Presenters: B

Isabel Bard

Isabel Bard has co-moderated "God Save Us From Your Opinion" for two years. The offline Jewish communities she is a part of include Kol Nefesh Masorti, and the alumni of Yeshivat Hadar and Drisha high school programmes. She's in her second year of English Literature and Philosophy at Birmingham.

Genine Gita Zohara Barel

Owner of The Way Inn, a boutique hotel in the holy city of Tsfat, Gita has journeyed from the orthodox Jewish enclave of New York to Tel Aviv, India and Peru, learning from rabbis, gurus, Buddhist monks, Zen masters in Auschwitz and shamans in the Amazon. She celebrates life with guests and family.

Genna Barnett

Genna is the Ghana Country Director for Tzedek, and has spent the last 13 months living in Tamale, Northern Ghana (with her 14 chickens). Originally from Scotland, she has also worked on a youth empowerment programme in Burundi, and with the Eritrean and Sudanese community in Tel Aviv.

Ruth Barnett

Ruth Barnett came to England aged four in 1939 from Berlin. After teaching and practising psychotherapy she now speaks about Holocauast, genocide, writes books, and challenges thinking. Her family story was the subject of a German novel, and the film of the novel will be shown at this Limmud.

Tania Barnett

Tania is a second generation holocaust survivor. She lives with her family in Leeds and works in Higher Education, as a Disability Support Tutor and Psychology and Counselling Lecturer, with specialist skills in dyslexia, autism and mental health.

Samuel Barth

Drifting between teaching and developing a new (old) way of telling the story of Israel, he’s been a dean, a professor, remains a proud abba, karate student, and inclusion advocate. An approach (Heschel) subverting prayer, text, and practice with contradictory meanings invites us to embrace paradox.

Robert Baruch

Robert has been a Limmud participant in recent years. He is an industrialist and a property developer. He studied Mathematics at Queen Mary University of London and Masters in Chaos theory at Imperial College London. His interests includes the Jewish influence on 19th Century British Politics and Persian poetry.

David Bash

David has been in Jewish men’s groups (on & off) for around 30 years. All this time, he has also been working with young people professionally (as a youth worker, primary school teacher, storyteller & dyslexia tutor). David has been co-leading outdoor Jewish men & boys weekends for the last 8 years.

Eddie Bass

Eddie Bass has had an extensive inculcation in drama, science, poetry, and making up modern versions of stories of Chelm. He graduated as an octogenarian and admits to learning more in the past 13 years than in the previous 70. He thanks his rabbi and tutor for encouragement on his third session.

Avigail Ben-Gad

Brought up in Israel, and now studying archaeology at Cambridge, Avigail is an amateur genealogist who has spent the past year and a half tracing her family line to Portugal.

Tamarah Benima

Tamarah Benima is a rabbi serving three kehillot in the Netherlands (Reform and Jewish Renewal). She was editor-in-chief of the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad and still is a columnist. She has published three books of essays and combines Inayati Sufism with Judaism.

Jon Benjamin

Since leaving the law (oy!) to work in the charity sector, Jon has held the top roles at the Board of Deputies, ORT, GIFT, & UJIA. He now advises charity trustees on their legal responsibilities and is chair of the Israel Guide Dog Centre (UK) and a trustee of the Sir Martin Gilbert Learning Centre.

David Benkof

David Benkof’s frequent columns in The Daily Caller (a conservative website) and LA’s Jewish Journal focus on American politics, homosexuality, and Judaism past and present. He is a polyglot, theatre enthusiast, philanthropist, and trivia buff. A Jerusalemite, he presents at Limmuds worldwide.

Linda Berkowitz

When a teacher of Film Studies in Brighton 21 years ago, Linda joined the very first Board of the UK Jewish Film Festival & has happily remained associated ever since. She looks forward to joining the unique Limmud audience in appreciating the wide range & high quality of films from UKJF this year.

