Jul 27, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
The grape harvest is upon us! It is but one of many socially significant occasions to the Jewish people that coincide with the auspicious date of 15 Av, or the minor holiday otherwise known as Tu B’Av. Tu B’Av is more commonly known as a day of love. On this date in Old Judea, single [more]
Jul 22, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
When LGBTQ people come out, the first questions they ask often have to do with place and belonging: where will my home be now, and who are “my people”—my family, my friendship circle, and my spiritual community? The experience of displacement is something that our community is all too familiar with. Tisha B’Av is the [more]
Jun 1, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
Eshel has been working with shuls and schools for more than a decade now on policy issues. In 2018 we encouraged schools to “take the pledge,” a document drafted by an Orthodox high school student and his principal. It promised that when students come out of the closet in high school, the school would not [more]
Feb 24, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
The Megillah is, among its many faces, a story about the complexities of identity. A number of its characters are imposters of sorts, struggling to be something that they are not. However, according to Rabbi Yonason Eibshitz, while this may be true of Achashverosh, Haman and even Esther, Mordechai alone does not live a [more]
Dec 10, 2025 | Eshel in the News
Imagine being told you belong to a faith that is fighting to keep you out—and refusing to leave. In this week's Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz welcome Rabbi Steve Greenberg, the first openly gay Orthodox-ordained rabbi, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. This week in Parashat Vayeshev we meet Tamar, a woman [more]
