Eshel Out Loud
News, Views, and Updates from the Eshel Community
4 Questions to Ask Your Photographer Before Your Queer Orthodox Wedding
When you ask a potential wedding vendor, “Do you know what a tisch is?” the question underneath is usually much bigger than vocabulary. What you are likely really asking is: Will I have to explain my wedding from scratch? Will you be thrown off by the flow of the day? Can I trust you to [more]
YES to our traditions, AND to our full identities
As observant Jews, we know what it means to navigate challenges and make difficult choices. Across generations, we have drawn on resilience, faith, and commitment to our families, communities, and values. We understand the language of compromise. At Eshel, however, we believe that the most essential parts of ourselves should not be subject to compromise. [more]
Conformity is a Closet
In the process of preparing my d’var Torah last month (read here), I felt like I was grasping at straws to make meaning out of the hypertechnical nature of that portion’s limited plot. Thankfully, there is plenty of dramatic material in this week’s portion. The Israelites are still in the desert after their exodus from [more]
A Student too Eager
Eshel has been working with shuls and schools for more than a decade now on policy issues. In 2018 we encouraged schools to “take the pledge,” a document drafted by an Orthodox high school student and his principal. It promised that when students come out of the closet in high school, the school would not [more]