Limmud Festival 2017

Limmud Festival 2017 – Monday 16:00

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A Jewish bestiary: Heine’s Dog Days and Siodmak’s Wolf Man Nights (2 of 4)

Jay Geller 

Blue 33

The poet Heinrich Heine composed animal tales depicting the ambivalences and ambiguities of Jewish life in the wake of Emancipation. A century later, refugee and screenwriter Curt Siodmak created one of cinema’s most tragic creature features. This session examines some of the beasts prowling Heine’s Hebrew Melodies and Siodmak’s Wolf Man.

Behind the scenes at the Knesset

Lahav Harkov 

Red 1

We all know who Bibi is, but who are the big movers and shakers impacting the Knesset every day, and how do they reflect Israeli society? The Jerusalem Post's Lahav Harkov gives you a behind-the-scenes look at Israel's parliament and politics.

Challah braiding workshop with Challah Hub

Sarah Klegman 

Red 5

Participants will learn to knead, braid and bake their own challah. Come along on a not-so-traditional challah adventure with co-founder of Challah Hub and shameless carb-lover: Sarah Klegman. There will be gluten. No experience required.

Crafternoon tea: Jewish origami! How to make an origami Magen David

Social Programming Team 

Blue 32

Come and learn or revisit the art of origami and test out your folding skills by learning how to master a Magen David! Bring a cup of tea or coffee. Cake is preferable. A chat is essential!

Facing South

Emma Sevitt 

Green 25

This is the story of a Civil Rights journey to the Deep South which took Emma from Tennessee through to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, Virginia and to DC. She will share the stories, hopes and dreams, of challenge and change, of transformation and struggle that she documented.

How serious is the terrorist threat to Jews?

Michael Whine 

Orange 12

Foiled ISIS plots to attack synagogues in Birmingham, England and Ahmedabad, India in the past few months throw terrorist threats against our communities into sharp relief. The threat is ongoing and worldwide but can be mitigated by concerted government and community reaction. The session will address the threats and potential responses.

How to understand (and teach) Talmud

Aryeh Klapper 

Red 3

A new method, based on years of classroom experience and rooted in both traditional and academic modes of study. You will learn to understand the form of an argument before its content; to experience the Talmud as an oral text; and to understand and convey the magnitude of Rashi’s accomplishment. Particularly recommended for people interested in the Limmud Beit Midrash.

Introduction to belly dancing

Lucy Cohen 

Red 7

Come along to learn the foundations of fusion bellydance in a safe, fun and welcoming environment. We'll go through the basic steps and techniques that can be used in any dance and learn a short routine.

Jews in Victorian England in 10 objects

Vanessa Freedman 

Green 27

This talk will use 10 objects from the rich collections of University College London to illustrate Jewish life in Victorian England: personalities, communal politics, the struggle for political equality, the beginnings of Zionism, social life and more.

Kidnapped! The mysterious case of the captive baby

Roderick Young 

Orange 10

The "tinok shenishba" is a rabbinic category meaning "captured baby.” It refers to Jewish children raised without knowledge of Judaism, like me! I was raised an Anglican Christian and discovered I was Jewish at 23. What does our tradition say about such Jews? Is the category relevant today? A text study and discussion, but Hebrew not necessary.

Lessons in leadership

Sam Taylor 

Red 2

Why exactly was Moses chosen by G-d to be the leader of our Nation all those years ago? We will analyse Chapter 2 of Exodus which describes his early life to see what clues we can find.

Literary lives: T.S. Eliot and the Jews (2 of 3)

Aviva Dautch 

Purple 31

The case for T.S. Eliot’s antisemitism was successfully prosecuted some years ago, but the recent publication of Eliot’s complete prose and letters have complicated the issue since, like the old joke, some of his best friends were Jewish. We’ll explore who they were and how they caused Eliot’s views to change over the course of his writing life.

Markus Jastrow: more than just a dictionary author

Maciej Kirschenbaum 

Green 26

Markus Jastrow is best remembered for his classic dictionary of Talmudic vocabulary. However, he was also a passionate champion of inter-religious solidarity between nations inhabiting Russia-controlled Poland. In our session, we will read excerpts from Jastrow's sermons, in which he compelled Jews to view themselves as a part of Polish society.

Nietzsche and Soloveitchik II: life-affirmation, asceticism and the passions (2 of 3)

Michael Harris 

Orange 11

The philosophy of the confirmed atheist Nietzsche appears to have little in common with that of the leading Modern Orthodox thinker Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. This series argues, however, that it is surprisingly fruitful to consider some central aspects of Soloveitchik's thought through a Nietzschean lens.

Superheroes/Hebrews: The role of Jews in film and comics

Jonathan Pam  Dalia Fleming  Daniel Fingeroth  Mark Oppenheimer 

Orange 15

Without Jews, there would be no superheroes as we know them. Artists like Seigel and Shuster of Superman, Bob Kane of Batman, Stan Lee of Spiderman, and others helped make the superhero universe. Yet their characters—and perhaps they—have always had a vexed and complicated relationship with Judaism. Why is that? We'll talk about that and more...

The Frisco Kid

Irene Wise  Linda Berkowitz  UK Jewish Film Festival 

Orange 13

A Polish rabbi wanders through the Old West on his way to lead a synagogue in San Francisco. On the way he is nearly burnt at the stake by Indians and almost killed by outlaws. 119 mins | USA | 1979 | Dir Robert Aldrich

The Holocaust & Social Action

Samuel Neumann 

Blue 34

A documentary about one woman’s experience of the Shoah presented by a grandchild forms the centrepiece of our project to ally the Holocaust to vital social concerns. The Holocaust & Citizenship Programme goes beyond the issue of Jewish suffering to make it of direct relevance to the non-Jewish public. We invite you to join us in our efforts.

The relationship between Jewish and Islamic law

Gideon Libson 

Red 4

My sessions will deal with a comparison of the two legal systems both in their theory and their interactions and mutual influences from the beginning of Islamic religion (seventh century) through the Medieval period. Special attention will be given to the Geonic period (ninth to eleventh centuries) and to Maimonides halachic writings.

Written in Breath: Yiddish song as commentary

Anthony Mordechai Tsvi Russell 

Red 6

Yiddish Song is yet another vibrant, relevant body of Jewish texts to engage, celebrate and—of course—argue about the continuities of Jewish spiritual and cultural life. Anthony Russell leads a lively discussion where classic Jewish texts are contrasted with texts from Yiddish songs that are performed by the presenter during the presentation.

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