Eshel Online

Purim Events with Welcoming Shuls
2021-02-25 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Looking for Purim Events near you? Here are some suggestions!

Baltimore:
Rabbi Chai Posner, Beth Tfiloh, https://www.bethtfiloh.com/religious-services/holidays/purim
Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro, Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation (MMAE), http://mmae.org/events.html

Connecticut:
Rabbi Yitzchak Adler, Beth David West Hartford https://www.bethdavidwh.org

New Jersey:
Rabbi Nati Helfgott, Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, NJ. https://www.netivotshalomnj.org/about-us
Rabbi Daniel Geretz, Maayan, West Orange, NJ. http://www.maayan-nj.org/

Greater New York:
February 25:
The Purim pArTy, a dance festival @ 8:30 PM featuring DJ tiny hat. Register here. Rav Avrum Molotek, BASE https://basemovement.org
February 25:
Purim play featuring Ravi and Hillel Mlotek premiers at 4:00 PM. Register here.
February 26:
Mitzvah Mission (distribute tzedaka & pre-packaged soup to homeless in costume) and receive mishloach manot (Purim gift packages) from The Mlotek kids @ 11AM. Email Rabbi Avram to RSVP.

Philadelphia:
Rabbanit Dassi Fruchter, South Philly Shteibel. https://www.southphiladelphiashtiebel.org

Toronto
Eshel Toronto is partnering with Makom and Toronto Partnership Minyan for a series of events including a lecture about archeology, Megillah readings, services, family programming, a Persian music concert, and games and socializing for all ages! https://guestlist.co/events/676632

Washington DC:
Rabbi Uri Topolosky, Kehilat Pardes. https://www.kehilatpardes.org/upcoming-programming/
Rabbi Haim Ovadia, Torah v’Ahava. https://torahveahava.com/

Eshel Chicago Parents Meetup
2021-02-24 19:30 - 21:00, 2020-12-22 19:30 - 21:00, 2020-11-10 19:30 - 21:00
What: A confidential support group for observant/Orthodox Jewish parents of LGBTQ+ individuals who may be struggling with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity and/or wish to connect with other parents like themselves.

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

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Eshel Parents of LGBTQ+ Children Chaburah Group
2021-02-17 20:00 - 21:30
The Parent Chaburah Group meets on the Third Wednesday of each month at 8 pm Eastern, 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific Time.
The next meeting is scheduled for February 17th, the 5th of Adar.
Masks: What role do they play?
We know how important masks have been to us this past year. We will explore what role our metaphorical masks play in our day-to-day lives? How many do you have? Which do you put on for what occasions? When are they no longer necessary?
Bring your favorite COVID mask for some show and tell.

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Two Exciting Purim Shiurim
2021-02-16 16:00 - 17:00
Hidden Identities – Meeting Challenges
with Dr. Sunnie Epstein Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 4:00 pm ET
Esther is the paradigmatic woman leader in so many ways; her leadership and meeting the challenges she faces must come from somewhere deep inside of her as is often the case with women leaders of our past and our own leadership in the present. We will explore this and other stories of hidden identity and the strength of meeting formidable challenges, with spiritual strength and faith in G-d as we come to terms with our authentic selves.
Masks and Meaning
with Rabbi Steve Greenberg Thursday, February 18, 2021, at 4:00 pm ET
Most all of the characters of Purim are all in drag until they are not. How does the Book of Esther help us navigate the tension between what we perform and what we are?
Who are you? Who knows you…and how? Masks and Meaning of the Self in the Book of Esther
View the performance of Derrick DelGaudio, In and Of Itself, on Hulu, and read Rabbi Greenberg’s essay on the Purim story and come for a discussion of the mystery of selfhood.
(If you can’t watch the performance, no worries…come anyway.)

Sign up Today

Eshel Speed Dating
2021-02-14 08:00 - 21:30
Get ready to have some fun!
On Sunday, February 14, at 8:00 pm ET, we’re going to get very silly (or alarmingly competitive) with this speed and dating battle for the ages!
In teams, you’ll be given different fun challenges to complete. The teams will be divided up by demographics like age, location, gender identity, sexual identity, and religious practice, and each round you’ll have an opportunity to meet a brand new group of people. At the conclusion of the event you’ll have an opportunity to indicate who you want to get to know better and we will make the connection in the following week. Prizes in store for the winners!
This event is for LGBTQIA+ identified folks who are Jewish Orthodox-friendly, curious, formerly or currently Jewish Orthodox, and for those who love them!
BRING YOUR FRIENDS. The more queer Jews the more potential matches…

The Fee is $15. Register Today!

