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]
Jul 13, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
Who is to blame for the destruction of Judea and the razing of the Temple? Every year during the three weeks, including the nine days and the ninth of Av, we blame ourselves. The land had been promised to Abraham and his children, and with fits and starts, that promise had been fulfilled and lasted [more]
May 18, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
This past week’s Parsha, Badmidar, isn’t really my jam; I tend to gravitate more naturally toward the narrative-based chapters contained in Bereishit and Shemot over the intricately detailed portion of Bamidbar that we just heard; I prefer my Torah spoon-fed to me through colorful stories of fratricide, floods, and famine. So, at first glance, I [more]
Apr 28, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
This Friday will be the 14th of Iyyar, exactly one month after Pesach. We celebrate Pesach Sheni, an ancient reminder of the value of inclusion. It originates the first year after the Exodus from Egypt. Bnai Yisrael are instructed to repeat the lamb offering they made the night that they went free: “you shall offer [more]
