Hmmm
Maybe it was something about the uniform or even possibly the guns; or could it have been the knowledge that these young Israeli draftees may be facing life and death at any moment. Maybe it was the accent. Maybe it is the authority and discipline. Maybe it was something about their ripe age. For gays and lesbians there is often something about the camaraderie or the taboo nature of gays in the military in the US that somehow homoeroticizes soldiers. For every person it could be something different.
If you went to Israel as a teenager and ever walked down Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem or ventured into the Underground Nightclub (uck!), chances are you know how the slimier male soldier macho hotties as well as the not so hotties hit on some of those impressionable North American teenage girls. Did any of you snap a photo with one or steal a kiss? Ive got to say that unfortunately the female soldiers never seemed to show the least bit of interest in any of us foreign boys. I guess we were not mature or tough enough for them.
So what is it about these men and women in uniform that get folks hormones flowing? Let us know your thoughts and experiences or even fantasies?
Ive somewhat intentionally glossed over the politics of militarism in general and within the Middle East in particular as that was not my purpose here today. But likely your political views will contribute to your feelings towards that are aroused when you see someone in an Israeli military uniform for real or simply as a costume. So if your opinions are shaped by your political perspectives, you are welcome to share your thoughts, but I again ask you to try to remain respectful of others who may disagree with you and please try to avoid hate speech.
To end on a more upbeat tone, I thought I would share some hot pictures of Israeli soldiers.
Here are a couple of classic pictures.
And these are a couple of Israel promotional posters
I liked this erotic and disciplinarian style cartoon of Israeli soldiers in training.
There women is Israeli and is modeling the Israeli made Uzi semi-automatic machine gun.
These are some candid shots of hot Israeli female soldiers.
I couldnt resist but to include a couple of pictures of Israeli Suicide Girl, Katya, in her uniform. She is currently still serving in the army.
Lastly these are some pictures by Israeli photographer Kobe Israel who put together a collection of homoerotic photos of Israeli soldiers. See more at http://www.kobi-israel.com.
Since Mr. Ts is long gone from Ben Yehudah Street (I know, can you believe it?), you can order Israeli military uniforms and accessories online at:
http://www.zahal.org/
SUN MAY 14-KinkyJews NYC Movie & Play Party for Jewish Kinksters in their 20s & 30s
KinkyJews NY is please to announce its return to Chelsea for its May 2006 event.
On Sunday May 14th KinkyJews NYC will be hosting an exclusive film screening of a featured film that intertwines Jewish and s&m themes. The movie will be followed by a (beginner friendly) demo of s&m play equiptment, topped off by some open "play time" where you will have the opportunity to use the equiptment or watch other people enjoy themselves.
In honor of Mother's Day (which is also May 14th), this event is FREE for all women! Men are asked to pay $5. Sorry that we are holding our event on Mother's Day, but that was the only date that was available. We suggest that you do treat your mothers and the other women in your lives to brunch or lunch because it is the right thing to do and so you can make sure you will be free to join us in the evening.
Here are the event details:
DATE: Sunday May 14th
TIME: 5:30 PM
TRAINS: A,C,E,1,2,3, Subway lines to 34th Street / Penn station
RSVP: RSVPs in advance are required! You may NOT just turn up.
RSVP to kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com or through the KinkyJews' profile.
COST: Men $5, Women FREE
OPEN TO: Jews between the ages of 19 and 40. Partners of people meeting these criteria may attend as well.
Questions can be directed to the KinkyJews
coordinator at kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com or through the KinkyJews' profile as well.
-----------------------
KinkyJews is a next generation movement of several hundred Jewish kinksters in their 20s and 30s from across the US and around the world. We are young and take our kink and Judaism seriously. We welcome welcome from the curious, to newbies, to the experienced. Similarly we welcome all sexual orientations and all streams of Judaism. Hip, funky, open minded, interesting and otherwise different genres of Jews are encouraged to expand their horizons with us too.
In January 2006 KinkyJews began holding monthly events in New York City. KinkyJews NYC now has had four months in a row of successful events.
http://www.myspace.com/kinkyjews
http://www.friendster.com/profiles/kinkyjews
http://suicidegirls.com/members/KinkyJews
KinkyJews NY is please to announce its return to Chelsea for its May 2006 event.
On Sunday May 14th KinkyJews NYC will be hosting an exclusive film screening of a featured film that intertwines Jewish and s&m themes. The movie will be followed by a (beginner friendly) demo of s&m play equiptment, topped off by some open "play time" where you will have the opportunity to use the equiptment or watch other people enjoy themselves.
In honor of Mother's Day (which is also May 14th), this event is FREE for all women! Men are asked to pay $5. Sorry that we are holding our event on Mother's Day, but that was the only date that was available. We suggest that you do treat your mothers and the other women in your lives to brunch or lunch because it is the right thing to do and so you can make sure you will be free to join us in the evening.
Here are the event details:
DATE: Sunday May 14th
TIME: 5:30 PM
TRAINS: A,C,E,1,2,3, Subway lines to 34th Street / Penn station
RSVP: RSVPs in advance are required! You may NOT just turn up.
RSVP to kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com or through the KinkyJews' profile.
COST: Men $5, Women FREE
OPEN TO: Jews between the ages of 19 and 40. Partners of people meeting these criteria may attend as well.
Questions can be directed to the KinkyJews
coordinator at kinkyjewishguy@yahoo.com or through the KinkyJews' profile as well.
-----------------------
KinkyJews is a next generation movement of several hundred Jewish kinksters in their 20s and 30s from across the US and around the world. We are young and take our kink and Judaism seriously. We welcome welcome from the curious, to newbies, to the experienced. Similarly we welcome all sexual orientations and all streams of Judaism. Hip, funky, open minded, interesting and otherwise different genres of Jews are encouraged to expand their horizons with us too.
In January 2006 KinkyJews began holding monthly events in New York City. KinkyJews NYC now has had four months in a row of successful events.
http://www.myspace.com/kinkyjews
http://www.friendster.com/profiles/kinkyjews
http://suicidegirls.com/members/KinkyJews
Why Was That Night Different from All Other Nights? KinkyJews Chocolate Passover Seder
Cherries dipped in chocolate syrup
The Ten Implements of Torture
Erotic Maggid Storytelling
Kinky Show and Tell
This is not your bubbes Pesach Seder!
On the fourth night of Passover about 30 Jewish kinksters gathered at an erotic gallery and play-space in Manhattans trendy Chelsea District to hold the first ever KinkyJews Chocolate Seder. Of all the events KinkyJews NYC have held since the beginning of the year, this was by far our most successful, original and exciting event.