Eshel Baltimore/DC Parents & LGBTQ+ Joint Meetup
2021-02-03 19:00 - 21:00
Get together with our Baltimore/DC Eshel family. Join us in this intimate, confidential setting to meet others, like yourself, in the extended Eshel network.
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: 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 here. (You only need to register for this group one time.)

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Tu BiShvat Shiur - Dr. Sunnie Epstein
2021-01-21 16:00 - 17:00
With Dr. Sunnie Epstein
An interactive discussion about the many different ways we add to and enrich our communities with our many gifts, similar to how the many different fruits and their sources add to and enrich our understanding of the environment and our relationship to it.
Bring a story of something that is unique or special about you. This is how we will begin!

Eshel Parents Chaburah Group
2021-01-20 20:00 - 21:30
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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11th Eshel National Retreat - Virtual Event
2021-01-14 17:30 - 23:30
11th Eshel National LGBTQ Retreat

Unmask. Unwind. Reunite.

01/14 Thursday
01/15 Friday
01/16 Saturday
01/17 Sunday

Retreat Help Desk
If you experience any technical problems or difficulty logging in, please call the Eshel Retreat Help Desk at 302-354-0705.

Who Is This For?
We gather during our annual weekend with other Orthodox/formerly Orthodox/traditional/Ortho-curious LGBTQ+ individuals who seek connection and community. During the retreat, we get to know each other, learn, sing, and shmooze, watch a film, and have lots of fun! Sign up below!

Confidentiality
Some participants may not be out as LGBTQ+ in their daily lives or may have other important reasons for keeping their attendance at the event confidential. You will need to agree not to share information you have heard about individuals at the retreat with anyone else. For many people who attend, strict confidentiality is crucial.

Highlighted Speakers & Presenters

​Rabbi Benny Lau
Rabbi Benny Lau is the founder and co-head of the Israeli initiative 929 along with Gal Gabbai. In addition, he served as the rabbi of the Ramban synagogue in Jerusalem for many years and is a community leader, activist, author, and public speaker.

​Abby Stein
Abby Stein is an American transgender author, activist,blogger, model, speaker, and rabbi. She is the first openly transgender woman raised in a Hasidic community, and is a direct descendant of Hasidic Judaism’s founder, the Baal Shem Tov. In 2015, she founded the first support group nationwide for trans people of Orthodox Jewish background.

Caleb and Gedalia Robinson
Caleb and Gedalia got married with a drive-in wedding in Washington, DC in August. Since then, they’ve moved together to Philadelphia where they live with their dog, Booker, and are remotely pursuing Rabbinical and Cantorial degrees at JTS, respectively.

​Joy Ladin
Joy Ladin holds the Gottesman Chair in English at Yeshiva University, and, in 2007, became the first openly transgender employee of an Orthodox Jewish institution. Author of nine books of poetry, a memoir (Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey Between Genders), and The Soul of the Stranger: Reading God and Torah from a Transgender Perspective, she has long served on the Board of Keshet, an organization devoted to full inclusion of LGTBQ Jews in the Jewish world.

Liz Glazer
Liz Glazer is a standup comedian, actor, and writer who used to be a law professor, a job she was very funny at. Recently Liz was the first place winner/champion of the Boston Comedy Festival. In 2021 Liz will be part of the HBO Women in Comedy Festival, assuming it happens. During the pandemic, Liz has been keeping busy reading her old journal entries (2014 was quite a year!), getting COVID tests, and yelling into her laptop on Zoom. She loves Eshel as it brings her back to her Jewish day school roots (Moriah ’93 and Ramaz ’97!) and is extremely happy to be here.

Ruben Shimonov
Ruben Shimonov was born in Uzbekistan and raised in Seattle. Ruben is an educator, community builder, and social entrepreneur with a passion for Jewish diversity. He previously served as Director of Community Engagement and Education at Queens College Hillel. Currently, Ruben is the Founding Executive Director of the Sephardic Mizrahi Q Network, a grassroots movement building a supportive and much-needed community for LGBTQ+ Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.

DJ Wildstyle
DJ Wildstyle is a 14-year-old Latinx Jewish teen from the Los Angeles area who has been DJing for the last 7 years. She brings a spirit of creativity, gratitude, and joy for life with her to the turntables! Raised in a multi-ethnic/multi-racial family, she has an energetic soul that gets a crowd moving and loves spinning all kinds of music for people of all ages. For more information about DJ Wildstyle, visit www.djwildstyle.com or @djwildstyle18 on Instagram.

