Life

Jewish Women Prominent Among Female Sexuality Pioneers

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, of “Grace And Frankie” Image by Getty Images

By Phoebe Maltz Bovy May 31, 2017

I think I owe it to Sisterhood readers to click on, and link to, a post with the title, “These Jewish Women Think You Should Masturbate.” It’s not every day I see such a headline, but today just happens to be — as I learned from Bella Book’s JWA post — the final day of “both Jewish American Heritage Month and National Masturbation Month.” The latter was the brainchild of Joani Blank, founder of San Francisco’s Good Vibrations, and — you guessed it — Jewish woman.

Other Jewish women credited with innovations in the solo-pleasure department include some expected contenders (specifically: Dr. Ruth Westheimer) and others less so (Judy Blume). While we’re on the topic, I’d throw in Frankie from Netflix series “Grace And Frankie”, a fictional Jewish woman, yes, but an entrepreneur selling vibrators for older women.

Phoebe Maltz Bovy edits the Sisterhood, and can be reached at bovy@forward.com. She is the author of “The Perils Of ‘Privilege’”, from St. Martin’s Press. Follow her on Twitter, @tweetertation

Phoebe Maltz Bovy is a former editor of the Sisterhood blog at the Forward. Her writing has appeared in several publications, including The New Republic and The Atlantic. Her book, “The Perils of ‘Privilege,’” was published by St. Martin’s Press in March 2017. She has a PhD in French and French Studies from New York University, and has read a lot of 19th century French Jewish newspapers for a 21st century American.

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