Danny Bermant

Danny Bermant grew up in London where he attended Hasmonean and Carmel College. He is married to Miriam and has three children, Eliana, 11, Dalia 9, and Eitan, 6. They are based in Borehamwood and are active members of the Kehillat Nashira Partnership Minyan.

Daniel Bernstein Vulkan

Daniel has an MSc in Social Research Methods from the LSE, and currently works as a statistician in the field of cancer prevention and early diagnosis. He was previously the senior researcher at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. He is also a veteran Limmud volunteer.

David Bigman

David Bigman is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa. He served as rabbi of the Maale Gilboa community and as Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Ein Tzurim. He studied in many yeshivot but was especially influenced by Rav Aaro Soloveichik, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Bakst, and Rabbi Yisrael Ze'ev Gustman.

David Bilchitz

David Bilchitz is a Professor of Fundamental Rights Law at the University of Johannesburg. He is currently in Berlin on sabbatical as a Von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow. He is the head of Strategic Development on the Limmud Board and co-chair of the Limmud Global Volunteer Forum.

Deborah Blausten

Deborah is a student rabbi at Leo Baeck College. She holds a BSc in Medical Sciences and an MA in Education and Technology from UCL and is a former Limmud conference programming co-chair. Off the bimah she collects rare sneakers, and enjoys running, hiking, and (almost) anything by Aaron Sorkin.

Adam Blitz

Adam Blitz is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute & former Fulbright scholar. He is a member of ICOMOS UK and English PEN. He writes on cultural heritage, particularly the Jewish sites in Syria, for both scholar and popular publications including Haaretz, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post.

Ian Bloom

Nowadays, Ian is a freewheeling legal consigliere. Previously, he was a publisher and writer but primarily a media lawyer. He has contributed to the 'Jewish Chronicle', 'Jewish News', 'Observer', 'New Statesman' and others. Ian broadcasts regularly on LBC on media law topics.

Shoshana Bloom

Shoshana challenges concepts of disability in the Jewish community, empowering people with additional needs to become active, contributing members of their communities. A passionate Limmudnik, ROI-er & Makaton tutor, she’s also a Limmud trustee & founder of the international Limmud L’Am programme.

David Bolchover

David Bolchover is an author and commentator. His latest book, “The Greatest Comeback”, is a biography of the football coach, Bela Guttmann. He has also written three high-profile business books and contributed to several leading newspapers, such as The Times, The Telegraph and The Financial Times.

Shana Boltin

Shana, originally from Melbourne, works as an occupational therapist. A coffee, Ottolenghi and Yiddish enthusiast, she was co-chair of Limmud Conference in 2014 and joined the Limmud Board of Trustees in 2017. If you would like to volunteer with Limmud or learn how to make pickles, be in touch.

Menachem Bombach

Menachem has a BEd from Machon Yaakov College, an MA in public policy from Hebrew University, founded their haredi preparatory programme, and is senior project manager at the Mandel Institute. He is director of the Torah Academy high school which offers integrated secular studies to hassidic youth.

Ruth Borthwick

Rutie Borthwick is an artist who works in installation and painting. She is a Slade MFA graduate and won the Adrian Carruthers Award in 2015. Rutie teaches adult education classes in London and has a background in arts therapy.

Hannah Brady

As Programming co-chair, Hannah hopes you are having a great time at Festival! Passionate about women's and disabled empowerment, she loves to start challenging conversations with a touch of humour. Outside of her Limmud life, Hannah works in the Civil Service and thinks deeply about baked goods.

Jason Braier

Jason is a barrister specialising in employment law, with particular interest in discrimination. Somewhat randomly, he is also co-author of a book on international adoption law.

Emma Brand

Emma is a graduate of Oxford University and RSY-Netzer, and is now a writer and director for theatre. She has her own theatre company, Hatch It Theatre, which makes formally experimental theatre about social issues. Her show, “Whalebone”, was recently staged at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London.