Attendees dressed up for the occasion, brought along a indulgent kosher for Passover treats and sat around an old church boardroom table at the posh KFMK Gallery for a festive celebration of our kinkiness and our Jewish heritage.
A special Haggadah was prepared for the event. Weaving elements of S&M, chocolate and Judaica together, the evening was truly a unique experience.
After we went around the table introducing ourselves, we turned to two of our specially invited guests, Laura Antoniou and Karen Taylor, the authors of the Avadim Chayanu Haggadah: (Once We Were Slaves - A Seder for the Leather Community) a previous guide to conducting a kinky Seder; Laura and Karen told about their efforts to combine faith and fetish in times gone by (way, way back in 2002). Another participant who had used their Haggadah a couple of years ago told of his previous kinky Seder too.
We talked about personal chameitz and abandoning traditional power dynamic relationship dynamics over the holiday and putting away or symbolically selling possessions that represent any power exchange relationships we might be in for the duration of the holiday.
We asked participants to tell the group about a possession that best represents them as a kinkster or their power exchange relationships. There were some very moving stories told and items shown. One person brought a Penthouse magazine from the 1970s in which he saw pictures and read stories of S&M for the first time. He showed us the pictures and read us the passages that made him realized what excited him most. Another person had a very similar story and showed us the entire collection of erotica from an erotica publisher. When he was a young yeshiva boy in Brooklyn a friend showed him one of these books and while his friends dwelled on the sexually explicit sections, he was turned on by the sections that described sadomasochism. Another person showed us the scar on her ear where she was nailed to a door post one Shabbat eve to symbolize her desire to remain a slave, just as in the rules for slavery from the bible. Some of the toys on display included suspension leg restraints, a UV glow in the dark flogger, a double insertion glass dildo, rope and a penis shaped gag.
While we were in the spirit of chameitz, we then played with the wooden spoon and feather from a few chameitz kits (some fun slap and tickle). Although it was already Passover, we symbolically conducted a search for mock chameitz, in this case 10 hidden packages of kosher for Passover M&M-like candies. A prize of a CD went to the person who found the most packages of these candies.
We sang light-hearted songs like Our Passover Things sung to the tune of My Favorite Things from the Sound of Music, The Ballad of the Four Children sung to the tune of My Darling Clementine Pharaoh Doesnt Pay sung to the tune of Ive Been Working on the Railroad, The Frog Song and Let My People Go. More Traditional songs and parts of the Seder were sung as well such as the Four Question (Ma Nishtanah), Dayenu, Who Knows One and Chad Gadya (One Little Goat). During Dayenu, we followed the Sephardic tradition of everyone getting up and whipping the other guests with scallions at the chorus of the song.
Chocolate was even more prolific in our Seder than the number four. The traditional Seder plate items were replaced with chocolate items like a chocolate log for the drumstick, a chocolate filled plastic egg for the egg, bitter chocolate in place of bitter herbs, cherries instead of the green leafy vegetable (Karpas) and a chocolate, nut, dried fruit and Passover granola mixture for the charoset. Four glasses of chocolate milk were drunk and chocolate covered matzah instead of plain matzah.
The Haggadah was peppered with Passover jokes like: Q: What do you call someone who derives pleasure from the bread of affliction? A: A Matzochist. For the two hand washings, each person washed someone elses hands and had their hands washed by someone else to again symbolically free ourselves from our traditional power dynamic roles. We read excerpts of racy erotica that included Passover references, at the reading of the 10 plagues, we also did a demonstration of 10 implements of torture (4 smacks with each on our volunteer), and we ate a dessert filled meal, and afterwards searched for the afikomen.
After we concluded the Seder we moved into the play den area of the club and talked and engaged in a bit of play to round out the evening.
Here is a sample of the feedback we received after the event.
Wow, what a Seder. And 'twas the only one I went to this year. Thanks!
-A1
Wow, what a sweet Seder! I found the afikomen. Then I win a book on Jewish Lesbian erotica!!!
KinkyJews rock!
-A2
Thanks again for the lovely Seder.
-L
What a wonderful event yesterday! Much thanks
-B
What an AMAZING job you did for the chocolate Seder!!!!!!!!!! I'm always impressed by the events. B had a great time too and if we're hanging out, he'll come to more events with me. We hung out with T and M. I was with them until 2:30 AM. We spent most of our time in a hookah bar where I gave a belly dancing class to most of the women (and some of the men) in the joint. It was a great party too! I'm glad that I avoided studying that night.
-U
KinkyJews NYCs next event is scheduled for Sunday May 14th at 5:30 PM. We will be having a KinkyJews movie screening and a demo of play equipment and PLAY TIME. So save the date and stay tuned for details.
Cherries dipped in chocolate syrup
The Ten Implements of Torture
Erotic Maggid Storytelling
Kinky Show and Tell
This is not your bubbes Pesach Seder!
On the fourth night of Passover about 30 Jewish kinksters gathered at an erotic gallery and play-space in Manhattans trendy Chelsea District to hold the first ever KinkyJews Chocolate Seder. Of all the events KinkyJews NYC have held since the beginning of the year, this was by far our most successful, original and exciting event.
Attendees dressed up for the occasion, brought along a indulgent kosher for Passover treats and sat around an old church boardroom table at the posh KFMK Gallery for a festive celebration of our kinkiness and our Jewish heritage.
A special Haggadah was prepared for the event. Weaving elements of S&M, chocolate and Judaica together, the evening was truly a unique experience.
After we went around the table introducing ourselves, we turned to two of our specially invited guests, Laura Antoniou and Karen Taylor, the authors of the Avadim Chayanu Haggadah: (Once We Were Slaves - A Seder for the Leather Community) a previous guide to conducting a kinky Seder; Laura and Karen told about their efforts to combine faith and fetish in times gone by (way, way back in 2002). Another participant who had used their Haggadah a couple of years ago told of his previous kinky Seder too.
We talked about personal chameitz and abandoning traditional power dynamic relationship dynamics over the holiday and putting away or symbolically selling possessions that represent any power exchange relationships we might be in for the duration of the holiday.
We asked participants to tell the group about a possession that best represents them as a kinkster or their power exchange relationships. There were some very moving stories told and items shown. One person brought a Penthouse magazine from the 1970s in which he saw pictures and read stories of S&M for the first time. He showed us the pictures and read us the passages that made him realized what excited him most. Another person had a very similar story and showed us the entire collection of erotica from an erotica publisher. When he was a young yeshiva boy in Brooklyn a friend showed him one of these books and while his friends dwelled on the sexually explicit sections, he was turned on by the sections that described sadomasochism. Another person showed us the scar on her ear where she was nailed to a door post one Shabbat eve to symbolize her desire to remain a slave, just as in the rules for slavery from the bible. Some of the toys on display included suspension leg restraints, a UV glow in the dark flogger, a double insertion glass dildo, rope and a penis shaped gag.
