I Found Myself Cuddling with a 60-Year-Old Tattooed Truck Driver

Avishag Maya Zelof (42) from Pardes Hanna has been organizing cuddle parties in Israel for 12 years, offering a safe space for platonic touch. She recounts her first experience in the US, the diverse participants, the strict rules (no nudity, no kissing), and the demand that has tripled since the war, especially among post-traumatic reservists.

Avishag Maya Zelof (42) from Pardes Hanna has been organizing cuddle parties for 12 years. She tells about her first experience in the US and Canada, where she cuddled with a 60-year-old tattooed truck driver, an experience that sparked her curiosity. Since then, she holds monthly workshops in Givatayim, Pardes Hanna, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be'er Sheva. The parties attract high-tech workers, colorful characters, and post-traumatic reservists, whose referrals have tripled since the war. The workshop lasts about four hours, includes communication and touch games, and prohibits nudity, kissing, and touching intimate areas. The price ranges from 100 to 150 shekels, and registration maintains a 50-50 ratio between women and men. Avishag emphasizes the importance of a safe space and strict rules, noting that in all these years she has only removed three people.