Sacred Sperm

For many people, masturbation is a normal part of a person’s sexual life. For the Orthodox Jewish community, however, it is a grave sin. Filmmaker Ori Gruder grew up in a secular home but is now part of the haredi community and has a son approaching the age when the subject of sex must be broached. Mindful of his own experiences with masturbation as an adolescent, Gruder decides that he isn’t qualified to provide his son with necessary guidance about how to manage his sexual urges. Sacred Sperm chronicles his quest to understand why Orthodox Judaism views the act of “wasting seed” with such severity, the elaborate steps taken to prevent the sin from occurring in the first place and the acts of penance required to make amends when resolve fails. Featuring interviews with rabbis and observant friends, as well as reflections on his own battles to master his sexual urges, Gruder sheds light on a subject clouded in obscurity in the haredi community. This is a brave and creative film that challenges viewers to explore the subject of human sexuality through the lens of deeply religious people. It’s also a universal tale of parents anxious at the prospect of their children transitioning from the innocence of childhood into the moral complexities of adulthood.