Sign up to join the Orthodox Allies Roundtable!
Together we will help our communities become more inclusive.
Email us and you will receive a short questionnaire to sign up.
oarsurvey@eshelonline.org
Listen to this podcast on “The Moth” to hear about how one
Orthodox rabbi became an ally.
Rabbi Aaron Potek tells his ally story ally on The Moth
Do you have an Orthodox LGBT person in your life?
Do you know that they need your support?
Then you are probably a potential ally to them. And chances are, they need you to be their ally.
About OAR
OAR (Orthodox Allies Roundtable) engages those who self define as allies, find out what motivates them, where they live and work and who they know in the Orthodox world who is a decision maker or who may have influence on decision makers. We organize allies locally, connect them to each other to determine what their shared values, aims, abilities and connections are and to determine what they collectively and separately can do to make a difference in LGBT inclusion. We will also offer them a range of actions to consider, among which will be public writing efforts, education efforts such as bringing Eshel speakers to their local Orthodox synagogue or JCC, and direct one on one conversations to move the community incrementally toward meaningful pragmatic policy change.
Whatever the number of LGBT persons is, the number of allies is five to ten times larger. Bringing the force of family relationships and committed friends into our orbit is especially key in traditional communities.
While lay folks in traditional communities do not and should not tell their rabbis how to determine halakhic norms, they do feel that it is legitimate for them to share their concerns for people. Family and friends can let leadership know that the well being of LGBT people matters to them. And they can urge their rabbis, educators, and lay leaders to choose pragmatic policies that are fully responsible to the LGBT people in their institutions.
Please join us by signing up to join OAR!