While we were in the spirit of chameitz, we then played with the wooden spoon and feather from a few chameitz kits (some fun slap and tickle). Although it was already Passover, we symbolically conducted a search for mock chameitz, in this case 10 hidden packages of kosher for Passover M&M-like candies. A prize of a CD went to the person who found the most packages of these candies.
We sang light-hearted songs like Our Passover Things sung to the tune of My Favorite Things from the Sound of Music, The Ballad of the Four Children sung to the tune of My Darling Clementine Pharaoh Doesnt Pay sung to the tune of Ive Been Working on the Railroad, The Frog Song and Let My People Go. More Traditional songs and parts of the Seder were sung as well such as the Four Question (Ma Nishtanah), Dayenu, Who Knows One and Chad Gadya (One Little Goat). During Dayenu, we followed the Sephardic tradition of everyone getting up and whipping the other guests with scallions at the chorus of the song.
Chocolate was even more prolific in our Seder than the number four. The traditional Seder plate items were replaced with chocolate items like a chocolate log for the drumstick, a chocolate filled plastic egg for the egg, bitter chocolate in place of bitter herbs, cherries instead of the green leafy vegetable (Karpas) and a chocolate, nut, dried fruit and Passover granola mixture for the charoset. Four glasses of chocolate milk were drunk and chocolate covered matzah instead of plain matzah.
The Haggadah was peppered with Passover jokes like: Q: What do you call someone who derives pleasure from the bread of affliction? A: A Matzochist. For the two hand washings, each person washed someone elses hands and had their hands washed by someone else to again symbolically free ourselves from our traditional power dynamic roles. We read excerpts of racy erotica that included Passover references, at the reading of the 10 plagues, we also did a demonstration of 10 implements of torture (4 smacks with each on our volunteer), and we ate a dessert filled meal, and afterwards searched for the afikomen.
After we concluded the Seder we moved into the play den area of the club and talked and engaged in a bit of play to round out the evening.
Here is a sample of the feedback we received after the event.
Wow, what a Seder. And 'twas the only one I went to this year. Thanks!
-A1
Wow, what a sweet Seder! I found the afikomen. Then I win a book on Jewish Lesbian erotica!!!
KinkyJews rock!
-A2
Thanks again for the lovely Seder.
-L
What a wonderful event yesterday! Much thanks
-B
What an AMAZING job you did for the chocolate Seder!!!!!!!!!! I'm always impressed by the events. B had a great time too and if we're hanging out, he'll come to more events with me. We hung out with T and M. I was with them until 2:30 AM. We spent most of our time in a hookah bar where I gave a belly dancing class to most of the women (and some of the men) in the joint. It was a great party too! I'm glad that I avoided studying that night.
-U
KinkyJews NYCs next event is scheduled for Sunday May 14th at 5:30 PM. We will be having a KinkyJews movie screening and a demo of play equipment and PLAY TIME. So save the date and stay tuned for details.
Commemorating the Holocaust: As Jews, What Are Our Feelings about Nazi Fetishes?
Today is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. The day each year in which we commemorate the murder of six million Jews and millions of Europeans at the hands of the Nazi Empire and their collaborators. It is a truly somber day and a subject that Jews and non-Jews alike often get emotional about. For Holocaust survivors, their descendents and Jewish communities around the world, it is a time to mourn and remember.
The Holocaust and Nazis are evocative subjects. I am not sure why I was so surprised a couple of years ago when I read that outfits depicting the Holocaust or Nazis were prohibited at the Night of the Senses, a major London fetish charity ball. I was glad they were banned, but I was kind of taken aback that they would even need to explicitly say so. I was still a newbie in the scene at the time and a bit dumbfounded that anyone would actually think of coming to an extremely sexually progressive charity event for people with disabilities dressed as a Nazi. Fortunately, I dont think I spotted anyone who violated that rule that evening and my partner and I had an amazing evening.
Not too long after that I attended my first Torture Garden event as part of Londons grand Rubber Ball celebration. I was blown away how impressive and imaginative so many of the people and their outfits were. Among the 1500+ people there, I spotted at least one or two if not more people who had come dressed as Nazis. As a Jew, something visceral inside me found these people and their outfits extraordinarily distasteful. Afterwards I discussed and debated this issue with some of my friends. Many of my Jewish friends who were not in the scene were fairly disgusted or shocked, whereas there was a much more robust discussion among my friends, both Jews and non-Jews, who were within the scene.
People at fetish events regularly dress in nun or priest outfits, as slaves, pets, adult babies, school children, etc. I am rarely, if ever, phased by these other choice of expressions. Why would a Nazi outfit be different? Was I over-reacting?
Then I started to think about why would someone choose to wear a Nazi uniform to a fetish party? Are these people Nazi sympathizers? Neo-Nazis? Anti-Semites? Or are they doing it for other reasons? Did Torture Garden have a policy on the issue?
To answer some of these questions, I looked through the Torture Garden website, but on my cursory examination, I wasnt able to find the answers I was looking for. However, I did come across an article written by someone else on this very topic at http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_03.18.04/plus/lovebites.html. On that site Sasha wrote:
David TC on the English fetish club Torture Garden's site (www.torturegarden.com), makes some interesting, albeit overwrought points. That being: A real Nazi in 2001 is more likely to be wearing a pinstripe suit in an office ... than posing at a fetish club in a kinky and very camp Nazi uniform, surrounded by weirdos, perverts, punks, the tattooed and pierced, transsexuals, gays, gypsies, blacks and every other diverse spectrum of humanity at its most colourful.
While George says he has never prevented anyone from donning whatever turns their crank, he draws the line if it's anything other than representative of a sexual fetish. If it appears they are political, they will be barred, he says, and also warns that you should be prepared to deal with the shit you stir up just by showing up in this garb. But again, you will certainly not be alone. I've had Communist generals. I know one man who shows up in a different uniform every fetish party, and he is a uniform authority on the internet, says George. I will not eject them, because I provide a forum for people to play out their fantasy.
There was a huge row in England last year that about the inappropriateness of Nazi costumes when a British tabloid photographed Prince Harry at a costume party in a Nazi uniform.
