Stories of Impact
Eshel Creates LGBTQ+ Inclusive Orthodox Jewish Communities
Meet our grantee partners who are turning vision into action: advancing justice, inclusion, and accountability across the Jewish communal landscape.
Eshel creates LGBTQ+ inclusive Orthodox Jewish communities by building community, supporting LGBTQ+ Orthodox Jewish individuals and families, providing education to Orthodox religious leaders and educators, and advocating for LGBTQ+ individuals within the Orthodox community.
July 18, 2025: What does it take to build a more inclusive Orthodox Jewish community for LGBTQ+ individuals?
For Eshel, it starts with listening deeply, responding with sensitivity, and creating brave spaces where allies can connect, learn, and act.
Through their Allies Training Initiative, Eshel is equipping Orthodox congregational professionals, clergy, and lay leaders with the tools they need to support LGBTQ+ Jews in their communities. With a grant from SRE Network, Eshel has been able to formalize a curriculum, pilot in-person trainings, and launch new resources to grow the network of allies across the country.
Highlights of the Allies Training Initiative so far:
- Trained 100 individuals at workshops in Florida and Michigan.
- Developed a foundational curriculum tailored to the needs of the specific communities they are working with.
- Identified core needs, including more education, advocacy training, skill-building, and localized strategies to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in Orthodox communities.
- Created a forum for allies to connect, and launched an allies newsletter so they can stay connected to resources and support online.
- Planned for scale: Eshel is hiring a Program Director to increase capacity and deepen this initiative’s reach, and also started planning an online opportunity for ally education.
In the coming year, Eshel will use this strong foundation to reach more individuals through additional workshops, online education, and a public launch in additional communities.
Attendees reported deeply valuing the opportunity to have open conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion and connect with other allies. We are so proud to support this important work Eshel is undertaking to inspire lasting inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ Jews across Orthodox communities.
SRE Network mobilizes Jewish organizations to achieve gender equity and cultivate inclusive workplaces and communal spaces where all individuals can thrive and drive change. As a network of over 185 Jewish organizations, we are working towards a communal landscape that is safe, respectful, and equitable, where every individual thrives and organizations can achieve their missions.
Photos provided by Eshel staff.