A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEX WEEK AT YALE

Sex Week at Yale began, not in a college dorm room over some beers, not during a meeting of sex educators, but one summer at a Hillel Leadership Conference in Pennsylvania. The event began as a Jewish event, a Kosher Sex Week, to get Jews involved in the Jewish community who would otherwise not be involved. At this event there were a lot of good-natured people with a lot of energy discussing ideas that could achieve this goal. Their ideas ranged from bringing in famous speakers to hosting matzoh-chocolate parties. Sex Week’s founder, Eric Rubenstein, thought these ideas seemed like more of the same, so he suggested having a Kosher Sex Day and how that might shake things up a little. In that same sentence, Eric noted that with a topic as loaded as sex, it’s going to have to be a Kosher Sex Week, because a day just isn’t enough.

As Kosher Sex Week was being planned, Sex Week’s founder spoke with leaders of other organizations on campus, as well as faculty members at Yale. Eventually in October of 2001, there came a point when a meeting between all those privy to the event had to be held. At this meeting the purpose of the event was put on record, but there were two individuals who thought the event was being too narrow in scope. The first to voice her opinion was Jacque Farber, the head coordinator for the Peer Health Educators. The second was Professor Bill Summers of Yale sex education fame. As the two of these brilliant educators were suggesting that something broader come out of this event, Eric looked to the Hillel Rabbi for his approval, which he got in a friendly nod. It was then that Campus-wide Sex Week (the predecessor event to Sex Week at Yale) was born.

Campus-Wide Sex Week was held at Yale University during the week of Valentine’s Day in 2002. The event achieved its goals of bringing awareness to campus, and it had a number of very well attended events, though some events were short on attendance due to a number of factors that were noted and eliminated from the Sex Week at Yale event two years later.

Sex Week at Yale, in the form it is known today, was borne in the summer of 2003. Now with a clearly defined mission and experience throwing an event as important as Sex Week, its founder planned a second Sex Week that was much more grandiose than the first. With speakers as diverse as sex therapists, professors, company executives, and adult film stars, Sex Week proved a huge success. Students had access to professionals both in the classroom and during informal events, giving them opportunities to learn about love, sex, intimacy, and relationships from experienced professionals who deal with these issues for a living.

Sex Week at Yale 2006 proved to be even more exciting and informative than its predecessor events combined. The event garnered worldwide media attention and national collegiate renown. Now, Sex Week 2008 is building upon previous years' successes and shaping up to be the most remarkable Week in the young but already rich history of Sex Week at Yale. The event will take place the week of Valentine’s Day in 2008 (February 11-17), and we look forward to seeing you there!