He was lambasted in the press and the Jewish community was up in arms. It ended up being a very embarrassing episode for the royal family for which several apologies were issued. It is unclear to me if the Prince Harry scandal impacted the British fetish world, but I dont think I noticed much difference afterwards.
I keep thinking about one of my original questions, why would someone choose to wear a Nazi uniform to a fetish party?
Sasha had a blog entry about Nazi fetishes based on a question she received from someone named Boot Girl. Boot Girl wrote:
World War II German uniformsdrive me fucking crazy. The look of them really turns me on -- the riding boots, the caps, wow! Every submissive fantasy should include one of these uniforms. I want my boyfriend to wear one out to a fetish night -- but how sensitive is this stuff? I mean, the Nazis are not the most respected people around. I'm not a Nazi, just a freak who finds the shit they wore sexy.
I wanted to know what a German might think about Nazi Fetishes especially as it is illegal to dress in a Nazi uniform in Germany. There were some interesting thoughts from a German and then a counterpoint from a Belgian on http://www.stewarthomesociety.org/uniform.htm. The website states:
Fetish enthusiast Ernst Junger from Hanover is a stereotypical sadist: I try to avoid the fetish clubs that appeal to the bulk of my fellow countrymen. Uniforms are a big part of the fetish scene but it is illegal to wear Nazi regalia in Germany. Nazi uniforms are really popular among fetishists and so a lot of Germans come to London to get off on cheap fascist fantasies. While I am a proud to be a sadist, Ive no desire to dress up in SS uniforms. Swastika armbands and jackboots are for plebs, I prefer the more aristocratic attitudes found in the folk cultures that originated in the mountainous regions of Europe. I usually dress in lederhossen when I go to a sex club.
Belgian fetishist Jean-Franois Thiriart provided a different perspective: Sadism is all about power and mastery. Hitler treated the masses like a woman he was conquering, so obviously Nazi uniforms are attractive. Detail is necessary if a fantasy is going to have a semblance of credibility and reality. There are a plethora of Nazi uniforms and those who go for Waffen SS regalia are merely betraying a lack of imagination. Sophisticated sadists prefer the camouflage gear worn in combat by the many different German military units which, under Hitlers benevolent dictatorship, were allowed to maintain a sense of pride in their unique regimental traditions. I particularly like the camouflage dress designed to hide Nazi soldiers in the snows of Norway and Russia.
The author of that article reached similar conclusions to my own. He wrote: Dressing up in Nazi uniforms is not just unnecessarily provocative, it is also sad and stupid. While the majority of those involved in the fetish scene dont go clubbing in fascist regalia, I consider the widespread acceptance of those who do a problem. If fetish has a future it appears to be as a fashion, since fashion might well purge the sado-masochistic club scene of its more unsavoury elements by exposing them as a reactionary blight.
After I started regularly attending fetish events, I came to realize that Nazi outfits were not going to be a rare occurrence at such parties. As such somehow my thoughts on all of this became more confused. Was I growing to tolerate it? Probably not; I dont know I would go as far to say tolerate, but I came to unhappily accept that it was a part of the scene that I was in.
More interestingly I came to learn that some of the people dressed as Nazis were actually Jews. For example, we have a member of KinkyJews who is Jewish and has pictures of herself on her profile dressed in Nazi regalia at fetish events. This is what she wrote to me in an email:
I grew up in a Jewish family, my mother converted to marry my father. We went to a reform temple. I attended religious education as a child. Admittedly as I have grown older I have come to identify less religiously and spirituality as a Jew. I, however, definitely identify culturally as Jewish. And consider and refer to myself as being a Jew, although a bad one (tattoos, non-Shabbat observing at least as far as going to temple on Fridays, etc). Although I do have a mezuzah on my door, occasionally observe Shabbat at home (though not for religious reasons but for sentimental ones) and read the torah regularly.
WARNING: my myspace profile does have pictures of me in Nazi Fetish regalia. This might be potentially offensive to some Jews. Yes, I had relatives die in and survive the Holocaust. As strange as this may sound, my use of Nazi imagery in sexual play is a way to exorcise some demons. And also is a perverse way to play with imagery, no different (in my mind) than a catholic dressing as a rubber nun.
As Nazi uniforms are often sold as collectables or as costume pieces (think as in the Sound of Music), they are often sold non-Nazi websites like (however I cannot vouch for any of them):
http://www.atthefront.com/g_uni_info.htm
http://www.lostbattalions.com/german2idx.html
http://stby.com/bbm/uniforms.htm
There are also Nazi fetish videos, and from what I can tell they are generally fairly offensive.
See some examples at the following:
http://militarylove.wz.cz/mil_filmy.htm
http://cuddlynecrobabes.com/ngw/
http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/Reviews/M-P/nazi_sexperiments.html
So with all of that information before you, I want to solicit feedback from readers. As a Jew, what are your feelings about this notion of a Nazi fetish? Do you find it reprehensible, tolerable, acceptable, or something entirely different. Please share your thoughts with the group. There is no proper or improper response, however, please treat this topic seriously. Try to avoid personal attacks as well.
Today is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. The day each year in which we commemorate the murder of six million Jews and millions of Europeans at the hands of the Nazi Empire and their collaborators. It is a truly somber day and a subject that Jews and non-Jews alike often get emotional about. For Holocaust survivors, their descendents and Jewish communities around the world, it is a time to mourn and remember.
The Holocaust and Nazis are evocative subjects. I am not sure why I was so surprised a couple of years ago when I read that outfits depicting the Holocaust or Nazis were prohibited at the Night of the Senses, a major London fetish charity ball. I was glad they were banned, but I was kind of taken aback that they would even need to explicitly say so. I was still a newbie in the scene at the time and a bit dumbfounded that anyone would actually think of coming to an extremely sexually progressive charity event for people with disabilities dressed as a Nazi. Fortunately, I dont think I spotted anyone who violated that rule that evening and my partner and I had an amazing evening.
Not too long after that I attended my first Torture Garden event as part of Londons grand Rubber Ball celebration. I was blown away how impressive and imaginative so many of the people and their outfits were. Among the 1500+ people there, I spotted at least one or two if not more people who had come dressed as Nazis. As a Jew, something visceral inside me found these people and their outfits extraordinarily distasteful. Afterwards I discussed and debated this issue with some of my friends. Many of my Jewish friends who were not in the scene were fairly disgusted or shocked, whereas there was a much more robust discussion among my friends, both Jews and non-Jews, who were within the scene.
People at fetish events regularly dress in nun or priest outfits, as slaves, pets, adult babies, school children, etc. I am rarely, if ever, phased by these other choice of expressions. Why would a Nazi outfit be different? Was I over-reacting?
