Put “sex” and “drugs” in your title and you’re sure to catch the attention of the young people. Say “gefilte fish” and you’re adding a touch of Jewish kitsch. Sex, Drugs, and Gefilte Fish: The Heeb Storytelling Collection, a reading taking place tonight at Chief Ike’s, sits at the “edgy end” of the DCJCC’s 2009 Jewish Literary Festival. Heeb is a humor magazine targeted to the young and Jewish, and this reading aims to bring together the editor and three contributors to the story collection to “present an evening of funny, reflective, angst-ridden, angry and outrageous stories.”

The festival began Sunday and runs through October 28, with 15 separate events on the calendar. All events are hosted at the DCJCC with the exception of Sex, Drugs, and Geflite Fish and SLAM!, a poetry slam on Saturday night at the Hillyer Arts Space.

While some of the edgier festival offerings have already come and gone, plenty of intriguing options are still to come. Beyond that Saturday nightpoetry slam we mentioned already, Thursday features three works of new Jewish fiction, Sunday an account of hunting Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann, and next Wednesday closes the festival with a Howard Sachar lecture on Current Israeli Myths and Realities: The Way to Peace.

Tickets for each festival event are $10, discounted to $8 for JCC members, those under 25, and seniors. Consult the web site for more details.