Aug 19, 2025 | Eshel in the News
By MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ Ziva Mann remembers how joyful and smiley her daughter was as a child — the family even gave her the nickname “Giggles.” “She was just sunshine,” Mann said. That changed around second grade, when her joy began to fade. “She got sadder and sadder,” Mann recalled. “It was like watching someone disappear.” [more]
Aug 19, 2024 | Eshel Out Loud
When I see that rabbis are still advocating for celibacy if an LGBTQ+ individual wants to remain Orthodox, I wonder if they have heard the Tina Turner song, What's Love got to do with it? Because the answer to Ms. Turner’s question is, in their eyes, clearly, nothing. The education I received at Yeshiva University [more]
Apr 12, 2024 | Eshel in the News
When their baby is born, most parents have dreams about how that new life will unfold. Those dreams are unrealistic — by definition, because they’re dreams — but they usually involve the glorious mastering of unavoidable conventions on the way to some high-level prize. If you’re part of a tight community — if, say, you [more]
Aug 28, 2023 | Eshel Out Loud
As a new mom, things like news stories, divrei torah from the bima, even conversations with friends and community members hit differently. I can’t help thinking, “what does this mean for my child’s future?” I want my kid to have access to as many opportunities as possible and be loved, accepted, and celebrated by my [more]
May 22, 2023 | Eshel Out Loud
2019 Parent Survey and Report Parents are finding ways to manage, but shuls and schools largely fail LGBTQ+ Jews and their families. In December 2019, Eshel held its seventh annual retreat for Orthodox parents of LGBT+ children. For the first time, other close family members were invited to the retreat, as well. Approximately 100 parents [more]