Then I started to think about why would someone choose to wear a Nazi uniform to a fetish party? Are these people Nazi sympathizers? Neo-Nazis? Anti-Semites? Or are they doing it for other reasons? Did Torture Garden have a policy on the issue?
To answer some of these questions, I looked through the Torture Garden website, but on my cursory examination, I wasnt able to find the answers I was looking for. However, I did come across an article written by someone else on this very topic at http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_03.18.04/plus/lovebites.html. On that site Sasha wrote:
David TC on the English fetish club Torture Garden's site (www.torturegarden.com), makes some interesting, albeit overwrought points. That being: A real Nazi in 2001 is more likely to be wearing a pinstripe suit in an office ... than posing at a fetish club in a kinky and very camp Nazi uniform, surrounded by weirdos, perverts, punks, the tattooed and pierced, transsexuals, gays, gypsies, blacks and every other diverse spectrum of humanity at its most colourful.
While George says he has never prevented anyone from donning whatever turns their crank, he draws the line if it's anything other than representative of a sexual fetish. If it appears they are political, they will be barred, he says, and also warns that you should be prepared to deal with the shit you stir up just by showing up in this garb. But again, you will certainly not be alone. I've had Communist generals. I know one man who shows up in a different uniform every fetish party, and he is a uniform authority on the internet, says George. I will not eject them, because I provide a forum for people to play out their fantasy.
There was a huge row in England last year that about the inappropriateness of Nazi costumes when a British tabloid photographed Prince Harry at a costume party in a Nazi uniform.
He was lambasted in the press and the Jewish community was up in arms. It ended up being a very embarrassing episode for the royal family for which several apologies were issued. It is unclear to me if the Prince Harry scandal impacted the British fetish world, but I dont think I noticed much difference afterwards.
I keep thinking about one of my original questions, why would someone choose to wear a Nazi uniform to a fetish party?
Sasha had a blog entry about Nazi fetishes based on a question she received from someone named Boot Girl. Boot Girl wrote:
World War II German uniformsdrive me fucking crazy. The look of them really turns me on -- the riding boots, the caps, wow! Every submissive fantasy should include one of these uniforms. I want my boyfriend to wear one out to a fetish night -- but how sensitive is this stuff? I mean, the Nazis are not the most respected people around. I'm not a Nazi, just a freak who finds the shit they wore sexy.
I wanted to know what a German might think about Nazi Fetishes especially as it is illegal to dress in a Nazi uniform in Germany. There were some interesting thoughts from a German and then a counterpoint from a Belgian on http://www.stewarthomesociety.org/uniform.htm. The website states:
Fetish enthusiast Ernst Junger from Hanover is a stereotypical sadist: I try to avoid the fetish clubs that appeal to the bulk of my fellow countrymen. Uniforms are a big part of the fetish scene but it is illegal to wear Nazi regalia in Germany. Nazi uniforms are really popular among fetishists and so a lot of Germans come to London to get off on cheap fascist fantasies. While I am a proud to be a sadist, Ive no desire to dress up in SS uniforms. Swastika armbands and jackboots are for plebs, I prefer the more aristocratic attitudes found in the folk cultures that originated in the mountainous regions of Europe. I usually dress in lederhossen when I go to a sex club.
Belgian fetishist Jean-Franois Thiriart provided a different perspective: Sadism is all about power and mastery. Hitler treated the masses like a woman he was conquering, so obviously Nazi uniforms are attractive. Detail is necessary if a fantasy is going to have a semblance of credibility and reality. There are a plethora of Nazi uniforms and those who go for Waffen SS regalia are merely betraying a lack of imagination. Sophisticated sadists prefer the camouflage gear worn in combat by the many different German military units which, under Hitlers benevolent dictatorship, were allowed to maintain a sense of pride in their unique regimental traditions. I particularly like the camouflage dress designed to hide Nazi soldiers in the snows of Norway and Russia.
The author of that article reached similar conclusions to my own. He wrote: Dressing up in Nazi uniforms is not just unnecessarily provocative, it is also sad and stupid. While the majority of those involved in the fetish scene dont go clubbing in fascist regalia, I consider the widespread acceptance of those who do a problem. If fetish has a future it appears to be as a fashion, since fashion might well purge the sado-masochistic club scene of its more unsavoury elements by exposing them as a reactionary blight.
After I started regularly attending fetish events, I came to realize that Nazi outfits were not going to be a rare occurrence at such parties. As such somehow my thoughts on all of this became more confused. Was I growing to tolerate it? Probably not; I dont know I would go as far to say tolerate, but I came to unhappily accept that it was a part of the scene that I was in.
More interestingly I came to learn that some of the people dressed as Nazis were actually Jews. For example, we have a member of KinkyJews who is Jewish and has pictures of herself on her profile dressed in Nazi regalia at fetish events. This is what she wrote to me in an email:
I grew up in a Jewish family, my mother converted to marry my father. We went to a reform temple. I attended religious education as a child. Admittedly as I have grown older I have come to identify less religiously and spirituality as a Jew. I, however, definitely identify culturally as Jewish. And consider and refer to myself as being a Jew, although a bad one (tattoos, non-Shabbat observing at least as far as going to temple on Fridays, etc). Although I do have a mezuzah on my door, occasionally observe Shabbat at home (though not for religious reasons but for sentimental ones) and read the torah regularly.
WARNING: my myspace profile does have pictures of me in Nazi Fetish regalia. This might be potentially offensive to some Jews. Yes, I had relatives die in and survive the Holocaust. As strange as this may sound, my use of Nazi imagery in sexual play is a way to exorcise some demons. And also is a perverse way to play with imagery, no different (in my mind) than a catholic dressing as a rubber nun.
As Nazi uniforms are often sold as collectables or as costume pieces (think as in the Sound of Music), they are often sold non-Nazi websites like (however I cannot vouch for any of them):
http://www.atthefront.com/g_uni_info.htm
http://www.lostbattalions.com/german2idx.html
http://stby.com/bbm/uniforms.htm
There are also Nazi fetish videos, and from what I can tell they are generally fairly offensive.
See some examples at the following:
http://militarylove.wz.cz/mil_filmy.htm
http://cuddlynecrobabes.com/ngw/
http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/Reviews/M-P/nazi_sexperiments.html
So with all of that information before you, I want to solicit feedback from readers. As a Jew, what are your feelings about this notion of a Nazi fetish? Do you find it reprehensible, tolerable, acceptable, or something entirely different. Please share your thoughts with the group. There is no proper or improper response, however, please treat this topic seriously. Try to avoid personal attacks as well.
