Eshel Online

Brooklyn Pride 2022 Rooftop Gathering
2022-06-11 15:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Saturday, June 11
3:00 – 6:00 pm
Hosted by Eshel board member Shlomo Ashkinazy, join Eshel members to watch the Brooklyn Pride march! We will meet on Shlomo’s rooftop near 5th Avenue and 10th Street for some fun and a light seudah shlishit. Address provided upon registration. For more information contact info@eshelonline.org

Eshel New York City LGBTQ+ Meetup
2022-06-13 19:30 - 21:00, 2022-07-06 19:30 - 21:00, 2022-09-12 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-02-08 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-03-01 19:30 - 21:00
Calling all adult members of the NYC queer community who are Orthodox, formerly Orthodox, or “Ortho-curious.” If you are interested in connecting with other individuals who are exploring their Orthodox LGBTQ+ identity please join us! Members will have the opportunity to mingle and engage in peer-led discussions in a casual and confidential environment.
WHAT: A confidential gathering for people who identify as LGBTQ+ and are Orthodox, Ortho-curious, or formerly Orthodox.
WHEN: The first Monday of every month | 7:30 – 9:00 PM
WHERE: For notifications and sign-in information, please sign up below. (You only need to register for this group one time.)
Questions? Email new-york@eshelonline.org.
Participants are asked to adhere to strict confidentiality.

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Oy Gay with a side of BLT
2022-06-23 19:00 | Broadway Comedy Club, 318 W 53rd St, New York, NY, NY, 10019, United States
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Oy Gay with a side of BLT
June 23, 2022 7PM | 6pm VIP Happy Hour
Come together to laugh and have a good time with our hilarious comedians Adam Sank (Last Comic Standing), Chani Lisbon (Carolines On Broadway), Dana Friedman (AllMedia TV), Eli Lebowicz (Stand-Up NY), Leah Forster (Comedy Cellar) , Liz Glazer (Boston Comedy Festival), Talia Reese (SiriusXM), and Eddie Sarfaty (The Today Show). Join us at the Broadway Comedy Club, located at 318 W 53rd St NY,NY 10019. At this year’s comedy fundraiser, we’re raising money to benefit the Eshel Warmline.
Last year, the Warmline provided resources, counseling, and emotional support through over 500 phone calls and emails correspondences with people struggling as members of the LGBTQ Orthodox Jewish community and Orthodox Parents of LGBTQ youth. Show your support for the Warmline and help support our community! Buy a ticket today for General Admission, a VIP ticket, or a VIP table for eight. Our VIP guests get the same great show as everyone else, but also get to enjoy priority seating, a kosher catered happy hour before the show, and a goodie bag with surprise treats!
Proof of vaccination required. This show is recommended for ages 18+.
Corporate or small business sponsorships for this event are available. Please contact info@eshelonline.org to learn more.

Adam Sank
ADAM SANK is one of the most recognized and accomplished openly gay stand-up comics in the country, having been featured on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and The Today Show, FOX’s Laughs, CBS News, Vh1’s I Love the 2000s and Best Week Ever, CNN’s @ThisHour, CNBC’s Street Signs and truTV’s World’s Dumbest Criminals, along with countless appearances as both a guest and fill-in host on Sirius-XM satellite radio. His debut comedy album, “Adam Sank: Live from the Stonewall Inn,” went to No. 1 on both Amazon’s list of Comedy Album Downloads and iTunes’s New Comedy Releases, and it plays in rotation on SiriusXM’s Raw Dog channel. Adam also hosts a weekly podcast– “The Adam Sank Show (ASS)” – every Saturday at 11AM ET at DNRStudios.com and other streaming platforms. For 15 years, Adam performed regularly at comedy clubs, special events and festivals throughout the New York City area and beyond, including appearances at NYC Gay Pride, Gay Days Orlando, Atlantis Events and the Gay Naturists International (GNI) Annual Gathering. He has served as master of ceremonies and auctioneer at multiple fundraisers, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable organizations. He has also personally raised over $95K for AIDS Walk NY. In 2019, Adam retired from stand-up after releasing his second comedy album, “Adam Sank’s Last Comedy Album,” which went to No. 1 on Amazon and iTunes and plays regularly on SiriusXM Raw Dog. He occasionally still appears live for select events. In addition to being a comedian and podcaster, Adam is a licensed wedding officiant in the state of New York, specializing in (but not limited to) same-sex, Jewish and/or comedy-themed ceremonies. He currently lives in New York City with his dog, Lady.