Yseult Polfiet
Yseult Polfiet is a Queer Jewish woman from the Rwandan diaspora—Brussels-raised, now New York City resident—wants to create spaces for tough conversations. Together with her Co-Founder, she has launched a consultation company that addresses and works on dismantling racism and antisemitism and co-hosts “The Kinswomen”—a podcast that was named top podcast from Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire magazines. Also a fashion model and designer, Yseult has rolled out a non-gender brand.

Leana and Sandy Jelen Tapnack
Sandy and Leana were married in 2018 in New York. Sandy is a lawyer from London and Leana is a Sign Language interpreter and soferet. They live on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with their dog Nemmy.

Ron Kaplan and Yoni Bock
Ron works in strategy at Capital One and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and on the development committee of Keshet. Yoni has worked for various humanitarian organizations, managing complex disaster responses, and currently consults for a Massachusetts-based research laboratory.Ron and Yoni were married in November 2011 by Rabbi Steve Greenberg and currently live in Washington D.C.

​Janet Green
For the first 40 years of Janet’s life, she had little understanding of her body or the ways it was surgically altered to look more normal. Janet was told she was the only one in the world with a body ‘like that’ and she learned shame, secrecy and isolation from her family, caregivers and synagogue. There was something unspeakable about her differences and as far as Janet could tell; if most of us are created in G-d’s own image, that would not apply to someone like her. In wasn’t until the dawning of the internet two decades ago that Janet learned how her rare medical condition (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia/CAH), genital differences and same sex attraction were experiences of a majority of all CAH XX females AND there were others! Janet has spent the past 20+ years being an activist and advocate to bring about change in thought and practice against early genital surgeries. Both inside the medical establishment and also in education of people, parents, and the general public, the quest to erase our differences continues in surgical corrections offered to parents of infants. As long as that is “standard care”, the phrase “first do no harm”, does not apply to intersex people and bodies like hers.

​Dana Friedman
Dana Friedman is, in all likelihood, New York’s first Orthodox Jewish, transgender comic. During the COVID-19 crisis, she produced and performed in FunOrthodox: An Evening of LGBT+ Jewish Entertainment (benefit show for Eshel on FunOrthodox.com), and has written as wrote for the show’s host, TV star Mayim Bialik. She’s been a guest on SiriusXM’s “Tell Me Everything” with John Fugelsang, and has appeared with or opened for major headliners at clubs, colleges theaters, and Zoom shows all over the world. Check out her work at http://www.danafriedman.com.

​Mab Abbasgholizadeh
Mab is a women’s rights activist, documentary filmmaker, and educator who believes food provides a special opportunity for connection and empowerment. Mab was born in Khorramshahr, a city with a large Arab population in southern Iran, but her parents have roots in the Azeri region of northern Iran, an area whose cuisine Mabknows well. She learned about ingredients from her dad, who owned a restaurant, grocery store, and tea importing company, and about the importance of cooking “low and slow” from her mom. As a young woman in the late 1970s, Mab became involved in the Iranian Revolution, but later, when she became a vocal advocate for women’s rights in Iran, she was persecuted by the Islamic Republic. After being imprisoned three times during the 2000s for organizing peaceful protests, she fled Iran and moved to New York City. Before joining the League of Kitchens, Mab managed the nonprofit organization Zanan TV, and she continues to work as an educator in schools around New York City.

​Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Rabbi Steven Greenberg is an Orthodox ordained educator, writer, and speaker who has led the call for LGBTQ inclusion in the Orthodox world. He appeared in the groundbreaking film, Trembling Before G-d, in 2001 and accompanied filmmaker, Sandi Simcha DuBowski, all over the world in over 500 post-screening dialogues. He is the author of the award-winning book, Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition, (University of Wisconsin Press) for which he won the Koret Jewish Book Award for Philosophy and Thought in 2005. He is the founding director at Eshel.

​Dr. Benjamin Ellis
Benjamin divides his time between medical work as Head of Rheumatology at Imperial College Healthcare, London, and as Senior Clinical Policy Advisor to a UK-wide non-profit, Versus Arthritis. As a volunteer, Benjamin helped establish and is now chair of KeshetUK, the organisation working so that no one should ever have to choose between their Jewish and LGBT+ identity. Benjamin grew up in an Orthodox family in Leeds, England, then studied for two years at Yeshivat Har Etzion before completing degrees at Cambridge then University College London.