KinkyJews' Haggadah
After yesterday's hugely successful KinkyJews Seder, we wanted to share our Haggadah with the group.
Click here:
KinkyJews' Haggadah
We have adapted the "Avadim Chayanu Haggadah: Once We Were Slaves - A Seder for the Leather Community" (see: http://www.iron-rose.com/marketplace/images/Seder.abrv.pdf) and added and subtracted different elements to make our Seder a truly unique experience.
Let us know what you think and if you have suggestions of things we should add for next year's Haggadah, please let us know.
After yesterday's hugely successful KinkyJews Seder, we wanted to share our Haggadah with the group.
Click here:
KinkyJews' Haggadah
We have adapted the "Avadim Chayanu Haggadah: Once We Were Slaves - A Seder for the Leather Community" (see: http://www.iron-rose.com/marketplace/images/Seder.abrv.pdf) and added and subtracted different elements to make our Seder a truly unique experience.
Let us know what you think and if you have suggestions of things we should add for next year's Haggadah, please let us know.
Seek & Destroy Your Evil Inclinations with a Candle, Feather & Wooden Spoon: Bedikat Chametz
'Twas the night before Passover, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The chametz was hidden by the elders with care,
in hopes that Elijah the Prophet soon would be there.
Searching for chemetz, even under the bed,
While visions of matzah danced in their head.
A candle, feather and wooden spoon, all for under two dollars,
Vat ay bargen for pervertables! Now subs, fetch me your collars.
(a KinkyJews original)
Karen Taylor and Laura Antoniou wrote in Avadim Chayanu:
Once We Were Slaves - A Seder for the Leather Community which is available at http://www.iron-rose.com/marketplace/images/Seder.abrv.pdf:
Chameitz is leavening. By the first night of Passover, a house should be rid of any products that contain leavening. This is related to the Talmudic restrictions that any product that is used to make bread products (or make bread products rise) must be removed from the house. Most obviously, these include all bread, cereals, and any alcohol that is made from grain.
Items must then be thrown away, given away, or sold. It is not kosher to simply ask someone to hold onto chameitz items until the festival is over; there must be a transaction, and the original owner must then pay to have the items returned, if wanted. Because Passover is a Jewish holiday, this gift or sale of items cannot take place with another Jew: the items must be given or sold to a person who is not Jewish, or who does not observe the Passover holiday.
This restriction is not just related to food - it is related to all items which touch chameitz. Stoves, sinks, refrigerators are cleaned. Most dishes, silverware, cooking utensils, even tablecloths and towels, are put away in a location that wont be accidentally accessed (usually a garage, basement, or locked cabinet) and kosher for Passover items replace them for 8 days. Cleaning closets, pockets of coats, car floors, any place where food crumbs might be, are included in this rigorous cleaning.
Milechai.com (http://www.milechai.com/text2/bedikat-chametz-kits.html) provides a bit more detail as to the ritual of searching for chametz.
Their website says:
The Mitzvah
Bedikat chametz is done the night before Pesach, Nissan 14 immediately after nightfall.
If it is too difficult to search the whole house on one night the search can be started earlier according to the laws of bedikat chametz. However, the blessing is only said on the night of the 14th.
THE BLESSING
Before the search the blessing of 'al biur chametz' is recited as found in the Haggadah or Siddur. From the time the blessing is said until the after the search one should not say anything not relevant to the search.
When there is more than one building to search, one blessing suffices. One person says the blessing for all the searchers, they listen to the blessing and say "amen." Then they split up and search the different buildings.
THE DECLARATION
Any chametz not found during the search is declared null and ownerless (hefker): "All chametz, leaven and leavened bread, that is in my possession which I have not seen, removed or is unknown to me, should be annulled and considered ownerless like the dust of the earth." This declaration is traditionally said in Aramaic as found in the Haggadah or Siddur. However, one who doesn't understand Aramaic must say it in a language he understands.
THE SEARCH
The search should be conducted by the light of a candle, in order to look in all the nooks and crannies. If the candle might cause damage, such as a carpeted area, one may use a flashlight.
It is preferable that the owner of the property conduct the search himself. Nevertheless, he may appoint someone else to search on his behalf.
Any place chametz might have been put during the year must be searched. Therefore, one must also check one's pockets.
There is a custom that ten pieces of chametz are "planted" in the rooms to be searched. If you hide ten and find nine, just keep searching! The ten pieces remind us of the ten plagues.
NULLIFICATION AND BURNING
The following morning, it is forbidden to eat chametz after the fourth hour. One may continue to derive other benefit from the chametz until the end of the fifth hour. Before this time, the chametz must be burned and again nullified. Since the times vary from city to city, an Orthodox rabbi should be consulted for the exact times in your area.
The second nullification is: "All chametz, leaven and leavened bread, that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have removed it or not, should be annulled and considered ownerless like the dust of the earth."
Chametz is symbolic of the "evil inclination" which we "seek and destroy."
Now Im sure you can think of other things you can do with the candle (wax play), feather (tease and denial) and wooden spoon (percussion play). Get creative with your pre-Passover cleaning. Perhaps have your sub dress up special for you in a French maids uniform or simply go naked and clean the house of non-Kosher for Passover items. Make the searching for chametz like the searching for the affikomen with a special prize going to your guest who finds the most hidden pieces of chametz.
Taylor and Antoniou provide some BDSM alternative practices that can be followed in preparation for the holiday of Passover. They wrote:
While this ritual [of bedikat chametz] may appear to bring on nothing but exhaustion, it can also help us fully prepare for the Passover festival. For eight days we will put away our normal routines, and do something different. It brings a very experiential moment of harshness, and a time to see how much we normally have in our lives. Perhaps then, at the end of the Festival, when we return to the familiar, it may also be transformed for us.
Transforming this chore may be the first chance to examine our identities both as SMers and as Jews. No one celebrating this festival should be uninvolved in the preparation for it, and that includes the cleaning and the removal of chameitz from a house. Even if a top normally does not do housework, the injunction to participate as though you were relating your own experience as a slave takes precedence in this once-a-year event. Working alongside any slaves in the household, the owner or owners are beginning their journey to the seder table.
Personal Chameitz. Chameitz is leavening, the thing that puffs us up. This includes a putting away of our normal routine, and to prepare a time to experience a taste of freedom. The keeping of a slave is chameitz, and so a slave may be freed prior to the Passover ritual. Commentary makes it very clear that Jewish slaves are not permitted to participate in the Passover seder. All items that identify the relationship as one that is chameitz should be removed. This should not be considered negative; but as a chance to renew. Free people sit at the table together - and determine their future as they examine their past.