Liz Glazer
Liz Glazer is the first place winner of both the Boston Comedy Festival and the Ladies of Laughter competition, and the subject of an entire Wall Street Journal Article about her and her comedy!

Chani Lisbon
Chani Lisbon is a stand up comedian, motivational speaker, and performer. For two years, she produced the consistently sold-out show The Biggest Littlest Comedy Show in Brooklyn, while performing all over New York City. Chani has also made them laugh in Tucson, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Israel. She headlined a sold-out show at StandUp NY and is a frequent speaker/performer at colleges, private events, and rehab facilities. She has co-written two pilots (one about social media addiction, and one about Chanukah), and has performed a moving comedic piece about hair loss and self-acceptance for MicDrop. Born and raised in LA, Chani currently lives in Brooklyn.

Talia Reese
Talia Reese is a stand-up comedian and former bankruptcy lawyer. The New York Post featured Talia as a “Hot Ticket” in a full-page article. Talia has been compared to Joan Rivers and written about in The Wall Street Journal (“The Hottest Ticket in Town This Year Is Your Family’s Covid-Constrained Thanksgiving” and “Keeping Kosher, With a Side of Jokes”). Her comedy has been written about by The Jerusalem Post (“Toning It Down For The Rabbi”). Talia is a regular contributor to “Tell Me Everything” on Sirius XM, “Is it Funny or Offensive,” and “The Quiz Show” on Fox Nation. Cindy Adams’ Page Six column often quotes Talia’s jokes, and she has appeared on The Wendy Williams Show.

Eddie Sarfaty
Comedian and writer Eddie Sarfaty has appeared on The Today Show, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, Logo’s Wisecrack, The Joy Behar Show, and is a subject of the documentaries, Laughing Matters and Heartfelt.

Leah Forster
For over a decade, Leah Forster has been an internationally renowned entertainer in the Jewish community. In recent years she’s expanded her reach to more mainstream comedy clubs, and taken to the internet, exponentially growing her already-substantial fan-base. In addition to theaters all over the world, Leah has appeared locally at Carolines On Broadway, Stand-Up NY, The Comedy Cellar, Broadway Comedy Club, as well as being featured on Breakout.TV. Follow @leahforster on Instagram, and catch her weekly special: Tichel Tuesday.

Dana Friedman
Dana Friedman is, in all likelihood, New York’s first Orthodox Jewish, transgender comic. She is the producer of Queernucopia: An Evening of LGBT and Allied Comedy Goddesses and Heathens , Right Down The Middle (East), (no missionaries, just funny positions), which brings together Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, Arab, and Palestinian standup comics, LOL Nidrei (Unforgivably Naughty Jewish Comedy) which was featured in The Forward, and, for the fourth consecutive year: Orthomocks Jews, A Pre-Purim Standup Romp. Dana was also the producer and a co-writer of FunOrthodox: An Evening of LGBT+ Jewish Entertainment, hosted by Mayim Bialik. She was selected for She-Devil Comedy Festival’s “Best Of The Fest”, and the New York Underground Comedy Festival. She has been a guest on Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang on SiriusXM, and appeared with or opened for Janeane Garofalo, Lizz Winstead, Yanis Pappas, Christian Finnegan, Julia Scotti, Tim Dillon, as well as other major headliners at clubs and theaters all over North America.

Eli Lebowicz

General Admission

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Program Tributes and Ads

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From Shattering Loss to Renewal: How Tisha B'Av Saved the Jewish People
2022-08-07 17:00 - 18:00
We tend to think of Tisha B’Av as an exercise in national memory, but it is much more. It marks something eternal about us. There is a fable that Napoleon having heard Jews praying mournfully on the holiday asked what happened to them to cause this outburst of grief. He was told that their Temple and homeland was ripped from them 1800 years prior. He is famed to have remarked, that if they are still possessed by a loss that long ago, they will surely someday return. We will explore the counter intuitive powers of Tisha B’Av and relate them to our own sense of loss and renewal.
Join Rabbi Steve Greenberg for a shiur this Tisha B’Av exploring a Jewish perspective on grief and rebuilding after loss.
Where: Zoom – link sent out after registration
When: August 7, 5PM-6PM ET | 4PM-5PM CT | 2PM-3PM PT

