Sexuality is a beautiful part of life – truly a gift from God. As a young couple about to embark on one of life’s most important journeys, may you have only joy and success. An important part of this journey is developing physical intimacy – the unique pleasure of the sexual experience. Your enjoyment as sexual partners is more than just physical; you can feel closeness with another person that no other experience can provide. Your sharing of physical intimacy creates an emotional bond that should include feelings of trust, acceptance, caring, and mutuality. Your intimate relationship is the glue that binds your marriage together.Yet advice about the sexual experience that was once passed from parent to child is no longer, and as a result many couples are left to face this critical area of their lives with little guidance or information. This instructive and easy-to-read guide can help you navigate this new and uncharted area of your lives. For chassan (groom) and kallah (bride), as well as for teachers, rabbis, and anyone with questions about sexuality coming from the Torah observant community. It is user-friendly, with clear and descriptive language, and the information and guidance found in this book is not available anywhere else in the religious world.
 
Printed in 2011
 
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Jennie Rosenfeld holds a PhD in English from the City University of New York Graduate Center, and has done groundbreaking research on contemporary Modern Orthodox sexual ethics. Previously, she served as the cofounder and director of Tzelem, a Special Project of Yeshiva University, whose goal was to bring more sexual education resources to different constituents within the Orthodox community. David S. Ribner earned his Smicha (Ordination) and MSW degree from Yeshiva University and his doctorate from Columbia University. He is the founder and director of the Sex Therapy Training Program, School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University and is certified as a sex therapist in Israel and the United States. He is in private practice as a sex and marital therapist in Jerusalem and writes and lectures extensively on Judaism and sexuality.
 
David S. Ribner earned his BA, Smicha (Rabbinic Ordination), MS (history) and MSW degree from Yeshiva University and his doctorate from Columbia University. He is the founder and director of the Sex Therapy Training Program, School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Israel and is certified as a sex therapist in Israel and the U.S. He is in private practice as a sex and marital therapist in Jerusalem, has authored some 40 articles and book chapters and writes and lectures extensively on cultural sensitivity and sexuality. He is also the co-author, along with Dr. Jennie Rosenfeld, of Et Le’ehov (A Time to Love): The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy. This ground-breaking volume is the first book to offer guidance and advice on marital intimacy for Orthodox Jewish couples, and is a model for understanding the interface between traditional religions and sexuality.