Bedikat Chameitz (searching for Chameitz)
The day before Passover begins, your house should be pretty ready to go. The night before the first seder, a ritual search must then begin in what should be a mostly symbolic search for the last components of chameitz. Many families deliberately hide a few pieces of bread around the house for children to locate so that the final rituals can be observed. We recommend taking this time to remove the final marks of that as well: the items that mark someone as a slave. As all other items that represent the use of chameitz are removed, so should those items that mark a slave be removed ritually. These are chameitz items, like non-kosher pots and pans, which could then be removed to a place where they are not accidentally seen (or used) during the 8-day festival. This ritual act should be clearly understood by all parties, and offer an opportunity to consider one of the following activities:
- putting the items that mark slavery away for 8 days in a locked cabinet
- give the items into the safekeeping of a (non-Jewish) friend who understands the value of your SM relationship
- give the items away in order to fully experience the opportunity to move from slavery to freedom. When the festival is over, purchase new items to mark the start of a new cycle in your relationship
Following the removal of this relationship aspect, prepare for the final search through the house with the following blessing:
(Hebrew) Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech haolam asher kidshanu bmitzvotav vtzivanu al biur chameitz.
Blessed is the Spirit of the World who makes us holy with mitzvot
and commands us to burn chameitz.
The final search must be conducted using a candle (for light), a feather (to brush the crumbs), and a wooden spoon (to collect the crumbs for burning). The crumbs are then ritually burned. We recommend that the slave, bottom, or the submissive partner in the
relationship be the one who performs the ritual or says the blessing, as the first
act of a free person in the household.
The following is a poem by Hannah Senesh that can be recited at this time:
Blessed is the match/consumed in kindling flame.
Blessed is the flame/that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.
Blessed is the heart/with strength to stop its beating for honors sake.
Blessed is the match/consumed in kindling flame.
After collection, the following formula is said:
Kol chaimira vachamia dika virshuti
Dachamitei udla chamitei.
Dviartei udla viartei.
Libateil vlehevei hefker kafra dara.
Every sort of chameitz in my possession, which I have seen or not seen,
destroyed or not destroyed, let it be null and void,
ownerless, like the dust of the earth.
If the Search for chameitz is included in a communal setting, we recommend the following invocation, each line read by a different reader:
Reader:
Why is this night different from all other nights?
Reader:
On this night, we gather together to prepare for Passover, joining together
as a community to rid ourselves of a different kind of chameitz.
Reader:
What do we cleanse ourselves of tonight?
Alternating readers:
The exhaustion of cleaning and cooking.
The feeling of being the only sadomasochist among Jews;
the only Jew among sadomasochists
The pressure to conform to one image of what
our relationships should look like.
The lingering belief that this tradition doesnt belong to
people who are in dominant/submissive relationships,
who use terms like Owner, slave, Master or Mistress.
The fear that all power is corrupt, and that all surrender is craven.
All:
Let us gather all this together like crumbs. Like we are ready to burn.
Let us enter into this Passover season as if we could cleanse ourselves of all
that is false, all that is harmful, all that is hateful, all that is fearful..
As if God had forever delighted in Gods image in each and every one of us.
As if freedom had been ours, always, fully like an open sea.
Kol chamira vachamia
Libateil vlehevei hefkeir kafra dara.
Every sort of chameitz;
Let it be null and void, ownerless, like the dust of the earth.
Well end on a lighter note with the lyrics to the song Bedikat Chametz by Shlock Rock which is available at http://www.shlockrock.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=32&L=178#lyric:
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
My Ima has cleaned so carefully, oh where oh where can it be.
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
With a candle and feather we search every room, oh where oh where can it be.
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
Pesach is coming so chametz we burn oh where oh where can it be.
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
Pesach is here only matzoh we'll eat, no more chametz for me.
Happy Passover!
'Twas the night before Passover, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The chametz was hidden by the elders with care,
in hopes that Elijah the Prophet soon would be there.
Searching for chemetz, even under the bed,
While visions of matzah danced in their head.
A candle, feather and wooden spoon, all for under two dollars,
Vat ay bargen for pervertables! Now subs, fetch me your collars.
(a KinkyJews original)
Karen Taylor and Laura Antoniou wrote in Avadim Chayanu:
Once We Were Slaves - A Seder for the Leather Community which is available at http://www.iron-rose.com/marketplace/images/Seder.abrv.pdf:
Chameitz is leavening. By the first night of Passover, a house should be rid of any products that contain leavening. This is related to the Talmudic restrictions that any product that is used to make bread products (or make bread products rise) must be removed from the house. Most obviously, these include all bread, cereals, and any alcohol that is made from grain.
Items must then be thrown away, given away, or sold. It is not kosher to simply ask someone to hold onto chameitz items until the festival is over; there must be a transaction, and the original owner must then pay to have the items returned, if wanted. Because Passover is a Jewish holiday, this gift or sale of items cannot take place with another Jew: the items must be given or sold to a person who is not Jewish, or who does not observe the Passover holiday.
This restriction is not just related to food - it is related to all items which touch chameitz. Stoves, sinks, refrigerators are cleaned. Most dishes, silverware, cooking utensils, even tablecloths and towels, are put away in a location that wont be accidentally accessed (usually a garage, basement, or locked cabinet) and kosher for Passover items replace them for 8 days. Cleaning closets, pockets of coats, car floors, any place where food crumbs might be, are included in this rigorous cleaning.
Milechai.com (http://www.milechai.com/text2/bedikat-chametz-kits.html) provides a bit more detail as to the ritual of searching for chametz.
Their website says:
The Mitzvah
Bedikat chametz is done the night before Pesach, Nissan 14 immediately after nightfall.
If it is too difficult to search the whole house on one night the search can be started earlier according to the laws of bedikat chametz. However, the blessing is only said on the night of the 14th.
THE BLESSING
Before the search the blessing of 'al biur chametz' is recited as found in the Haggadah or Siddur. From the time the blessing is said until the after the search one should not say anything not relevant to the search.
When there is more than one building to search, one blessing suffices. One person says the blessing for all the searchers, they listen to the blessing and say "amen." Then they split up and search the different buildings.
THE DECLARATION
Any chametz not found during the search is declared null and ownerless (hefker): "All chametz, leaven and leavened bread, that is in my possession which I have not seen, removed or is unknown to me, should be annulled and considered ownerless like the dust of the earth." This declaration is traditionally said in Aramaic as found in the Haggadah or Siddur. However, one who doesn't understand Aramaic must say it in a language he understands.