Dating as an LGBTQ+ Jew
2022-08-10 19:00 - 20:30
Celebrate Tu B’av with Eshel and Yente Over the Rainbow! What is Tu B’av? Traditionally, a day for finding love, as described in the Mishnah:
“Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur, as on them the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in white clothes…and dance in the vineyards. And what would they say? ‘Young man, please lift up your eyes and see what you choose for yourself for a wife. Do not set your eyes toward beauty, but set your eyes toward a good family, as the verse states: ‘Grace is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised'” (Mishnah Taanit Chapter 4)
These days, for LGBTQ+ Jews in the Orthodox community, finding a match who shares your values is often not so simple. While looking for someone to date as a queer person can be challenging, there are also more ways to meet and connect with people now than ever before!
Hear from the matchmakers of Yente Over the Rainbow about the practical and emotional challenges of dating and how to overcome them.
Where: Zoom (you will be emailed the link after registration)
When: 7PM ET | 6PM CT | 4PM PT

Eshel Toronto & Montreal LGBTQ+ Meetup
2022-08-15 19:00 - 21:00, 2022-08-29 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-02-27 19:00 - 21:00
This bi-weekly group for Toronto/Montreal LGBTQ+ folks from Orthodox communities generally meets over Zoom the second Monday of every month, and in-person in Toronto on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

For notifications and sign-in information, please register below (You only need to register for this group one time.)

Join the Meetup

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Rosh Hashanah LGBTQ+ Chaburah Group
2022-09-14 20:00 - 21:00
In our LGBTQ+ Chaburah Group, explore themes related to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with other members of the Eshel community; forgiveness of yourself and others, and being the best version of yourself, to name a few.
Our Parents Chaburah Group will discuss the same topic the following week.
When: Wednesday September 14 at 8pm ET | 7pm CT | 5pm PT
Where: Virtual – register to get the Zoom link

Eshel Israel LGBTQ+ and Parents Meetup
2022-09-20 12:30 - 14:00
Join Eshel’s local chapter in Israel for LGBTQ+ people and parents of LGBTQ+ children. This group will provide support and build community in an intimate, confidential setting in English. This group meets mostly over Zoom, with in-person meetings every few months. This group is for those who have made aliyah, are thinking about making aliyah, spend part of the year in Israel, are in yeshiva or seminary, or have kids in Israel for the year.
WHAT: A private gathering for LGBTQ+ individuals who are Orthodox, Ortho-curious, or formerly Orthodox and for traditional Jewish parents of LGBTQ+ people who may be struggling with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity and/or wish to connect with other parents like themselves.
WHEN: 4th Tuesday of the Month, 7:30 pm (Israel), 12:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Register below for monthly reminders, links, and location details.

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Eshel’s mission is to create a future for Orthodox lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, and their families. Through its innovative and culturally sensitive programming, Eshel works with each individual, family, and community in creating a place for their LGBTQ members. Eshel envisions a world where Orthodox LGBTQ individuals can live out their lives in the Orthodox communities of their choice.

Torah Values for Queer Dating
2022-09-28 19:30 - 20:30
Is Yom Kippur a Tu B’av Part Two? Did you know that the same match finding ritual from Tu B’Av was practiced on Yom Kippur? These are auspicious occasions to find life partners as these are also times of the year for introspection, assessing our values, and considering what is important to us. Queer Jews often find that traditional Orthodox frameworks around dating don’t account for their experiences. This can feel scary and destabilizing, but also provides the chance to forge their own path ahead and imagine new possibilities. In this session, we’ll explore the Jewish values underpinning the halachot of shemirat negiah, yichud, consent, and more, and what those values could mean for all relationships. We will identify many different ways to engage in the world of dating that honors queer identities and relationships that can still find supportive guidance from halacha and incorporate Torah values.

Where: Zoom – link will be emailed upon registration
When: Wednesday September 28 7:30 pm ET | 6:30 pm CT | 4:30 pm PT

Eshel Brooklyn Women's LBTQ+ Meetup
2022-09-29 20:30 - 21:45, 2022-10-06 20:30 - 21:45, 2022-10-13 20:30 - 21:45, 2022-10-20 20:30 - 21:45
Women’s New York Area Meetup on Zoom
What: Meet other individuals who identify as female and who are exploring their Orthodox LGBTQ+ identities.
When: Meeting Weekly: Every Tuesday from 8:30 pm – 9:45 pm
Where: For notifications and sign-in information, register below. (You only need to register for this group one time.)

