Limmud Fest: Expanding Jewish Horizons Under The Stars

by Ariel Kahn In its gorgeous new Suffolk location, this year’s Limmud Fest was blessed with some sunshine and an extraordinary degree of good cheer. Marketed as “the hottest festival in the British Jewish calendar”, the volunteer-run residential festival attracted a record 650 participants for four days of non-stop Jewish learning and culture. The sunny rolling hills of the South Downs were home to over 150 sessions of learning, the majority of which took place outdoors – a true celebration of Judaism without walls and a chance to embrace the Hebrew month of Ellul in the tradition of reflection and learning for which it is known. First timer Mikey Franklin, a London-based policitcal activist and educator summed up his experience in four words: “Fabulous, tiring, exciting, engaging.” The... Continue Reading

Limmud Conference: 30 Years and Still Learning

From Russia’s Far East to Los Angeles; from the UK to Australia; Limmud has exploded across the global Jewish landscape. Now 30 years old, this hugely successful initiative in informal Jewish education shows no signs of age. This summer alone brought events around the world, including Limmud Fest in the UK, Limmud in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, Buenos Aires and New Zealand along with Limmud FSU programs in Jerusalem and WestHampton, New York. Established in 1980 as a small conference by, and for, Jewish educators, Limmud has become, according to Sir Jonathan Sacks, “British Jewry’s greatest export.” Exported first to Australia in 1999, Limmud has now spread to 54 separate locations on six continents, directly impacting 40,000 individuals in the past year alone; bringing together religious... Continue Reading

CNN Visits Limmud in Moscow

In April, Limmud FSU returned to Moscow with another highly successful program. This past weekend, CNN Worldview featured the event. [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Limmud FSU Goes Boldly Where No Limmud Has Gone Before

The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming … no wait, they’re here. Or more specifically were there – at the Hampton Synagogue (Long Island) this past Sunday for Limmud FSU’s second U.S. event. 800 strong, up from last year’s 500, participated in more than 60 sessions facilitated by over 100 panelists – they came to collectively explore their Jewish identities, renew friendships, form connections, develop leadership skills and enhance community engagement. In the words of co-chair Yigal Kotler, they wanted to explore “real Jewish Peoplehood”. Typical was Roman Sidler, a young Ukrainian native living in Brighton Beach, who came to find even more connection to his Russian-Jewish community than he could find in his own neighborhood. “I am trying to find something... Continue Reading

Limmud FSU Hamptons NY: First Look

They came from Brooklyn and Philadelphia; Jerusalem and Kiev – gathering yesterday morning at the Hampton Synagogue in WestHampton, New York, for Limmud FSU’s second event in the U.S. The synagogue campus was over-run as 800 strong, up from last year’s 500, participated in more than 60 sessions facilitated by over 100 panelists, experiencing what co-chair Yigal Kotler termed “real Jewish Peoplehood”. It was a mix of cultures – American-Jewish, Israeli and Russian-Jewish – as was evidenced by the choice of program, and the constant back and forth between Russian and English in many sessions. Bel Kaufman, Shalom Aleichem’s 99 year old grand-daughter and the hit speaker of last year’s Taste of Limmud, participated through video declaring “my soul... Continue Reading

Limmud FSU WestHampton Live!

Today, Limmud FSU returns to WestHampton, New York and we’ll be live-streaming the event right here! Bookmark this page, and join us from for some of the more interesting topics, including for example, the presentation of astronaut Garrett Reisman, and session panels with leading experts from the United States and Israel on Jewish philanthropy; on immigrants – who needs them; the delegitimization of Israel; Russian-Jewish identity; Jews and Muslims in America – can they trust each other and more. Streaming live – from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm EDT. A black screen means there is a ten minute break for session changes. Launch in external player Having Trouble With This Video? On a Mac: This live streaming video uses a Windows Media streaming plugin that is best viewed on Windows.... Continue Reading

Limmud FSU: Facilitating Identity Around the Russian-Jewish World

They came from twenty-three towns and cities around Israel and from five additional countries. 98 volunteers worked tirelessly for months; 250 presenters led 200 sessions, including 15 round-table discussions. There was clearly glitz and glitter; and there was serious discussion. There was learning around the theme of Jewish Noble Prize laureates. And there was ceremony along with the spontaneous and joyful singing and dancing by 300 IDF soldiers, all new immigrants brought through Nativ, at an event in celebration of 20 years of Russian-speaking immigration. Total attendance: 1890! Such was  just a glimpse of what you would have caught had you been at Limmud FSU’s recent multi-day gathering in Jerusalem. This, Limmud FSU’s third event in Israel, was clearly a place to see, and be seen.... Continue Reading

Limmud S. Africa: Challenging the Establishment

a q. and a. with David Shneer, associate professor of history and director of Jewish Studies at University of Colorado at Boulder, on Limmud in South Africa from mail & guardian online (S. Africa): Jews on the move The South African Jewish community hosts its third Limmud Conference in Sandton this weekend. In the rather conservative Jewish community the conference – devoted to such diverse subjects as spirituality, gender, social activism and the controversies surrounding Zionism – has stirred mixed emotions. From its inception it has been discouraged by the local orthodox rabbinate … MK: Whats your sense of the local Jewish community? DS: To date I have only seen the Cape Town community and to be fair this is the community that is opting to come to Limmud and I have been to conferences... Continue Reading

Limmud FSU Jersualem Opens to Huge Acclaim

If there were any nay-sayers remaining about the vitality, and viability, of Limmud FSU, they would have been dispelled last night. For here in Jerusalem, at the opening program for Limmud Nobel, it was more who wasn’t here. Featuring an on-stage conversation with Israel’s popular President, and Nobel Prize winner, Shimon Peres, there was clear acknowledgment that Limmud FSU has come of age. The Jewish Agency’s Kiryat Moriah campus was bustling all day; participants ranged from infant on up – with the greatest numbers clearly under 40. In traditional Limmud style, there was a vast array of programming continually taking place, from the light to the serious, entertaining and educational. Hebrew, English and Russian were heard throughout – often in the same conversation.... Continue Reading

The Power of Limmud

by Natan Roy Every generation brings its own power with it. And the generation of Limmud brings new power of its own. In the third century CE, there was a Limmud gathering in Tiberias which, at its close, led to the codification of the Mishna, under the imprimatur of R. Yehuda Hanassi. In the fifth century the Babylon Talmud was compiled in more than 2711 pages in 20 volumes, printed many years later in Vilna. In the tenth century, pupils of Rashi, R. Shlomo Yitzhaki, compiled the Tosefta, a body of additional texts. In the 16th and 17th centuries, a progressive school was founded wherein learned men sat together with rabbis who gave the world some of the greatest cultural treasures of history. Rabbi Yaakov Ma’amdan of Germany wrote in his work, Megilat Sefer about these cultural encounters, and... Continue Reading

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