Eshel Online

Cambridge | LGBTQ+ Community Dinner
2026-03-27 18:45 (America/New_York)
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Boston Jewish Film Festival: Pink Lady
2026-03-29 19:00
In an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, Bati has a seemingly perfect life. She is happily married to Lazer and the young couple have three children. But their world starts to crumble when Lazer is blackmailed and Bati discovers his secret affair with his male study partner. Desperate to protect her family and keep the man she loves, she supports Lazer as he attempts to “cure” his homosexuality, whilst uncovering her true desires.
Followed by a conversation with Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Eshel, Co-Founder and Director of Education, and Idit Klein, VP for Public Engagement at New Israel Fund.
From Ophir Award Winning Director Nir Bergman (Here We Are, In Treatment)

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NYC Sfirat Ha'Omer Sevev: Intention Setting w/ Dinner
2026-04-20 19:00 - 21:00
The period of counting Sefirat Ha’Omer between Pesach and Shavuot is commonly known for its agricultural associations, but it is also an auspicious time for self-reflection. For our monthly program this April, we invite you to join Eshel at the JCC Manhattan for an evening of intention-setting. We will work all together and in smaller groups to empower each other and ourselves in Sefirat Ha’Omer resolutions. Come with a resolution in mind or develop one during the program!
This event is 21+ and free. A Chinese food and Sushi dinner will be served.
When: Monday, April 20, 7:00-9:00pWhere: Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

2026 Parent Retreat
2026-04-30 - 2026-05-03
Learn More and Sign Up: https://www.eshelonline.org/2026-parent-retreat/

NYC LGBTQ+ Lag Ba'Omer Rooftop BBQ Social
2026-05-04 19:00 - 21:00
THIS EVENT IS AT-CAPACITY. PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO BE ADDED TO OUR WAITLIST.
Celebrate Lag B’Omer in style, overlooking the Upper West Side on the Manhattan JCC’s rooftop! We cannot make bonfires on the roof, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some good BBQ! There will be hot dogs, smores, and drinks. Ring in the special day with great company and great music! Rain or shine.
This event is 21+ and free.
When: Monday, May 4, 7:00-9:00p
Where: Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, Rooftop

Israel Parent Meetup
2026-05-06 12:00 - 13:00
Join Eshel’s local chapter in Israel for parents of LGBTQ+ children.
This group will provide support and build community in an intimate, confidential setting in English. This group meets in person most months, with a Zoom meeting once per quarter.
Register below for monthly reminders, links, and location details.

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Baltimore | Lag Ba'Omer Party
2026-05-06 19:00 - 21:00
Join Eshel Baltimore for a party to celebrate Lag B’omer! This event is family-friendly and open to LGBTQ+ people, parents, and any other family members you’d like to bring.

Orthodox+* People of Trans Experience Support Group
2026-05-28 21:00 - 22:30
Welcome to Eshel’s Meetup!
What: This virtual support group will be a space for people who identify as transgender, non-binary, and gender questioning. All shades of Orthodox including Chareidi, Modern Orthodox, Ex-Orthodox, are welcome to come and share in a safe and confidential virtual group.
When: Meetings will be held on the third Thursday of every month at 9 pm EST – 6 pm PST.
Where: For notifications and sign-in information, please register below. (You only need to register for this group one time.)
This group is confidential: all attendees are required to adhere to the privacy of its members.
About the Group Coordinator
This Eshel Meetup is led by Joshua Avishur, a transgender Orthodox Jew who enjoys connecting with people and embracing the beauty in all individuals. Joshua is a Masters-in-Social-Work student with experience in mentoring LGBTQ+ folk and developing and leading therapy groups for children and individual counseling with at-risk youth. Joshua is also a transgender panel moderator and panelist.

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Israel Day on Fifth 2026
2026-05-31 10:00 - 15:00
Join Eshel and JQY as part of the LGBTQ+ marching group at Israel Day on Fifth, Sunday, May 31st, in NYC.
Registration for this event is now closed.