​Liz Alpern
Liz Alpern (she/her) is co-founder and co-owner of The Gefilteria, a new kind of food venture launched in 2012 with a manifesto and a mission to reimagine eastern European Jewish cuisine. She is also co-author of narrative cookbook, The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Foods. When not diving deep into Jewish food culture, she is active in the LGBTQ food world and founded the global event series Queer Soup Night.

Event

Hurry!
Time is running out!

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Movie: Marry Me However

Variety Show &
DJ’d Dance Party

Gallery walk, food and drink demos

Speed-friending

Panel Discussions

Interactive Workshops

Each year at this retreat we show up for each other, coming together in all of our amazing diversity to learn, to connect, and to have fun. With no barrier to participation, this virtual retreat is going to be bigger than ever!

There will be lots of opportunities to connect, from speed-friending to hang outs, you will meet new people and make friendships that will last a lifetime.

Welcome to the 11th Eshel National Retreat! The registration fee is $55, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
But first, we want to know a little about you, so please fill out the form below. Then you will be taken to the payment page.

Partnering Organizations

Eshel Grandparents of LGBTQ+ Meetup
2021-01-13 20:00 - 21:30
Grandparents with LGBTQ+ children from traditional communities who would like to meet for support and socializing gather and learn how to understand and be there for their LGBTQ+ grandchild and their family. Gather over zoom once a month.
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 8:00 pm ET – 7:00 pm CT – 5:00 pm PT.
Please sign up below to receive the login information. You only have to register once.

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Jews Night In - Eshel Parents Watch Party
2020-12-24 19:00 - 21:30
Join the parent community for dinner and a movie. Watch the new Netflix release “The Prom” together.
Order in dinner, support your local kosher restaurants (if you live near any), watch a movie with the parent community.
In New Jersey?
Help support Chopstix Kosher Chinese* by ordering in Chinese food here. A portion of the proceeds will go to Eshel. Be sure to mention Eshel and place your order by December 23rd.
To place your order, call: (201) 833-0200
*Remember Elie Katz? He is the owner of Chopstix and the proud Eshel uncle who led the walking tour during lunch at the parent retreat. Remember to support your local kosher eateries. They need you, and we need them!

LGBTQIA+ Hanukkah Event – Free Virtual Screening of “Trembling Before G-d”
2020-12-15 18:30 - 20:00
Sponsored by Eshel!
Hear Eshel’s Executive Director, Miryam Kabakov, and Eshel President of the Board, Shlomo Askinazi, speak at the event.
Register here!

The Secrets of Chanukah with R. Steve Greenberg
2020-12-15 16:00 - 17:00
Chanukah is like quicksilver, taking different shapes in different contexts. In this class, R. Steve Greenberg will explore two secret portrayals of the holiday: one revealed by historians and another by Hasidim; one going inward and the other shining out to the world.

Chanukah Candle Lighting with Eshel
2020-12-10 20:00 - 20:30
A Few Words by Rabbi Steve Greenberg

Join us this week for Chanukah Candle Lighting with Eshel-ites and allies around North America, live-streaming daily on the Eshel Facebook homepage.
Also, be sure not to miss Rabbi Steve Greenbergs class on The Secrets of Chanukah!

Candle-Lighting Schedule:

Thursday, December 10Joshua Avishur, California*8 pm ET | 7:00 pm CT | 5:00 pm PT
Saturday, December 12Sara Fried and Isabel SingerChicago
Sunday, December 13Rabbi Haim Ovadia, Washington DCTorah Ve’Ahava, Founder*5:45 pm ET | 4:45 pm CT | 2:45 pm PT
Monday, December 14Mira Goldstein, Toronto

Tuesday, December 15Leiba Bernstein, New Jersey
Wednesday, December 16Rachie, Liz, Talie, Mimi, and MiriamThe Boston Gang
Thursday, December 17Miryam Kabakov & FamilyExecutive Director, Eshel

Eshel Parents Retreat 2020
2020-12-03 19:30 - 2020-12-06 21:00
The Eshel Parent Retreat
20/20 Vision

Focus on our children, our families,
our communities, ourselves

Thursday – Sunday

December 3-6, 2020

This year we will meet virtually, beginning on
Thursday evening and continuing Motzei Shabbat and Sunday.

Keynote Speaker: Rabbi Benny Lau

SNEAK PREVIEW of New Israeli film:

Marry Me, However
A talk-back with
Rabbi Mordechai Vardi, Director

A conversation with Suzie and Rabbi Chaim Marder:
When rabbinic families have LGBTQ children

The “retreat” will also include:
Chaburah Groups*
*(small discussion groups)
Yoga
and other fun moments with the Eshel family!

