• Home
  • About
    • About
    • Policies
  • Submissions
    • Op-eds
    • News / Announcements
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

eJewish Philanthropy

Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource

  • News Bits
  • Jewish Education
  • Readers Forum
  • Research
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Life in the FSU Countries / Limmud in Odessa Delights Participants for the Third Time

Limmud in Odessa Delights Participants for the Third Time

October 13, 2013 By eJP

Limmud Odessa 2013
photo by Boris Bukhman

by Larisa Popovskaya

From October 5 to 8, Limmud Odessa brought some 500 Russian-speaking Jews from the Former Soviet Union together to celebrate the birthday of Israel’s national poet Hayim Nahman Bialik, who was born in Odessa, and to drink in the atmosphere of Jewish unity under the special Odessa sky of Ukraine.

This Limmud event took place in Odessa for the third time. You may well ask “Why Odessa?” but the answer is clear. Odessa is one of the cradles of modern Israel with its contribution of so many ideas, future writers and statesmen to the future state. One of the classic homes of Eastern European Jewry, Odessa is the spirit of so many Jewish immigrants, so the question should actually be: where could be more suitable than Odessa?

Limmud in Odessa is a part of the world-wide Limmud family, but with a very special Ukrainian and Odessan spirit. What is Limmud? It is pluralism, volunteering and Jewish learning. But here in Odessa there is a very special sense of humor, anecdotes which could only have come from Odessa, slang that you will hear only here and, of course, the parties, music, dancing and sightseeing, but above all, Jewish study.

The Limmud participants arrived in the picturesque district of Arkadia, which is near the sea. The weather could have been better at the beginning, but Limmud brought the sun to Odessa. The last two days were sunny and warm. The events began with Havdala at the close of Shabbat and sessions went on until two in the morning. The following day, participants arrived from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova and even from the USA and Israel. With five or six lectures taking place at the same time, participants had a great choice. Many very well-known people from the FSU are among Limmud’s regular presenters, among them the famous Russian actor Benyamin Smekhov, the writer Victor Shenderovich and others.

The age of the participants this year ranged from two to the mid 80s, but, of course, there is no limit. Every year more and more young people come to Limmud and they bring their parents and even grandparents. Participants choose their own program. The youngsters went to hear the Israeli reggae band Kozmo or participated in an intellectual game; others attended lectures on old Odessa or the art of Marc Chagall. Those who preferred to listen to a klezmer band from Odessa, could do just that.

Like all Limmud events, it is volunteers that make things happen. It is not typical of the Soviet mentality to do something for just a thank you, but Limmud makes miracles happen. Volunteers organize the audiences, volunteers interpret for non-Russian-speaking presenters, volunteers solve all problems and are always ready to give a helping hand.

Presenters surprise veteran limmudniks with new topics and enthrall newcomers with amazing lectures. This year’s sessions, starting with Jewish fashion and going on to secrets of family life and bringing up children, were very different from each other, but united in their Jewish connection. And don’t forget Israeli dances, morning yoga, master-classes for handmade arts and crafts, humor sessions, business training workshops, and much more.

Four active and unforgettable days in Odessa have come to the inevitable end. Warm hugs, parting from new and old friends, last good byes and “see you next Limmud.” 500 people prove once more that Limmud is the popular recipe for Jewish learning among this and future generations.

Larisa Popovskaya, 25, is from Kiev (Ukraine) and is currently studying in Moscow.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Life in the FSU Countries, The Limmud Experience Tagged With: Limmud FSU

Click here to Email This Post Email This Post to friends or colleagues!

Primary Sidebar

Join The Conversation

What's the best way to follow important issues affecting the Jewish philanthropic world? Our Daily Update keeps you on top of the latest news, trends and opinions shaping the landscape, providing an invaluable source for inspiration and learning.
Sign Up Now
For Email Marketing you can trust.

Continue The Conversation

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Comments

  • Bruce Powell on An Invitation To Transparency: Reflections on an Open Salary Spreadsheet
  • Sara Rigler on Announcement: Catherine Reed named CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom
  • Donna Burkat on The Blessings in 2020’s Losses
  • swindmueller on Where Do We Go From Here?
    Reflections On 2021
    A Jewish Response to These Uncertain Times
  • Alan Henkin on Where Do We Go From Here?
    Reflections On 2021
    A Jewish Response to These Uncertain Times

Most Read Recent Posts

  • What Title for Henrietta Szold?
  • Jewish Agency Accuses Evangelical Contractors of “Numerous Violations” but Denies They Evangelized New Immigrants
  • An Invitation To Transparency: Reflections on an Open Salary Spreadsheet
  • Why One Zoom Class Has Generated a Following
  • The Blessings in 2020’s Losses

Categories

The Way Back Machine

Footer

What We Do

eJewish Philanthropy highlights news, resources and thought pieces on issues facing our Jewish philanthropic world in order to create dialogue and advance the conversation. Learn more.

Top 40 Philanthropy Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2020

Copyright © 2021 · eJewish Philanthropy · All Rights Reserved