Eshel Out Loud
News, Views, and Updates from the Eshel Community
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]
Hospitality as a Central Pillar
“And He (Abraham) planted an eshel (tamarisk) in Beersheba, and he proclaimed there the name of the Lord, God of the universe” (Genesis 21:33). Every year, when we read Parshat Vayera, we are reminded of why we chose the eshel tree as our namesake. In the Torah, the eshel is an ancient welcome sign. In [more]
We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re Making History
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 [more]