Over the past few months, Eshel has had the honor of being featured in the Capital Jewish Museum’s exhibit “LGBT Jews in the Federal City,” which celebrates more than a century of LGBTQ Jewish presence in Washington, DC. Walking through the exhibit this past week, I felt deeply moved by the stories and the legacy that carried us here. The photographs, names, and moments on the walls represented Jewish icons, activists, and movements that helped make Eshel possible fifteen years ago and continue to inspire our work today.
I visited the exhibit during a special evening program called “Striving to Belong: LGBTQ+ Jews in Orthodox Communities.” Eshel’s director, Miryam Kabakov, led a heartfelt conversation with three wonderful panelists: Eshel board member and parent advocate Peninah Gershman, community leader Rabbi Hayim Shafner, and college student and Yeshiva day school alum Tal Bresler. Each shared personal reflections about what it means to live, parent, and lead as part of an Orthodox community while embracing one’s full identity.
Rabbi Shafner, one of the first Orthodox rabbis to host an Eshel Shabbaton more than a decade ago, has remained a steadfast voice for inclusion. He now serves at Kesher Israel, one of the oldest congregations in the country. Peninah’s journey began as a loving parent to a gay son seeking connection, and over time her compassion grew into advocacy and leadership. Today she serves on Eshel’s board and continues to speak out for belonging and understanding. Tal shared about her experience growing up and coming out in Silver Spring, and her hopes for the future of Orthodoxy. Listening to their stories, everyone in the room could envision what it looks like to move Orthodoxy forward together, one conversation and one act of courage at a time.
In the exhibit itself, Eshel is represented by our “We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re Machmir” hat, an article written by a parent, and Rabbi Steve Greenberg officiating the first gay Orthodox wedding in DC, between residents Ron Kaplan and Yoni Bock. These may seem like small moments, but they illustrate how Eshel’s work with LGBTQ+ people, parents, and clergy contribute to the larger tapestry of LGBTQ+ Jewish life in Washington.
As Eshel continues to build spaces of inclusion and belonging across the country, this week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, feels especially resonant. Hashem calls Avraham to leave what is familiar and journey toward an unknown future. At Eshel, we take that same call to heart. It is not enough to wait for LGBTQ+ Jews to find us. We must go out to meet them, to create connection and community wherever they are. Our time in DC this week reminded us that this journey is sacred and ongoing, and that together we continue to walk toward a more open and compassionate world.
Ely Winkler
Director of Advancement