Eshel Out Loud
News, Views, and Updates from the Eshel Community
Shavuot and the Wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Youth
For ten days last month, we accompanied two of our British colleagues from Keshet UK to five US states as they shared a rather unusual story. Dalia Fleming and Benjamin Ellis won the trust of the Chief Rabbi of England, and he theirs, in opening up dialogue in the Orthodox community about LGBTQ+ members. They [more]
The Day My Rainbow Got Kicked Out of Shul
I am an Orthodox Jew. I’m also an openly Bi-woman who is an active part of the Jewish LGBTQ community, particularly the Orthodox group for support and acceptance called Eshel. I also have a lot of awesome friends in the Orthodox community—friends who love and support me for who I am and believe in a [more]
Between Acharei-Mot and Kedoshim
My bar mitzvah date was totally messed up. The synagogue bureaucrat who assigned it gave me the double portion of Aharei-Mot/Kedoshim to be read on April 26, 1969. But I was born in late June! I'm not sure why they thought it was ok, but this was a full two months before my 13th birthday. By mistake, I was given [more]
INSIDE – OUT: Purim as a Jewish Coming-Out Day
Purim is a holiday that celebrates the power of secrets and their revelation. The rabbis of the Talmud mark Purim explicitly as the festival of masks--which calls for nothing less than an unmasking of ourselves and ultimately, of God. This is the one time of the year when drinking a bit too much is a [more]
My Orthodox Rabbi Father Taught Me To Love LGBT People
Originally posted on The Forward Adrianna Chaviva Freedman is an entertainment writer living in New York City. You could find her work on her website and follow her on Twitter at @ac_freedman. Growing up as a religious girl, I always pictured myself having a husband, enough kids to fit a minivan, and living in a comfortable home. I [more]Follow Eshel
