In a bid to expand his Jewish education, we decided to take Andrew Krucoff, newly minted Aish Hatorah Yeshiva boy and Gawker mascot on a field trip. Of course Torah study is important, but it’s also handy to see the land, see what it’s all about. Hence we decided to go to the Dead Sea and hike in Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi is a gorgeous oasis with natural springs and caves. It is also where David hid from King Saul and composed his famous Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew).

Krucoff’s first lesson however did not involve the Davidic dynasty. See, we decided to hike up Wadi Arugot rather than the shorter, easier and more touristy Wadi David. There we ran into a group of Seminary girls from Machon Shoshana in Jerusalem out on a hike for the day. These women of valor were dressed modestly in long skirts and long sleeved shirts, not the most ideal wear for a difficult hike in hot weather. At one point a difficult climb was required and Kruchoff, ever the gentleman, yet much to my horror, helped one of the girls up over a particularly slippery ledge. Lesson number 1 – these women are shomer negiah hence touching a member of the opposite sex is forbidden. Now granted, the girl in question may have slipped and seriously hurt herself, thus this instance of touching is pretty much permissible. But Kruchoff was still surprised to learn about this negiah thing and apologized profusely. The Machon Shoshana women very graciously giggled and allowed their savior to pose with them in a photo (above and below).

Things got a little wilder after that though. We witnessed something best described as Seminary Girls Gone Wild – and it left us slack jawed. Read the rest of this post for more pics and the rest of the trip. Let’s just say this paassage from the Song of Songs (Shir Ha Shirim in Hebrew, שיר השירים) took on greater resonance: My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of Ein Gedi.

I don’t know about the vineyards, but things sure got crazy at the first waterfall of Wadi Arugot as our otherwise Tznius (modest) gals plunged into the cool refreshing water. We just watched slackjawed.

Krucoff’s face really says it all. But I do have to give credit where credit is due. These women were soaked to the skin and yet remained tznius at all times. I have no idea how they managed that. Must be some cool trick they learnt at Seminary.

So we left our new friends at the waterfall and continued further up the Wadi to the source. There were far less people and the hike was breathtaking. We got to the end of the path and Krucoff, our Michael and his friend Ariel crawled through a tiny crack and climbed upon a giant boulder held up by me. OK, the photos don’t do justice to the whole situation – but it was a really tiny hole and it was really, really hard getting through it. Really. Afterwards, we took a dip in the pools. Soooo nice. And we saw an Ibex, also a river crab! I didn’t even know stuff like that existed! What do I know from crabs?



Finally, we see Krucoff in the classic pose, reading the Jerusalem Post while floating in the Dead Sea. Of course we staged that shot… everyone knows Krucoff is illiterate. A fun day was had by all though and after hitch hiking back to Jerusalem, we all went to the Magic Carpet restaurant near Hamashbir and ate, like, everything. Five hour hikes tend to make one hungry. And sore as hell. Can’t wait till the next tiyul (trip)! As for Krucoff, stay tuned for his American Apparel sponsored Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel!!

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About the author

ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

49 Comments

  • The hole can be seen as the insanely small crack of light beneath the huge rock. And, although she has apparently demanded the editing or non-inclusion of all pictures containing her, Princess of Jewliciousness Laya was also there.

    And that whole ultra-surreal incident with the Machon Shoshana girls and the Hidden Waterfall…well, as I said to Krucoff, “I feel like I shouldn’t look…but…I just can’t stop.”

    In any case, I know a few girls who are going to be having a meeting with their rosh seminary. Heh. That’ll teach ’em to get wet in front of shameless, camera-bearing Moroccans.

  • Ha! My friends and I have always joked that a frum porn site i.e. frummie girls, fully dressed, but prancing around in waterfalls, shopping malls etc., would be a huge hit. And you beat us to the punch. Damn you Jewlicious.

  • if you look hard enough, some pictures could be a wet tee shirt contest. although i’d have a hard time picking a winner.

  • Was there at some point the need for the women to dry themselves? I do not see any towels at all…

    Zo how do they dry themselves off ?

  • Ah, nothing like hangin’ out with some topless guys and girls you can’t touch. Why does Muffti always get left out of these great parties?

  • I know at least one of those girls…

    Very first photo, girl in pale pink top with backpack is (little) xxxx xxxxxxx from Australia!

    ed. note: It’s not her. She’s back in Australia.

  • “what do i know from crabs?”
    That sentence made the tiny Beavis inside my heart laugh maniacally.

    And I want to go on record that this kind of shameless behavior should be honored with its own stanza in Eshet Chayil.

    Sing with me:
    She goes to Ein Gedi,
    Frolics when she gets too sweaty…
    She goes to yeshiva,
    never ever would I leave-ha…

    I’m sure this song has more stanzas.

  • Damn, you guys are having way too much fun.