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Eshel LGBTQ+ Phone-in Support Group
2022-09-29 21:00 - 22:00
What: Join this anonymous phone-in support group for LGBTQ+ individuals who are unable to attend one of our in-person sessions.
When: Fourth Wednesday of every month | 9:00 PM EST
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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Eshel Parents of Trans People & Gender Non-Conforming Support Group
2022-10-03 21:00 - 22:00, 2022-11-28 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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Eshel Baltimore/DC Parents & LGBTQ+ Sukkot in the Sukka
2022-10-13 19:00 - 21:00
Come celebrate ‘Sukkot in the Sukka’ with Baltimore/DC Eshel. On October 13, from 7-9PM, we will have an in-person only party. Light refreshments will be served. Join us for Sukkot themed games and discussions.
WHAT: A private gathering for LGBTQ+ individuals who are Orthodox, Ortho-curious or formerly Orthodox and for traditional Jewish parents of LGBTQ+ people who may be struggling with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity and/or wish to connect with other parents like themselves.
WHEN: October 13, from 7-9PM. This is a monthly group that usually meets on the first Wednesday of the month, but the October date was adjusted because of the chagim.
Where: For notifications and address, please register below, if you haven’t already. (You only need to register for this group one time.)

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Thanks to Our Baltimore/DC Sponsor

Eshel Parents Chaburah Group
2022-10-19 19:30 - 20:30
The Parent Chaburah Group meets on the Third Wednesday of each month at 8 pm Eastern, 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific Time.

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Eshel Across America
2022-11-11 19:00 - 23:00
Why Parshat Vayera?
On Shabbat Vayera, we read in the Torah “[Avraham] planted an eshel at Beer-sheba, and invoked there the name of Hashem, the Everlasting/Universal God.” (Genesis 21:33)
וַיִּטַּע אֶשֶׁל בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע וַיִּקְרָא־שָׁם בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֵל עוֹלָם׃

What is an eshel?
The Talmud identifies the eshel as a tamarisk tree, a flowering tree that provides shade and shelter in the desert. In welcoming strangers to their home, Avraham and Sarah allowed them to experience the Divine. Understanding God’s nature of אֵל עוֹלָם, God of the entire world, requires that we extend our welcome to outsiders.
Reish Lakish says that Avraham did not just stop at one tree, but rather planted a whole orchard, a Pardes, with all sorts of sweet things in it.

What is Eshel, the organization?
Eshel supports LGBTQ Jews by opening hearts, minds, and doors in Orthodox Jewish communities so that all can experience the sweet things it has to offer. In doing so, we are continuing the work of Avraham and Sarah in making our tent bigger, accessible, and welcoming to all.
Eshel’s mission is to create community for Orthodox lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, and their families. Eshel envisions a world where Orthodox LGBTQ individuals can live out their lives in the Orthodox communities of their choice.

On Shabbat VaYera every year, Eshel sponsors Eshel Across North America to encourage Jewish communities across the Americas to support their LGBTQ+ members. Everyone is invited to participate. Get involved this year:

EAA for LGBTQ+ People:
On Shabbat Vayera, the LGBTQ Jewish community will come together over shabbat dinner, and engage in conversations about inclusion and welcoming. Sign up to join a meal near you!
EAA for Parents and Allies:
We want to bring the conversation about welcoming and including all, and especially the LGBTQ+ community, to every Shabbat table. Sign up to receive our discussion guide to share with your Shabbat guests.
EAA for Rabbis:
On Shabbat Vayera, we want shuls to share the message of inclusion. Browse/sign up to receive our resources for Rabbis for ways to speak about hachnasat orchim for Parshat Vayera.
If you are not a Rabbi, email us if you’d like to help get your Rabbi involved.

Browse meals below!

