Red 4
Torah study in ancient Babylonian yeshivot imposed infinite demands on its students. What happens when a rabbi is so ‘married’ to academia his own wife is a ‘whore’? When he is so immersed in his world of ideas that he forgets the names of his children? Most importantly, how can we all engage in Torah without neglecting the real people around us?
Green 26
Conspiracy theories (CTs) are associated with ridicule, paranoia and even insanity and such ideas abound on the internet including many about Jews/Israel. But the term CT itself is a relatively recent one. We'll investigate the history of CTs, try to understand the phenomenon and look into a few to see whether there may be some truth to any of them.
Orange 14
This session will explore visual stories of NGOs in the UK and Ghana working to combat similar issues in vastly different contexts and how photography can ethically represent ‘the other’. Hear from a young Jewish photographer and his approach to documenting challenging issues such as extreme poverty, the refugee crisis, and homelessness.
Yellow 24
Eric and Happie performing a selection of their original music and prayer settings. The Tulsa, Oklahoma based duo's first album, It's Yours, debuted at #11 on the iTunes Singer Songwriter Top 20 chart and just released their first album of Jewish music this month. They will also play songs off their upcoming album to be released in Autumn 2018.
Red 6
In his bestselling book "The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics", David Goodhart sees society divided into those with an identity rooted in a particular place pitted against a mobile elite. From Cain and Abel to shatnez, it’s an argument that’s as old as the Bible itself…
Green 27
This session will be a purposefully-superficial attempt to try and get a sense of the hashkafah (outlook) of modern Sephardi sages. By learning their teachings through pithy, meme-ified quotes, you will be able to gain a basic familiarity with what distinguishes the Sephardi approach to Judaism from others.
Benjamin Brown Arieh King Jill Jacobs Avi Mayer Yoel Finkelman
Orange 15
A controversial plan by the Israeli government to create a dignified egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel – a plan celebrated by diaspora communities, especially in the USA – has been shelved at the behest of Haredi parties, which believe that the space should be governed by Orthodox tradition. Who is right, and is there a middle ground?
Yellow 22
Over the past few of years, the term Genetic Modification (GM) has becoming increasingly prevalent in the healines, in both positive and negative ways, due to its ethical implications. In this session we will look at how Judaism views genetic modification and engineering; questioning the application of halacha on genetics in the 21st century.
Orange 12
Vienna’s Chief Rabbi visited Herzl in 1895 to discuss his new book "Judenstaat" and found him lighting up the family Christmas tree. Discuss the fascinating history of 200 years of Jewish cultural involvement with Christmas. Share memories from your own past or present, and let’s build a picture together of what’s happening now.
Red 7
Bring your drums, guitars or just your voices to a singalong where we will sing our hearts out to British and Israeli songs. Suitable for everyone who likes to pretend we are at camp!
Orange 11
Survivor and leading global advocate to end conversion therapy, Mathew is driven to prevent others from being subjected to this therapeutic abuse. In this discussion, hear Mathew's story of estrangement and reconciliation with his family, and how he became a leading voice in his community and around the world to create love and acceptance.
Red 3
A fascinating story of a Hasid, born and raised within the deep recesses of Mea Shearim, Jerusalem to socially insular, zealous ultra-orthodox Jews. At age twenty, his only language was Yiddish; in November 2016 he graduated from Harvard Business School. Join him as he reflects on his journey and its wider implications for the Jewish world today.
Blue 34
My untold Jewish story is a safe and private space to explore challenging conversations that deepen, diversify and complicate our Jewish identities. A few brave speakers have chosen to share their stories relating to circumcision with the support of our session moderator Alma. Come along to share your Jewish story, or just to listen to and reflect upon fresh perspectives.
Orange 13
We are on the cusp of a technological revolution due to artificial intelligence. In this first session, I’ll give a brief introduction to modern AI, focussing on machine learning, and will present some of the positive opportunities that AI may bring. The second session looks at the challenges that society faces.
Yellow 21
Get to know a whole group of new people in these quick-fire debates on topical issues!
Red 5
An obscure Talmudic discussion on messengers stumbles without warning into the nature of divine and human justice, prophetic and rabbinic authority, a startlingly novel interpretation a famous Biblical story and the last stand of civil society in Roman Palestine. All sources in Hebrew and English - no prior knowledge is required.
Green 25
Traditional midrash often contains stories or anecdotes to illustrate a point. Uniquely, the Zohar occasionally presents narratives that contain midrash, interpretations of Biblical texts. Is this a forerunner of the modern novel?
Purple 29
Many of our ancestors would have kept warm at night with a bottle of vodka while managing inns and taverns in Eastern Europe. Come and learn about its Jewish history and taste some samples from Ukraine, Poland and Russia.
Red 2
We laugh at ourselves, knowing that we are opinionated and often, can't make up our minds. This stereotype is actually embedded in our history, culture and values. But what do you do when you are faced with a clashing opinion? Through texts, we will discover what we can learn from these situations and how we act when faced with adversity.
Laura Janner-Klausner Sarah Mali Sally Patterson
Red 1
An invitation to talk about the intimate, complex and confusing experiences we face frequently on the issue of gender-bias and to think together about the kinds of behaviours that contribute towards it and what we might begin to do differently.
Daniel Heller Josh Martin Daniel Fenster Simons Rebecca Heller
Orange 10
Ever wondered what Jewish scripture tells us about the brown stuff? Thought about how Jewish rituals and Jewish cuisines impact our digestive systems? And what are the top toilet humour jokes by Jewish comedians? This light-hearted session will get down and dirty to learn about faeces from different Jewish perspectives.
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