Feb 17, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
“If you will it, it is no dream.” Im tirtzu, ein zo agadah. Theodor Herzl was speaking about a homeland for the Jewish people. But as I look back on the Shabbaton I recently experienced, those words feel deeply personal to me. For many years, Eshel has been a lifeline for Orthodox parents of LGBTQ+ [more]
Aug 30, 2025 | Eshel in the News
Organized by the JFNA, the trip included 15 first-time visitors to Israel and came amid a broader sense of alienation many had been feeling in their LGBTQ communities back home. By DEBORAH DANAN/JTA Under the haze of neon lights and techno beats, Roni Tessler waited for legendary DJ Offra to begin his set in a [more]
Aug 6, 2025 | Eshel in the News
By Miryam Kabakov I am always trepidatious about travel. Am I heading into the unknown? What will I find when I get there? Will the flight be safe? At the heart of these questions, I’m often asking: Will I be safe? These concerns didn’t go away when I landed in Israel in June as part of [more]
Jun 30, 2025 | Eshel in the News
An LGBTQ+ Jewish group surveyed the community over the last two years and found they are experiencing alienation at incredibly high rates — but it didn't start with October 7th. By Alexandra Miller For LGBTQ+ Jews, annual Pride Month celebrations were once a treasured safe space — but not anymore. "I've never felt more excluded [more]
Mar 22, 2024 | Eshel Out Loud
The night before I left for Israel, I talked to a friend about what he should do: his father, who lives on the other side of the continent, had just gotten a cancer diagnosis. I remembered back to when my parents had been sick and I had been far away. “Go be with him. He [more]