Danielle is hosting Eshel Across America: WaHi
Friday, November 11 6:00pm ET Event Details

Ruby is hosting Eshel Across America (Qweens Style)
Friday, November 11 3:30pm ET Event Details

יפא is hosting Eshel Across America: Flatbush, Brooklyn
Friday, November 11 6:30pm ET Event Details

Sara is hosting Eshel Across America: Lakeview
Friday, November 11 6:00pm CT Event Details

Caleb is hosting Eshel Across America: Berkeley, CA
Friday, November 11 7:00pm PT Event Details

Mattan is hosting Eshel Across America: Upper West Side, Manhattan
Friday, November 11 6:30pm ET Event Details

Monica is hosting Eshel Across America--East Village!!
Friday, November 11 7:00pm ET Event Details

Jonathan is hosting Eshel Camberville Shabbos Dinner
Friday, November 11 7:00pm PT Event Details

Eshel Israel LGBTQ+ and Parents Meetup
2022-11-28 13:30 - 15:00
Join Eshel’s local chapter in Israel for LGBTQ+ people and parents of LGBTQ+ children. This group will provide support and build community in an intimate, confidential setting in English. This group meets mostly over Zoom, with in-person meetings every few months. This group is for those who have made aliyah, are thinking about making aliyah, spend part of the year in Israel, are in yeshiva or seminary, or have kids in Israel for the year.
WHAT: A private gathering for LGBTQ+ individuals who are Orthodox, Ortho-curious, or formerly Orthodox and for traditional Jewish parents of LGBTQ+ people who may be struggling with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity and/or wish to connect with other parents like themselves.
WHEN: 4th Monday of the Month, 8:30 pm (Israel), 1:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Register below for monthly reminders, links, and location details.

Sign up for our other newsletters

Eshel’s mission is to create a future for Orthodox lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, and their families. Through its innovative and culturally sensitive programming, Eshel works with each individual, family, and community in creating a place for their LGBTQ members. Eshel envisions a world where Orthodox LGBTQ individuals can live out their lives in the Orthodox communities of their choice.

Eshel Baltimore/DC Parents & LGBTQ+ Joint Meetup
2022-12-07 19:00 - 21:00
WHAT: Join Eshel Baltimore/DC for our annual Latke vs. Sufganiyot debate, some holiday words of wisdom, games, and good food! Families, relatives, and significant others are welcome.
WHEN: Meetings are usually held on the first Wednesday of every month, 7:00-9:00 pm.
WHERE: For notifications and sign-in information, please register below, if you haven’t already. (You only need to register for this group one time.)

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Thanks to Our Baltimore/DC Sponsor

Israel Parent Meetup
2022-12-26 13:30 - 15:00
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.

Ensuring Mental Wellbeing for LGBTQ+ People During Challenging Times
2023-01-04 19:00 - 20:00
Ensuring Mental Wellbeing for LGBTQ+ People During Challenging Times
Part 2: Sharing Challenges
Feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness can threaten the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community, and are often exacerbated by lack of communal acceptance, feelings of rejection, or estrangement from family members. Ben Small and Simcha Pollard will discuss some of the current challenges to LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing, and will share some of their wisdom and strategies for addressing mental wellbeing, followed by Q&A.
About Ben:
Ben Small is the founder and producer of the Your Life Sucks podcast, aiming to destigmatize teen mental health through raw discussion. He has advocated for mental health awareness at his high school and through several non-profits. He graduated from SAR High School in Riverdale, NY last year and is now learning at Yeshivat Maale Gilboa in Israel.
About Simcha:
I consider myself to be an observant Jew and devout follower of Chabad. I am a gay male living in Laramie WY with my two dogs. I earned college and graduate degrees in economics and agricultural economics from Sonoma State College and The Ohio State University. I retired from a university professorship after 35 years in 2015 and have “settled” into almost full retirement as of August 2020. I also have lived and worked extensively in numerous countries as a financial economist. I was raised in somewhat of a Conservative Jewish environment. I left Judaism at the age of 15 having discovered that alcohol and drugs were a better alternative than Gd and religion. In 2009, after years of returning to a more spiritual way of life, I was put in touch with a Chabad rabbi. I put on Tefillin and made a spiritual connection that brought me back to Judaism. I was an active and enthusiastic member and board president of a Chabad shul in Long Beach, CA from 2012 to 2018. I moved to Laramie, WY originally be with my now ex-partner. However, I soon discovered a greater purpose in moving and have been carrying out that same enthusiasm for Jewish community life in Laramie, WY as I had in Long Beach.
Hosted by Eshel Baltimore – sign up to receive location and Zoom information.

Welcoming Everyone to Shul
2023-01-29 19:00 - 20:30
Welcoming Everyone to Shul: Why We Should Ensure Our Shuls Embrace LGBTQ+ Jews
January 29, 2023 | 4pm PT | 7pm ET | on Zoom
Register: bit.ly/porat_embrace
Featuring Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch, Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, Miryam Kabakov, MSW, Jeremy Borison, and Dr. Michelle Friedman