    So what’s the story with Mr. Krucoff? Aish found him and brought him into the fold?

  • i think shmirat negia is really not a very good idea, nor does it make any sense whatsoever. isn’t it possible, probable even, that the complete abstinence from touching the opposite sex only serves to eroticize and mystify what would otherwise be an innocuous contact? i mean if you’re playing games that could be fun, but for the purpose of raising chaste, modest women i would think it would be counterproductive.

  • Uhhh…..isn’t the whole frickkin’ point to eroticize and mystify physical contact with the opposite sex? Who would want it any other way?

    I don’t want physical contact with the opposite sex to be mundane. I want it to be hot. And for that to happen it has to be mystified.

    Just so y’all unmarried people know, tacharat mishpacha is way difficult. But the payoff is great.

    Anyway, innocuous contact leads to mixed dancing and etc.

    Why do you think people got married so young back in the day?

  • well ephraim, as i said, it’s awesome if that’s what the contact is about. if the point of shmirat negia is to spice up the eventual sex lives of unmarried religious jews everywhere, more power. i thought the point was to keep them from fornicating. one guy i knew who was shomer negia said it was a slippery slope kind of thing. which i found profoundly stupid. and also, some people like to show affection to their friends of the opposite sex by hugging and kissing them and that would be a particular incidence in which i don’t really want it to be hot.

  • To “Me” whoever you are… I’m just wondering if she would have wanted you to announce her identity to the rest of… well… all of us… When other people respond on this site they can choose to remain anonymous or not, but she doesn’t get much chance now does she?

  • Ephraim, why is sex only hot when mystefied? Can’t you appreciate sex just for its internal sexiness without having to veil it in prohibitions and the like?

  • Following on Purim Hero’s comment, I think it would be a good idea for the site admin to remove the name in comment 7.

  • wow. Just wow. I do not understand how Jewish guys can complain about how Jewish girls look… those girls are beautiful!

  • “Ephraim, why is sex only hot when mystefied? Can’t you appreciate sex just for its internal sexiness without having to veil it in prohibitions and the like?

    Comment by grandmuffti ”

    Muffti,

    W/O getting too personal, I’d say the rabbis have cornered the market on this issue. Fact remains, that which we can’t have we desire. When I worked at McDonalds, I stuffed my face with so many Big Macs and McDLT’s (yes, it was a long time ago), that the very thought of a Ronald burger made me gag. And the same is true for sex…both casual and committed. Ask any secular couple married for a few years (Oh yeah…we used to do it 4-5 times a day before we got married, now we do it once or twice a month). Ask the same question to a religous couple, and if they answer, I’d wager it’s much, much higher.

  • Well, perhaps if Muffti were studly enough to get laid as often as you were eating big macs, then perhaps he’d get sick of it…

  • “were studly enough to get laid as often as you were eating big macs”

    Muffti,
    First of all, I hope you don’t got on dates with an opening like: “Hi, I’m Muff”. Very bad.

    Secondly, you play guitar. And if I remember correctly, you played it well. That alone should atone for your sarcasm and current state of unemployment (I’m in a similar state). However if you’re entire repertoire consists of 80’s metal, you may have to settle for metal cougars…burnt out Poison/Ratt babes in their 40’s. Wear a condom!!!

  • why should a religious couple have any better a sex life than a secular couple? at first they may be excited, sure, but their intercourse is just as likely to get monotonous. and without sampling before you buy, you’re much more likely to end up with a sexually dysfunctional or generally incompatible partner. what do the rabbis say about that? also, don’t assume that a number of meaningless sexual encounters detract from the eroticism of an emotionally invested one.

  • hehehe…Shtremiel, you one funny dude. Muffti isn’t unemployed, silly, he’s a student! 🙂

    Leave them metal cougars alone, though. Metal has it’s own brand of aishet chayil and we should be glad that it does.

  • Muffti…
    There’s actually an amazing photo-book abou 80’s metal chicks. Saw it in an alt book store a few weeks ago. It’s got the ripped acid-wash jeans, teased hair and not so subtle sexual posing/gesturing. Brought back fond memories.

    BTW…I have a story that I thought might be Jewlicious worth. Sent it to Dave, but he hasn’t responded. Perhaps you’ll like it. How can I reach you via email?

  • Not having access to it at the drop of a hat is all it takes to mystify something as powerful and earth-shaking as sexual relations, Muffti and ofri.

    Shtreimel’s hamburger analogy is a good one. Imagine your favorite food. Now imagine eating it all day for every meal. You’re going to get sick of it.

    Couples who could not keep their hands off of each other in the beginning are eventually going to cool off. And so the nature of their sexual relationship will change.

    Speaking from personal experience, the laws of tacharat mishpacha are an incredibly effective way to keep couples interested in one another. If you love your wife and you do not have access to her for two weeks out of the month, the sex, when it comes, is just, well, Jewtastic.