NYC LGBTQ+ Pride Launch Story Slam
2026-06-01 19:00 - 21:00
Kick off Pride Month with Eshel at the JCC for our first Story Slam, an evening of Jewish LGBTQ+ celebration and joy, featuring your fellow community members telling their stories in their own words. The storytelling theme for this edition is “Na’aseh V’nishma” (“we will do and we will listen”). We invite our storytellers to share about a time in their Jewish queer journeys where they listened to their inner voice and took action. How do your Jewish and LGBTQ+ identities guide a more positive, self-accepting present and future?
If you would like to propose a story, please do so using this form.
THIS EVENT IS A CONFIDENTIAL SPACE. CONTENT OF STORIES WILL BE KEPT PRIVATE AND WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
Please note that due to the limited timeframe of our program, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate every submission we receive. To ensure a cohesive event, the final lineup will be selected at the discretion of Eshel’s staff. We deeply appreciate the time, vulnerability, and creativity that goes into every single submission, and we thank you so much for sharing your voice with us!

This event is 21+ and free. Light refreshments will be served.

Silver Spring Challah Bake
2026-06-01 19:30 - 21:00
Join the Silver Spring LGBTQ+ chapter of Eshel for our kickoff event! Make and braid challah and meet new friends!
When: Monday, June 1, 7:30PM – 9PM
Where: Silver Spring, MD – Address sent out upon registering
Who: LGBTQ+
Interested in volunteering? We need some folks to come 30-45 minutes before the event and help set up. Sign up below!

Parents of Trans & Gender Nonconforming Children Support Group
2026-06-01 21:00 - 22:00
What: This group is for traditional Jewish parents who may be struggling with their child’s gender identity and/or wish to connect with other parents like themselves.

When: Fourth Monday of each month, 9:00 PM EST – 8:00 PM CST – 6:00 PM PST
Where: For notifications and sign-in information, please register below. (You only need to register for this group one time.)
Questions? Email info@eshelonline.org

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Book Talk with Orit Avishai
2026-06-08 19:00 - 21:00
This June, Join Eshel for a book talk followed by Q&A with author Orit Avishai! The Eshel Baltimore Chapter has been reading her book, Queer Judaism: LGBT Activism and the Remaking of Jewish Orthodoxy in Israel, as part of a book club but this special event is open to everyone whether or not they have read the book. So sign up below, join us on Zoom, and learn more about queer judaism from this incredible author.

Orit Avishai is Professor of Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Fordham University in New York. She has over two decades of experience studying Jewish Orthodoxy and her work has been published in academic journals and public facing venues. She is currently writing about the Yeshiva University Pride Alliance Lawsuit in the context of a large study of religious freedom controversies in the United States.

Book Synopsis: Until fairly recently, Orthodox people in Israel could not imagine embracing their LGBT sexual or gender identity and staying within the Orthodox fold. But within the span of about a decade and a half, Orthodox LGBT people have forged social circles and communities and become much more visible. This has been a remarkable shift in a relatively short time span. Queer Judaism offers the compelling story of how Jewish LGBT persons in Israel created an effective social movement.
Drawing on more than 120 interviews and extensive fieldwork, Queer Judaism illustrates how LGBT Jews accomplished this radical change. The book makes the case that it has taken multiple approaches to achieve recognition within the community, ranging from political activism, to more personal interactions with religious leaders and community members, to simply creating spaces to go about their everyday lives. Orthodox LGBT Jews have drawn from their lived experiences as well as Jewish traditions, symbols, and mythologies to build this movement, motivated to embrace their sexual identity not in spite of, but rather because of, their commitment to Jewish scripture, tradition, and way of life.
Though this is predominantly an Israeli story, it provides insights for American LGBT Jews and their communities.

