Jul 28, 2025 | Eshel Out Loud
It is not good for humanity to be alone. לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ Loneliness is the first aspect of creation judged to be bad by God. Yet it is this deep sense of loneliness we are called to experience on Tisha B’av. אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד - How lonely sits the city once great with people. [more]
Aug 6, 2024 | Eshel Out Loud
As I began the intensive preparations for Tisha B’av this year, marked by the start of the Nine Days, I was reminded of a Tisha B’av I spent twenty years ago in Jerusalem with twelve queer clergy. I had organized this trip to engage queer religious leaders with our shared Abrahamic roots, and open dialogue [more]
Jul 21, 2023 | Eshel Out Loud
On the ninth of Av, in the year 70, Roman legions broke into the Holy Temple and set it ablaze. We are taught that the second Temple was destroyed due to sinat hinam, the causeless hatred between siblings. Historically, the fractious infighting between different sects of Jews in the first century did indeed set the [more]