THE SEARCH
The search should be conducted by the light of a candle, in order to look in all the nooks and crannies. If the candle might cause damage, such as a carpeted area, one may use a flashlight.
It is preferable that the owner of the property conduct the search himself. Nevertheless, he may appoint someone else to search on his behalf.
Any place chametz might have been put during the year must be searched. Therefore, one must also check one's pockets.
There is a custom that ten pieces of chametz are "planted" in the rooms to be searched. If you hide ten and find nine, just keep searching! The ten pieces remind us of the ten plagues.
NULLIFICATION AND BURNING
The following morning, it is forbidden to eat chametz after the fourth hour. One may continue to derive other benefit from the chametz until the end of the fifth hour. Before this time, the chametz must be burned and again nullified. Since the times vary from city to city, an Orthodox rabbi should be consulted for the exact times in your area.
The second nullification is: "All chametz, leaven and leavened bread, that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have removed it or not, should be annulled and considered ownerless like the dust of the earth."
Chametz is symbolic of the "evil inclination" which we "seek and destroy."
Now Im sure you can think of other things you can do with the candle (wax play), feather (tease and denial) and wooden spoon (percussion play). Get creative with your pre-Passover cleaning. Perhaps have your sub dress up special for you in a French maids uniform or simply go naked and clean the house of non-Kosher for Passover items. Make the searching for chametz like the searching for the affikomen with a special prize going to your guest who finds the most hidden pieces of chametz.
Taylor and Antoniou provide some BDSM alternative practices that can be followed in preparation for the holiday of Passover. They wrote:
While this ritual [of bedikat chametz] may appear to bring on nothing but exhaustion, it can also help us fully prepare for the Passover festival. For eight days we will put away our normal routines, and do something different. It brings a very experiential moment of harshness, and a time to see how much we normally have in our lives. Perhaps then, at the end of the Festival, when we return to the familiar, it may also be transformed for us.
Transforming this chore may be the first chance to examine our identities both as SMers and as Jews. No one celebrating this festival should be uninvolved in the preparation for it, and that includes the cleaning and the removal of chameitz from a house. Even if a top normally does not do housework, the injunction to participate as though you were relating your own experience as a slave takes precedence in this once-a-year event. Working alongside any slaves in the household, the owner or owners are beginning their journey to the seder table.
Personal Chameitz. Chameitz is leavening, the thing that puffs us up. This includes a putting away of our normal routine, and to prepare a time to experience a taste of freedom. The keeping of a slave is chameitz, and so a slave may be freed prior to the Passover ritual. Commentary makes it very clear that Jewish slaves are not permitted to participate in the Passover seder. All items that identify the relationship as one that is chameitz should be removed. This should not be considered negative; but as a chance to renew. Free people sit at the table together - and determine their future as they examine their past.
Bedikat Chameitz (searching for Chameitz)
The day before Passover begins, your house should be pretty ready to go. The night before the first seder, a ritual search must then begin in what should be a mostly symbolic search for the last components of chameitz. Many families deliberately hide a few pieces of bread around the house for children to locate so that the final rituals can be observed. We recommend taking this time to remove the final marks of that as well: the items that mark someone as a slave. As all other items that represent the use of chameitz are removed, so should those items that mark a slave be removed ritually. These are chameitz items, like non-kosher pots and pans, which could then be removed to a place where they are not accidentally seen (or used) during the 8-day festival. This ritual act should be clearly understood by all parties, and offer an opportunity to consider one of the following activities:
- putting the items that mark slavery away for 8 days in a locked cabinet
- give the items into the safekeeping of a (non-Jewish) friend who understands the value of your SM relationship
- give the items away in order to fully experience the opportunity to move from slavery to freedom. When the festival is over, purchase new items to mark the start of a new cycle in your relationship
Following the removal of this relationship aspect, prepare for the final search through the house with the following blessing:
(Hebrew) Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech haolam asher kidshanu bmitzvotav vtzivanu al biur chameitz.
Blessed is the Spirit of the World who makes us holy with mitzvot
and commands us to burn chameitz.
The final search must be conducted using a candle (for light), a feather (to brush the crumbs), and a wooden spoon (to collect the crumbs for burning). The crumbs are then ritually burned. We recommend that the slave, bottom, or the submissive partner in the
relationship be the one who performs the ritual or says the blessing, as the first
act of a free person in the household.
The following is a poem by Hannah Senesh that can be recited at this time:
Blessed is the match/consumed in kindling flame.
Blessed is the flame/that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.
Blessed is the heart/with strength to stop its beating for honors sake.
Blessed is the match/consumed in kindling flame.
After collection, the following formula is said:
Kol chaimira vachamia dika virshuti
Dachamitei udla chamitei.
Dviartei udla viartei.
Libateil vlehevei hefker kafra dara.
Every sort of chameitz in my possession, which I have seen or not seen,
destroyed or not destroyed, let it be null and void,
ownerless, like the dust of the earth.
If the Search for chameitz is included in a communal setting, we recommend the following invocation, each line read by a different reader:
Reader:
Why is this night different from all other nights?
Reader:
On this night, we gather together to prepare for Passover, joining together
as a community to rid ourselves of a different kind of chameitz.
Reader:
What do we cleanse ourselves of tonight?
Alternating readers:
The exhaustion of cleaning and cooking.
The feeling of being the only sadomasochist among Jews;
the only Jew among sadomasochists
The pressure to conform to one image of what
our relationships should look like.
The lingering belief that this tradition doesnt belong to
people who are in dominant/submissive relationships,
who use terms like Owner, slave, Master or Mistress.
The fear that all power is corrupt, and that all surrender is craven.
All:
Let us gather all this together like crumbs. Like we are ready to burn.
Let us enter into this Passover season as if we could cleanse ourselves of all
that is false, all that is harmful, all that is hateful, all that is fearful..
As if God had forever delighted in Gods image in each and every one of us.
As if freedom had been ours, always, fully like an open sea.
Kol chamira vachamia
Libateil vlehevei hefkeir kafra dara.
Every sort of chameitz;
Let it be null and void, ownerless, like the dust of the earth.
Well end on a lighter note with the lyrics to the song Bedikat Chametz by Shlock Rock which is available at http://www.shlockrock.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=32&L=178#lyric:
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
My Ima has cleaned so carefully, oh where oh where can it be.
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
With a candle and feather we search every room, oh where oh where can it be.
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
Pesach is coming so chametz we burn oh where oh where can it be.
Oh where oh where has my chametz gone oh where oh where can it be,
Pesach is here only matzoh we'll eat, no more chametz for me.
Happy Passover!
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