“Go forth and multiply” was the fist commandment in the Bible. From King David to (porn star) Ron Jeremy, Jews have taken an interest in sex. But what do we know about the relationship between Jews and sex?

This collection of essays by academics from Britain and other European countries, North and South America, Israel and Australia makes a start in finding out.

Subjects include:

Jews in pornography and the adult film industry
Sexual propaganda
Woody Allen
“The Bride of God”: erotic theology
Homosexuality and Judaism
A century of sex on the Jewish stage
Lesbian Yiddish poetry
The Jewish American Princess
Sex and the British Jewish novel
Jews in prostitution and the white slave trade
Sex and art
… and many more

Nathan Abrams lectures in film at the University of Wales, Bangor. His previous books include: ‘Containing America; cultural production and comsumption in 50s America’ (Continuum); ‘Commentary Magazine 1945-1959’ (Vallentine Mitchell); and ‘Studying Film’ (Arnold).