This group is for Orthodox Jewish parents with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children seeking peer support. We will also discuss ways to help parents and families navigate in their communities and to become advocates for their children.

This group meets by phone conference call at 8 PM CT/ 9 PM EST on the first Wednesday of each month. If you are interested in participating, please contact us to for a brief intake and to receive the call-in number: miryam@eshelonline.org

Confidentiality: Everyone is asked to keep what they hear in the group completely confidential. Participants should feel free to use a pseudonym.

November 14-15th, 2014

Stay tuned for more information coming your way or get in touch to get involved:  info@eshelonline.org

January 16-18, 2015 — Isabella Freedman Retreat Center, 116 Johnson Road, Falls Village, CT 06031

During this annual weekend LGBT Orthodox Jews come together to celebrate, learn, and to build this growing community.

Who is this for?

Orthodox or traditional LGBT Jews. We also welcome formerly Orthodox, Ortho-curious and anyone who wants to experience a traditional Shabbat with other LGBT Jews.

The program!

Our retreats draw from the many talents of our participants. We explore a wide range of topics in different modalities, including text study, topics on identity, learning new songs, skills training, and more.

Have something to teach? Let us know what you would like to share with the rest of the participants by filling out this short form.

Registration and Pricing

All prices include full room and board. Registration opens up a few months prior to the retreat. Have questions now? Contact info@eshelonline.org

Financial Aid

We are committed to making our weekends as inclusive and accessible as possible. We provide a limited amount of financial aid available for those who, for financial reasons, cannot otherwise attend.

Be an Eshel Angel!

If you are able to donate funds to enable people to come to the retreat, please donate here. Your contribution is greatly appreciated and will go to those who cannot afford to attend.

Halachic Information

All food will be strictly kosher, the retreat will be shomer shabbos, and we will have traditional davening/prayer. We will offer a variety of learning options, from traditional text study to experiential workshops covering a wide variety of subjects.

Transportation

Transportation to and from the retreat is at your own expense. Eshel will try to assist you in finding transportation to and from the weekend.

For directions and transportation information, please visit the Isabella Freedman website.

Confidentiality Policy

Some participants may not be out as LGBT in their daily lives, or may have other important reasons for keeping their attendance at the event confidential. You have affirmed that you WILL NOT POST OR DISTRIBUTE PHOTOGRAPHS or audio/video recordings of other attendees publicly unless you have the EXPLICIT permission of every attendee represented therein. This includes distribution or posting online on flickr, Facebook, MySpace, and similar sites, as well as anywhere else in which photographs and other representations are publicly available.

Refund Policy

Participants who cancel their registration more than 2 weeks before an event are eligible for a refund less a $25 processing fee. Participants who cancel within the last two weeks prior to an event receive a 100% credit toward a future retreat less a $25 processing fee. If you cancel less than 72 hours before the start of the retreat or leave the retreat early no refund or credit is available.

Questions?
Please email us at info@eshelonline.org. Please help us spread the word about the retreat!

April 17-19, 2015 — Capital Retreat Center, 12750 Buchanan Trail East Waynesboro, PA 17268

Who is this for?

*Orthodox or Traditional Jewish parents and adult family members of LGBT Jews.

The program for the weekend will be designed primarily for parents and adult relatives such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles or other adults important to the LGBT family member.

A few of the participants at the 2014 gathering

Where will it be?

The retreat will be at the Capital Retreat Center in Waynesboro, PA. Visit the website at www.capitalretreat.org or call (717) 794-2177 for more information. This is a first-class, full-service hospitality campus close to BWI and PHL airports and a one-hour drive from Baltimore, Md. and Washington, DC. We will have exclusive use of Nesiyah Lodge and will be dining and meeting in our own area to ensure privacy.

What will happen at this weekend?

This weekend will build a community of Orthodox and Traditional Jewish parents and relatives of LGBT children. We will create a comfortable place to share and learn with mutual support for discovering new ways to approach our children. Sessions will address having an LGBT family member in our families and in the Orthodox communities of which we are a part.

Is this for me?

Whether you are fully accepting of your LGBT child or struggling to accept them, this is the place for you. No judgments will be made about any retreat participant’s attitudes or levels of acceptance of their LGBT child. We only ask that each attendee agree to respect other participants’ feelings and attitudes.

Getting there:

For getting to the retreat site, please visit the retreat website to find out information about train, airplane and car travel to and from the retreat center. Transportation to and from the retreat is at your own expense.

Registration and Pricing:

All prices include full room and board. We strive to not to turn anyone away for lack of funds! Please inquire if this retreat presents a financial challenge.

Be an Eshel Angel!

If you are able to donate funds to enable someone who cannot otherwise attend the retreat, please click here. Your contribution is greatly appreciated and will make this retreat a reality for someone else.

Food/Kashrut

All Capital Retreat Center food is under strict Star-K Kashrut supervision, using only Glatt Kosher meats and Cholov Yisroel dairy products.

Produce is sourced from local farmers for the freshest ingredients. The facility is nut-free. Capital Retreat Center strives to accommodate almost every dietary need possible.

Shabbat Observance:

The weekend program will be fully Shomer Shabbos (Sabbath Observant). Retreat participants agree to respect others’ religious beliefs and practices. We do ask that everyone keep the laws of Shabbos according to Orthodox practice in public areas.

The entire facility is enclosed in an eruv.

Davening/Prayer:

There will be a traditional prayer service/minyan.

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY:
Some participants may have important reasons for keeping their attendance at the Shabbaton confidential. You have affirmed that you WILL NOT POST OR DISTRIBUTE PHOTOGRAPHS or audio/video recordings of other attendees publicly unless you have the EXPLICIT permission of every attendee represented therein. This includes distribution or posting online on flickr, Facebook, MySpace, and similar sites, as well as anywhere else in which photographs and other representations are publicly available.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Participants who cancel their registration more than 2 weeks before an event are eligible for a refund less a $25 processing fee. Participants who cancel within the last two weeks prior to an event receive a 100% credit toward a future retreat less a $25 processing fee. If you cancel less than 72 hours before the start of the retreat or leave the retreat early no refund or credit is available.