Mar 26, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
What is it? How do I know if it's for me? Eshel’s Parent Retreat is a supportive space for Orthodox parents with children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. You may be feeling a lot of things about having an LGBTQ child. Parents come to this retreat for many different reasons, and [more]
Mar 10, 2026 | Eshel Out Loud
After fifteen years of holding Eshel - its vision, its people, its future - I spent three months letting it go. Not abandoning it, but doing something that can feel almost countercultural in the nonprofit world: stepping back. No emails, no meetings, no decisions. Just rest, reflection, travel, family, and the uncomfortable gift of unstructured [more]
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]
Jun 6, 2025 | Eshel in the News
By Joanne PalmerJune 5, 2025, 9:59 am Robin Siegel, left, talks to another parent at the retreat. (Stefanie Diamond) It’s a near-universal truth that parents want to protect their children. That overriding impulse can start even before a baby is born, and if anything, it often strengthens once children grow out of toddlerhood and dependence and [more]
May 13, 2025 | Eshel Out Loud
The journey for most Orthodox parents with a child who is LGBTQ is long and emotional. The social and mental journeys we go through can be difficult, stressful, and joyous. However the most rewarding journey many of us take is the physical trip to Pearlstone Retreat Center for the Eshel Annual Parent Retreat. What [more]