Important Retreat Details
We are excited to gather as a community during the Eshel Parent Retreat. We hope to meet again soon in person. For now, we can’t wait to see you together in our zoom room. We have a wonderful program planned, not just during the Dec. 3rd- Dec.6th weekend, but for the rest of the year.

We hope you will join us. For those of you who are first-timers to this retreat, we are looking forward to welcoming you into the Eshel mishpoche (family) at the newcomer’s orientation on Dec. 3rd.

Throughout the year, we provide free support services to hundreds of parents and family members in need. We can only do this with your help. We hope you will consider making a tax-deductible donation to our parent retreat and programming.

After you fill out the form below, you will be taken to the payment page.

* No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

Hanukkah with Eshel Baltimore/DC Meetup 2020
2020-12-02 19:00 - 21:00
Get ready… It is almost here….the holiday of Chanukah!
We will be having a pre-Chanukah celebration with lots of shmoozing, fun, and games.
We will be playing Speed Dreidl, Dreidl Scattergories, Miraculous Mad Libs, and we’ll have a Battle of the Debaters: Soufganiot vs. Latkes.
To bring: Your own delicious snacks and home-made goodies; 20 small items such as gelt, coins, rocks, playing cards, etc.; paper and pen for scoring and jotting down ideas; a dreidl.
The Baltimore/DC group is planning to assemble a collection of recipes for Hanukkah. Have a fabulous latke recipe? A method for creating mouth-watering sufganiyot? We would love to include them in our cookbook. Please send them to baltimore-dc@eshelonline.org

Eshel Baltimore/DC Parents & LGBTQ+ Joint Meetup
2020-12-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2020-10-14 19:00 - 21:00
Get together with our Baltimore/DC Eshel family. Join us in this intimate, confidential setting to meet others, like yourself, in the extended Eshel network.
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: 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 here. (You only need to register for this group one time.)

Thanksgiving with the Eshel Baltimore/DC Meetup Group
2020-11-26 15:00 - 16:00
For Thanksgiving this year, the Baltimore/DC group is planning to have a Thanksgiving get-together on November 26 at 3 PM.
It will be an hour to mingle with friends, play a few fun games, and celebrate a wonderful American holiday together.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Eshel LGBTQ+ Phone-in Support Group
2020-11-24 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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Orthodox+* People of Trans Experience Support Group
2020-11-19 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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Eshel Across America: DuSiah - Dialogue between Traditional Queer Jews and our Rabbis
2020-11-08 18:45 - 20:30
The application process is currently closed, but please feel free to fill out the form for the second round of DuSiah, which will be held in the near future!
Eshel Across America Weekend (November 5-8, 2020)
As we read every year in Parashat Vayera, Avraham and Sarah plant an Eshel tree near their tent to signal the welcome of strangers. It is during this weekend that we, the Eshel community, celebrate our commitment to inclusion and dialogue.
DuSiah: Dialogue Between Traditional Queeer Jews and Rabbis
We are seeking 15-20 LGBTQ+ participants to join in a new Eshel dialogue initiative between select Rabbis and Eshel community members on Sunday, November 8th at 6:45pm. Space is limited, please apply below.
DuSiah is a pilot program bringing Orthodox rabbis and queer Jews into conversation. The goal is to pursue mutual understanding (rather than agreement or immediate solutions) as we share together the challenge of building an Orthodox community that includes all of its children.
This first conversation will include rabbis and LGBTQ+ Eshel members. We will meet for a little over an hour and spend most of our time in small group dialogues. There will be a short introduction, a review of our purposes and ground rules and, then, we will divide into breakout groups. Toward the end, we will return for a short recap of the evening.
Since spaces are limited we will let you know by Wednesday, November 4th if you can be part of this first DuSiah project.
[As you register for Eshel events, you may see some interesting questions, which allow us to serve you better in terms of programs and communications.]

