Miryam Kabakov, co-founder and executive director of Eshel, knows firsthand how powerful it can be to discover that you are not alone. Her own experience coming out in the Orthodox Jewish community ultimately inspired work that has now supported LGBTQ Orthodox individuals and their families for 15 years. What began with a retreat for people seeking connection has grown into a network of peer support, family resources, education, retreats, and community partnerships. At the heart of it all is a simple but deeply human idea: people facing difficult moments need somewhere they can feel understood, supported, and at home.
Miryam’s story is also a lesson in what it takes to build support for a mission others may not immediately understand. In Eshel’s early years, the organization struggled to find funding from the very communities Miryam thought would naturally recognize the need. The breakthrough came when a funder who had addressed similar challenges in a Christian community recognized the shared human experience behind Eshel’s work. For Miryam, it reinforced an important fundraising lesson: “We’re not so different.” Sometimes donors do not need to have lived the same story to care deeply about it; they need an opportunity to understand the experience, recognize something familiar within it, and see how their generosity can help.
As Eshel grew, so did the circle of people touched by its work. Supporting one individual often means supporting parents, siblings, religious leaders, educators, and an entire community navigating change together. Miryam has seen parents arrive overwhelmed and eventually discover friendships and a support network they never expected. That ripple effect is a meaningful reminder for donors and nonprofit professionals alike: impact is not always captured by counting the people who directly participate in a program. Sometimes the most important change happens in the relationships, families, and communities surrounding them.