Angels of History helps individuals reflect on the past to better navigate Jewish identity in the present.
We provide a space for those with Jewish ancestry to connect and engage in dialogue around the most pressing issues impacting us and our communities today.
Through discussion groups, workshops, and retreats, we create compassionate, engaging environments where participants can explore meaningful, and often challenging, conversations that shape the diverse landscape of Jewish identity and community.
Our aim is to deepen participants’ understanding of their Jewish identity, empowering them to address the complex issues facing Jews amidst increasing polarisation within relationships, communities, and society.
Founded in 2018, Angels of History emerged from the need for a space where Jews could come together to express the diverse emotions and experiences arising from the weight of history. As an independent initiative, we are not affiliated with any specific stream of Judaism or Jewish communal organisation, welcoming all who seek to engage with their heritage.
We welcome anyone with Jewish roots or ancestry, embracing the full diversity of Jewish experiences. Participation is entirely self-selected, allowing you to join in based on your own connection and interest.
With deep divisions and fragmentation affecting both the Jewish community and the wider world, our work has never been more urgent. The current media landscape amplifies polarisation, leaving little room for constructive, nuanced, and thoughtful conversations.
Our goal is to reduce fragmentation and foster new forms of connection through dialogue.
So how might we do this?
Instead of relying on the usual channels of political debate, we believe that bridging divides through better communication is essential.
By reflecting on our diverse Jewish histories, we can forge deeper connections, building the courage and resilience needed for meaningful dialogue. Our process isn’t about meeting in the middle, but about gaining new clarity on our own perspectives and allowing for a deeper understanding of others.
In response to growing fragmentation, we create spaces that encourage bridging rather than division—where people can engage in thoughtful conversations, process our often traumatic past and better understand how this impacts the present.
We are striving to cultivate a more connected and compassionate future for Jews and others, helping individuals and communities to navigate the challenges of an increasingly polarised world.
We are starting small and welcome you to join us with open hearts.
Angels of History was co-founded by Daniel Eisenberg, Alex Eisenberg, and Lea Misan.
As therapists and facilitators, we’ve been working with groups of individuals with Jewish ancestry to navigate the impact of our collective history since 2018, drawing from even longer experience in our personal practices.
Our work is trauma-informed and rooted in a deep understanding of how our varied Jewish histories shape our experiences and emotions in the present. We recognise the profound influence of generational trauma and collective memory on identity and well-being.
Our approach integrates a range of expert practices designed to help individuals connect and release at physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. By doing so, we aim to foster resilience, confidence, agency, and joy—enabling participants to heal and thrive in both personal and communal contexts.
If you want to know more about us do drop us an email.
The Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin introduced the concept of the “angel of history” in his essay Theses on the Philosophy of History. The “angel” symbolises a figure who looks back at the wreckage of history, wanting to pause and make sense of it. However, this angel is continually pushed forward by the storm Benjamin refers to as “progress”, unable to linger or repair the damage. This metaphor captures the tension between confronting the past and the relentless push to “move on.”
We are all familiar with how easily we can be swept up by this storm—preoccupied with the demands of daily life—and how challenging it can be to turn our attention towards the experiences and traumas of our ancestors. Yet, if we fail to confront the “wreckage” of history, the unprocessed trauma of past generations risks playing out unconsciously in our bodies, relationships, and even on the global stage. Angels of History responds to this very need.
Our work honours the past, but we are not bound by it. Rather than continuing to repeat inherited patterns and the struggles of those before us, Angels of History offers a space to confront and transform these legacies. We believe this allows us to live out our ancestors’ deepest yearnings—for us to live unencumbered, abundant, and free, breaking cycles of trauma and fostering healing across generations.
We have been working in an emergent way since 2018 with small groups of Jews in the UK to work open-heartedly on issues including:
Antisemitism and anti-Jewishness
Israel-Palestine & Zionism
the Holocaust
the persecution of Jews in Arab lands and the Farhud
the Inquisition
the effects of assimilation
the relationship between Jewishness & Whiteness.
Through our workshops and creative activities we have also explored the relationship between Jewishness and a variety of socio-cultural issues inlcuding:
Food and domestic space
Money and power
Work and class
Academia and books
Sexuality and gender.
To date groups of 6-10 people have met regularly for 90 minute online sessions where we have been able to unfold some of the dynamics related to the themes. Our groups are intentionally intergenerational.
100 people attending sessions immediately post October 7th 2023
3 cohorts (9 months each)
25 people involved
35 sessions delivered
All participants said that the sessions with Angels have impacted positively on how they view their Jewish identity.
Nigel Singer
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© 2025 Angels of History