Harvey Bratt

Harvey is UJIA's Director of Legacies and Planned Giving. Harvey is an initiator and trustee of Jewish Legacy, a consortium of 50 charities, growing the legacy ‘cake’. Harvey is a previous vice-chairman of Hendon Synagogue and Foundation Governor of the Michael Sobell Sinai School in Kenton.

Dina Brawer

Dina Brawer, founder of JOFA UK, is currently in her final year of Semikha studies at Yeshivat Maharat, NY. She recently launched #YourTorah podcast designed as an invitation to accompany her in a 36 week journey to discover Mishnah. She co-leads Mishkan: The Jewish Community Beyond Borders.

Naftali Brawer

Naftali Brawer writes and lectures on a wide range of topics including Hasidism, theology and spirituality. He is the author of two books and is also a seasoned broadcaster frequently appearing on the BBC. He is the co-founder and rabbi of Mishkan: the Jewish community beyond borders.

Robert Brody

Robert Brody has conducted shul services and sung in concerts throughout the UK and at worldwide venues, recently in St Petersburg, Russia, with the Zemel Choir of London and the Ramatayim Choir of Jerusalem. He has recorded with Zemel, Shabbaton, LJMC and has broadcast as soloist with BBC Singers.

Sarah Bronzite

Sarah has been pondering attitudes towards women's sexuality and fertility for decades. Previously a social market researcher, she currently juggles work (teaching) and an MSc in sociology. She plans to research Jewish women who aren't mothers. Judaism is her second religion, after choral singing.

Mekella Broomberg

Mekella Broomberg is Head of Arts and Culture at JW3, the first Jewish Community Centre and arts venue of its kind to exist in London.

Benjamin Brown

Benjamin Brown is a professor of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His main focus is Orthodox Judaism, which he studies in variety of aspects: Jewish Law (Halachah), Hasidism, Musar Movement and Haredi ideology (Hashkafah).

Dan Brown

Founder of the web-based publication eJewishPhilanthropy.com, Dan Brown is a past Board Chair of the American Friends of the WUJS Institute, served as a mentor for the PresenTense Global Fellowship Program and is a member of the international steering committee of Limmud FSU.

Debra Brunner

Founder/director of The Together Plan, working with Jewish communities in Belarus, founder of The Polotsk Jewish Cultural Educational Foundation, Belarus, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. Debra works with communities to help them better understand how they can develop from within.

Frima Bubis

Merphie Bubis, 24, was raised in an Orthodox family in Jerusalem. She did her military service in the Civil Administration in the West Bank from January 2013 to March 2015. After her discharge she joined Breaking the Silence as a testifier, assuming the role of the Jewish Diaspora coordinator.

Tamas Buchler

Tamas works for the Jewish Agency’s Global Leadership Institute as the director of Minyanim, a network of young Jewish community activists from Central and Eastern Europe. He passionately believes in the potential and future of European Jewry. He lives in Budapest with his son and cat.

Lara Bundock

Lara is the founding CEO of the award-winning ‘Snowdrop Project’ which provides support for survivors of modern slavery. In 2015, Lara co-authored ‘Life Beyond the Safe House’ with the Human Trafficking Foundation and is passionate about sustainable support for survivors of slavery.

Libby Burkeman

Libby is Head of Programmes for a trust that improves access & quality of education for underprivileged young people. She has worked in informal education in senior posts at Reform Judaism, Tzedek, the Science Museum & even Limmud. Libby has DJed at Limmud since 2013 & is excited to do so again.

Leah Burman

Leah is a member of a 2nd generation group and an experienced educational psychologist. Her involvements include researching and reporting on the emotional experiences of survivors and their families through the generations and facilitating cross-generational workshops at Limmud and the AJR.

Georgina Bye

Georgina has been heavily involved in building inclusive, cross-communal Jewish communities and is a seasoned Jewish educator. She works for JDC Entwine and OLAM, organisations involved with International Development. She's also passionate about creating women's spaces, feminism, food and travelling.