    Absence makses the heart grow fonder. It’s not so hard to understand.

    Joy: don’t understnad your comment.

    And, yeah, I gotta gree with quietann. Those girls are all obviously citizens in good standing of the grand Duchy of Babelonia.

  • Ephraim…
    But here’s a big BUT!!!
    I know/knew a couple who weren’t particularly God fearing/religious Jews who incorporated the family purity laws as an attempt to:
    a) ensure healthy sexual lives
    b) avoid divorce (both of their parent’s were divorced)

    They divorced after a year. The woman told me that without the “God” part, the laws don’t really work that well. Moreover, a marriage takes much more work (depending on the emotional maturity of both individuals) then some rabbis would imply i.e. simply follow tacharat mishpacha for marital bliss and heavenly orgasms.

    So in your case Muffti, if you can find it, I’d bang it…with impunity. 🙂

  • Having worked at Conde Nast, Andrew should have been used to being around throngs of Jewish girls who refuse to let anyone touch them…

  • Point taken, Shtreimel. But the fact that they tried tacharat mishpahca basically out of fear tells me that they had a problem with the marriage from the get-go. And if trying to adhere to tacharat mishpacha was the problem that supposedly led to their divorce, all they had to do was stop, since, as you say, they were trying to do it without the “G-d” part (IOW, for all the wrong reasons). The love and respect has to be there. Without that, nothing will work.

    Yes, yes, Muffti and ofri, let me spare you the trouble: if the love and respect are there, then you shouldn’t need tacharat mishpacha to keep it good, right? I agree, but that’s not what tacharat mishpacha is really about. It’s a chok, really. You either do it or you don’t.

  • i don’t even know what tacharat mishpacha is. i was referring to law that shomrei negia can’t touch any member of the opposite sex in any context until they are married, and i still think it’s totally lame.

  • Jewish girls are really the best! This is just one more example!

  • I think the 2 week wait is too long. One week would have been enough. The Nidda concept I believe was instituted by women.

    Personally I believe that the fashions have changed from the way they were back then, that is, there is more revealing clothes today worn by women, belly-shirts, mini-skirts, etc… This I believe causes much frustration on men, frum men who cannot relieve this frustration for a 2 week period, is too much imho. It should go back to one week, that is the entire period of the actualy Niddah and that’s it. No ‘clean days’ aspect is necessary.

  • Get the poor kid out of ‘Fire’, what a waste of time and money. Much better, he would spend time on a religious Kibbutz. Sde Eliyahu is a nice one, but there are more.

    Why waste precious time in Israel with those American gangster lowlifes who will force him to move to Passaic or the UWS?

  • ATTENTION ME! in regards to your comment-that girl in the photo is not who you think it is- i know both girls-the one in the photo and the one you say it is-and youve got it wrong!! i insist that the site administrator remove comment no.7 as it is falsely naming a participant who was not involved!

  • Beutiful to see true modesty and as for my english friend i spotted you in 2 pics, u know who i am… looks like u gals had a blast! This site is real interesting..lol!

  • you guys made a reall funny website and its very origonal. one thing that i must comment about are those funny pics f those seminary girls. i dont know them but im sure that if they found out they would get very upset, and theres nothing they can do about it. if other people who know them find out about htis and see the pics, fro some of these girls it can be very effective in a bad way. so, if you have ne consideration please kindly take those pictures offf because its really not nice and it can cause more dammage than you think it can. at the moment it might be funny (and it is), but you really dont know wat will come out of this . maybe nothing, and maybe something very big. jsut as reguler viewer of your website i find it very intreasting and amusing but this is just somehting taht kinda might be harmful to tohers. please think about it. thank you.

  • what are u tyring to gain by putting this on a website????

  • viewer and sarah: we run into the fine fine women of machon shoshana on a fairly regular basis in and around Jerusalem. I can assure you that they are all fine, fine women who always comport themselves with utmost tsnius and derech eretz. The reason these pics are on the web site is to let people not familiar with the yeshivah/seminary world know that frum people are indeed normal. It’s an important thing. Think abouk it.

  • I have to agree with ck. Until I saw these photos, I always assumed that young women in seminaries were bored, boring, and essentially automatons who cared about nothing except plans for a life of drudgery and bearing of (numerous) children. Thanks to this post, I have an entirely different view. In fact, if I weren’t already married, I would consider a fine seminarian for a wife – especially if she would come with me to Ein Gedi on a regular basis.

    Seriously, what harm could possibly come from this post, Sarah?

  • listen i dont know who you are…whoeva made this site..but this website was the first one that came up when i typed in ‘machon shoshana’ in google. please take off those pics and all those comments about those girls! i know alot of these girls and can tell you that they, as well as all the staff of MSY, would be mortified if they saw these pictures! dont embarrass them in public! take em off!