Eshel Across America: Melave Malka
2020-11-07 21:00 - 22:30
Eshel Across America Weekend (November 5-8, 2020)
As we read every year in Parashat Vayera, Avraham and Sarah plant an Eshel tree near their tent to signal the welcome of strangers. It is during this weekend that we, the Eshel community, celebrate our commitment to inclusion and dialogue.
Melava Malka
Join Eshel for a community-wide Melave Malka on Saturday evening with music, singing, and special guests: Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter and Sam Glazer. We will have a chance to welcome new members and meet each other in dialogue—the hallmark of the Eshel Across America weekend.
Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter is the founder and spiritual leader of the South Philadelphia Shtiebel. She received semikha in 2016 and completed her M.P.A. in Non-Profit Administration and M.A. in Jewish Studies from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. Rabbanit Fruchter, Wexner Graduate Fellow, is a passionate educator and community builder and has served on the clergy team at Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah in Potomac, MD, the largest Modern Orthodox Congregation in the Washington Metropolitan area. She is driven by relationship-based community building, facilitating meaningful ritual, and harnessing the power of the spiritual community to make the world a better place.

Sam Glaser’s soulful music has become part of the fabric of Jewish life in communities worldwide. Named one of the top ten Jewish performers by Moment magazine, Glaser is equally comfortable behind a grand piano in intimate solo concerts, leading his 8-piece band.
“Some consider Sam Glaser to be the hardest working man in Jewish music today. With over 20 albums under his belt and his annual fifty city concert tour which plays for over 100,000 fans, we think that Sam has earned the title.” Jewish Music Group Online. Check out Sam’s videos here.

[As you register for Eshel events, you may see some interesting questions, which allow us to serve you better in terms of programs and communications.]

Eshel Across America: Unbinding Isaac with Professor Aaron Koller
2020-11-05 19:30 - 21:00
Eshel Across America Weekend (November 5-8, 2020)
As we read every year in Parashat Vayera, Avraham and Sarah plant an Eshel tree near their tent to signal the welcome of strangers. It is during this weekend that we, the Eshel community, celebrate our commitment to inclusion and dialogue.
Unbinding Isaac with Professor Aaron Koller
Under our virtual tent, this year we will kick off this weekend with Dr. Aaron Koller of the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Yeshiva University, who will share insights from his new book: Unbinding of Isaac.
Have you ever felt both moved and troubled by the Akedah?
“The notion that sincere individual faith can license the suspension of all ethical considerations is a deeply dangerous idea,” says Dr. Aaron Koller in his new work, Unbinding Isaac. He claims that the use of the Akedah as a foundation for the suspension of the ethical is a misreading of the text.
Contemporary Jewish thinkers as central as Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik have fallen in various ways for this reading, which has been corrosive for the halakhic enterprise. Professor Koller’s reading of the Akedah unbinds us all, offering a way for faithful LGBTQ+ Jews to stake their claims for halakhic renovation as a fulfillment of Abraham’s vision and not a rejection of it.
How to obtain the book: You may order Professor Koller’s book from the Univesity of Nebraska Press, which is offering a 50% discount with the code 6FALL20. You can also receive a free gift copy of the book by sponsoring this event. Info will follow after you register below.
[As you register for Eshel events, you may see some interesting questions, which allow us to serve you better in terms of programs and communications.]

Eshel Baltimore/DC Parents & LGBTQ+ Joint Meetup
2020-11-04 19:00 - 21:00
Get together with our Baltimore/DC Eshel family. Join us in this intimate, confidential setting to meet others, like yourself, in the extended Eshel network.
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: 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. (You only need to register for this group one time.)

Subscribe to a Newsletter

Eshel Chicago Parents Meetup
2020-10-20 20:00 - 21:30
What: A confidential support group for observant/Orthodox Jewish parents of LGBTQ+ individuals who may be struggling with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity and/or wish to connect with other parents like themselves.

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

Eshel Parent Sukkah Hop
2020-10-07 19:30 - 21:00
Come join the Eshel Parent* Sukkah Hop!
Tonight, Wednesday, October 7, 2020
7:30 PM Eastern – 4:30 PM Pacific
(And all the time zones in between)
Hop into each other’s Sukkah over zoom. Meet other parents for the first time; reconnect to old friends.
With Special Guests:

Ushpizin with Atara Lindenbaum and Dr. Asher Lindenbaum, Eshel siblings
Songs with Eshel parent Chaim Fruchter
Hear from the parent retreat planning team about upcoming plans for the parent community.

Bring dinner, a cup of tea, whatever, depending on your time zone. Get ready to hop, learn, share, and shmooze.
Remember, what happens in the Sukkah, stays in the Sukkah! Please keep confidential the details of whom you meet.
*For all Eshel parents of LGBTQ+ children and close relatives

Eshel Parents of Trans People & Gender Non-Conforming Support Group
2020-10-05 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: Third 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 here. (You only need to register for this group one time.)
Questions? Email info@eshelonline.org
