Eshel Out Loud
News, Views, and Updates from the Eshel Community
If You Will It
“If you will it, it is no dream.” Im tirtzu, ein zo agadah. Theodor Herzl was speaking about a homeland for the Jewish people. But as I look back on the Shabbaton I recently experienced, those words feel deeply personal to me. For many years, Eshel has been a lifeline for Orthodox parents of LGBTQ+ [more]
New Queer Resolutions
It’s a new year, and a time full of opportunity to reflect and plan and grow. What will 2026 hold for us? What are we striving towards? What are some goals, big or small, that can help guide us this year? We asked some of the Eshel staff, and this is what they said: I [more]
Lighting Up the Darkness
I remember being ten years old and feeling uncomfortable as I tried to explain to my Christian friends in public school what Chanukah is about. The miracle of an oil lamp lasting eight days just doesn’t have the punch of the birth of the baby Messiah. While both holidays celebrate light in the midst of [more]
What’s in a Strategic Plan?
At my first Eshel retreat in 2010, I remember feeling like the idea of queer Orthodox community, or a true observant future was unfathomable. I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that parents would support their children coming out. I assumed the shuls and schools I grew up in would never engage in conversations [more]