Eshel Out Loud
News, Views, and Updates from the Eshel Community
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]
Giving Thanks
What Eshel staff are grateful for this year: I'm grateful for continued support in living authentically in every aspect of my identity. - Mendel I'm grateful to have access to so many rich, vibrant, and energetic Jewish communities. - Sophia I'm grateful for queer friendships. - Jamie I'm grateful for my wife, everything that she [more]
On Being a Trans Ally
As Jews, we know the dangers that come from dehumanizing rhetoric. For thousands of years, antisemitism has flourished by asserting that we are less human, somehow other than the rest of the world. When people view us as animals, or a plague, or an infestation, it is easy for those in power to argue that [more]