The Holy Closet - Chicago Film Screening and Panel
2026-06-11 19:00
What does the wedding ceremony of two religious Jewish gay men look like? Or a family of two mothers and 4 children? Or the pregnancy of a trans religious man? These are some of the questions raised in The Holy Closet, a marvelous film by Moran Nakar and Avigail Sperber. The film features seven stories depicting life cycle moments of LGBTQ Jews who chose to remain religious, building their daily lives, relationships, and families according to Jewish tradition.
Join Eshel for a film screening at the Skokie Theatre on Thursday June 11th. This is a celebratory, poignant and often funny representation of the lives of queer Jews who are reshaping Orthodoxy in Israel. After the film, author/educator Rabbi Steve Greenberg will be joined by a panel of local Orthodox community members who will help us to explore an American version of this film’s message. Please join Carol Gore, an Orthodox mom of multiple gay children, Richard Kahn, an out and active leader in his Orthodox community and Rabbi Aaron Finkelstein of Anshei Shalom, for a moving and engaging evening!
Since we have limited seating, please register for a seat. Tickets are $10.

Silver Spring Parents Meetup
2026-06-23 19:00 - 21:00
Connect with other parents of LGBTQ+ children in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. This is a great opportunity to learn from one another and build our community.
Where: silver Spring, MD – RSVP For Address
When: RESCHEDULED for June 23

Jew York Pride 2026
2026-06-28 09:00 - 16:00
THIS EVENT IS AT CAPACITY AND REGULAR REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. Please fill out the form below to join our waitlist. NOTE: registration for the waitlist is not a guarantee of a spot in the marching group. Thank you for your understanding.
Join us to march with the adult LGBTQ+ Jewish contingent in the Heritage of Pride NYC Pride March!
Amid escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, especially the rights of trans and nonbinary individuals, as well as rising antisemitism, the ability to gather in affirming, joyful community as LGBTQ+ Jews is crucial. Please fill out this form to register for the adults’ and families marching group (adults 21+ and children under 12)!
Following our annual community brunch, Eshel will lead the adults’ marching group to the parade line-up point (details coming soon).
Registration is mandatory for security purposes. Location will be shared with registrants the week of the event.
Please note: registrations for the youth marching group and brunch can be accessed via Linktree here.
For internal tracking and discretion purposes, we require separate registrations for each adult guest. Parents with children under 12 can fill out one form here. Thank you for your understanding.

Israel Parent Meetup
2026-06-29 12:00
Our final meeting for this year will be on Monday, June 29, 2026 at 7pm, at the home of Miriam and David Schwartz – Address upon RSVP.
Sushi and Asian food will be served.
Our Guest speaker, Dr. Daniela Weiss, will talk about The Hidden Cost of Privacy.

Reservations must be made by June 20. A suggested donation of 50 ₪ is requested to help cover the cost of the event. Please follow the link in your confirmation email. No one will be turned away due to insufficient funds, but we rely on your support to make our programs even stronger.

Dr. Daniela Weiss is an IAPST-certified therapist, specializing in trauma, LGBTQ+ identities, and working with neurodivergence and intimacy. After training at JQY she helmed a start-up focused on supporting frum families of LGBTQ+ loved ones as the founding executive and clinical director. Dr. Weiss’ research focuses on sexuality and the Orthodox community. She is certified in TF-CBT and trained to level 3 in the Gottman Method of couples therapy. Dr. Weiss was in the first cohort of Sacks-Herenstein Scholars at Yeshiva University, where she developed a framework for teaching taharat hamishpacha to people with trauma histories. After serving as a rebbetzin for 17 years, she made aliyah with her family in 2025.

RSVPs are closed – please contact us by WhatsApp if you missed registration and still want to attend.

NYC LGBTQ+ Summer Safrus Workshop
2026-07-14 19:30 - 21:00
Join us on July 14th for a unique and exciting Safrus (Jewish calligraphy) workshop with community member and soferet, Leana Jelen Tapnack! In this class, you will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals behind this ancient practice, and bring quill to scroll!

About the Teacher
Leana Jelen Tapnack is a graduate of the Pardes Experiential Educators Program (2016) in Jerusalem, where she first studied Safrut STaM. In addition to her work as a scribe, Leana is an American Sign Language interpreter specializing in Judaic educational content. Leana lives with her wife, her two sons, and her dog in Manhattan where she is an active community member of Darkhei Noam, a lay-led partnership minyan on the Upper West Side. She is a proud, longstanding member of the Eshel community, having been an attendee of our first national retreat!

Capacity for this program is limited. Please register ASAP!

This event is 21+ and free. Light refreshments will be served.
