Religious Israeli Sex Therapist Opens Online Store to Normalize Healthy Sexuality

Efrat Eliezer Toldano, 32, a sex therapist and couples counselor from Karnei Shomron, is breaking taboos in the religious community by openly discussing sexuality and running an online pleasure products store called "Night Fragments." Raised in a very religious Haredi household, Efrat remains religious but has embraced a more open approach to sexuality. She noticed a lack of healthy sexual discourse among religious couples, who often marry young with little knowledge and many fears about intimacy.

To address this, she studied sex therapy at the Open University and now treats mainly religious and Haredi clients, as well as secular ones. She frequently encounters issues like shame around pornography use, which can cause men to feel guilty or unfaithful and women to feel replaced, leading to serious relationship strains. Her clinic work inspired her to start the online store, initially from her home, to provide couples with tasteful, accessible sexual aids that encourage connection rather than replacement.

Her store offers a variety of products including couple’s toys, vibrators, oils, and erotic literature. Many customers, including secular Israelis, prefer buying from her site to avoid the embarrassment of physical stores or explicit websites. Efrat emphasizes that sexual aids are meant to enhance intimacy and communication, not substitute for a partner.

She acknowledges that while sexual problems are similar across communities, religious couples often struggle more with basic knowledge and open conversation, which can amplify fears and misconceptions. Despite initial skepticism from her family and community, who questioned raising children with vibrators at home, Efrat’s husband and close relatives have come to support her work. She encourages couples to approach sexual aids without prejudice and to nurture their relationship as the foundation for healthy sexuality.