Israel National News spoke with Dr. Chana Katan, an American-born gynecologist, rebbetzin, Besheva columnist, and mother of 13 at the sidelines of the Besheva Conference in Jerusalem this week.
Katan discussed the role traditional Jewish laws of family purity play in creating and maintaining intimacy in marriage, and the quality of Israel’s health care system.
“I see a lot of brides who come and prepare them for the wedding. I deal a lot with wedding who want to feel happier in their intimate lives.”
“It could be a problem with desire, a problem with arousal. These are things we deal with much more, maybe because of the feminist movement…but this is to strengthen the family. If the woman feels good, the family is getting stronger.”
How important are the laws of family purity in family life?
“I’ll tell you a story. I was a group of women sexologists – very differently from me politically and philosophically. There was one very senior sexologist who went to a special course in India.”
“She came back and she said there was really revolutional [sic] they were talking about: If you want to deal with female desire disorder, FDD… one week in a month, not to touch each other.”
“We know that the divine knowledge of what our body and soul needs is very perfect.”
“As the years go by, it becomes more and more important.”
“You need your physical space, your emotional space, your time to be able to communicate in other ways which are not physical. This is something that we are very happy that we have this special present.”
Turning to medicine, Katan lauded the Israeli medical system as “wonderful,” emphasizing the quality of the infertility treatment system.
“Wonderful health system. Also, in terms of fertility, we have the most IVF units per capita in the world, because it is important for this country.”
“In general, the health system is very good.”