Eshel Out Loud
News, Views, and Updates from the Eshel Community
Visibility as Healing
Growing up, I often felt invisible. As the fifth of six children, it was easy to fly under the radar as one of the middle children. Although my parents gave us all loving attention, I could be easily tucked away and go unnoticed in my family. To garner individual attention amongst all my siblings, I [more]Putting the Matza Back Together
On Pesach, before we can begin to tell the story of yetziat mitzrayim, we perform Yahatz by breaking the middle of our three matzot in two. Pesachim 115b-116a outlines the rationale for this practice: lehem oni, or poor man's bread, is always broken. This is either because whole loaves are more expensive, whereas broken loaves can [more]
Sowing a Brighter Future
Last week, I had an opportunity to witness an incredible moment of community at our Orthodox Allies Training in Detroit. Towards the end of our time together, one woman raised her hand to speak. Her voice was full of emotion and she began to tear up as she shared that one of her children had [more]
Reimagining “V’nahafoch Hu”: The Joy of Finding Balance
It’s easy to look at Purim and see a story opposing extremes - either very quiet, with hidden identities and secret meetings, or loud with parades in the streets, month-long parties, and even a regional war. There’s also the lavish extravagance of the Persian empire, juxtaposed with Mordechai decreeing Jewish people wear rags and fast. [more]