Limmud Festival 2017

Limmud Festival 2017 – Tuesday 20:10

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Asexuality, from the Talmud to the present day

Isabel Bard 

Orange 15

Asexual identity is a relatively modern word describing someone who does not experience sexual attraction, which has existed throughout history. This session will trace understandings of asexuality from ancient Jewish texts to modern identity politics.

Ask an Israeli spokesman anything

Avi Mayer 

Red 3

This is your chance to ask a former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces and current spokesman of The Jewish Agency about... well, anything! Come armed with questions: no topic is off limits.

Being LGBT in Trump’s America

Mathew Shurka 

Orange 12

During his campaign, Donald Trump made overtures to the LGBT community. However since he has taken office, he has rescinded guidance to schools on transgender pupils, and did not commemorate LGBT Pride. Come and hear Mathew’s experience of being gay in America today.

Daniel Cainer - More Gefilte Fish & Chips

Daniel Cainer 

Red 6

After another year of globe-trotting, sell-out shows in Edinburgh and winning the Galway Fringe Award for Excellence, no less, Cainer's back with his smart, funny, and timely stories in song. Brilliant rhyming and wordplay, great musicianship and haunting tunes you won’t forget. Some new stuff, some favourites and some surprises.

From Bourekas to Oscars

Sigalit Freeman 

Green 27

The Israeli film industry has come a long way since the first one minute promotional black and white film. Today Israeli films are regular Oscar contenders and smash hit TV series such as 'Homeland' and 'In treatment' originally aired as Israeli shows. Following the development of Israeli film, we examine what we can learn about Israeli society through film.

Gender and sexuality: introduction (for families)

Alma Reisel  Dalia Fleming 

Oasis 1

The vocabulary of gender and sexuality is ever evolving. This workshop offers an accessible and judgement free space to learn about the beautiful diversity of gender and sexuality and how families contribute to creating a world where no Jewish LGBT+ person should have to choose between their Jewish and LGBT+ identities. All are welcome.

IBM, American big business and the Holocaust (1 of 2)

Mark Creeger 

Yellow 21

How did Thomas Watson and IBM deploy machines and onsite service throughout German train stations, concentration and death camps? How were they able to implement the enormous tasks of big data and detailed logistics at scale, enabling the Nazi government to work towards their Final Solution to the Jewish Problem?

Israeli dance party (3 of 4)

Sheila Eizensharf 

Red 7

Let your hair down and have fun at our late night Israeli dance party - a mixture of old and new; circle, line and partner dances. A lot of fun for lots of people! We start with easy dances so everyone can be included, so save your energy and join our circle!

Kosher ink: Jews and tattoos

David-Yehuda Stern 

Orange 10

Join us for a visual exploration of body modification in Jewish law, history and culture. We will consider a range of religious perspectives within Judaism towards body art, tattoos and piercings, as well as viewing a colourful sample of “Jewish tattoos.”

Nava Tehila in concert

Ruth Gan Kagan  Ilan Glazer  Nava Tehila  Daphna Rosenberg  Yoel Sykes 

Yellow 24

Join the Nava Tehila band for an evening of delight as we invite you to travel into the landscape of holiness and joy. Through chanting Psalms and Song of Songs to original melodies and with the help of guided intentions, we will connect to the spirit and allow it to fill our hearts and uplift our souls.

Evening chavruta – Miracles (2 of 2)

Limmud Chavruta Team 

Red 4

Chavruta (study in pairs) is a great Limmud tradition. No experience and expertise required, everyone is welcome and we guarantee you will have a fascinating, meaningful experience! Today, we'll explore miracles. How does our tradition understand them, and are there modern-day miracles?

Rabbi Akiva and his legends (1 of 2)

Yarden Raber 

Green 26

We will explore the "love story" about Rabbi Akiva and his wife in its different recensions scattered throughout rabbinic literature. We will analyse its literary structure and motives. We will also try to identify an original story in light of the critical approach to rabbinic literature.

Subversive services - why does shul last so long?

Samuel Barth 

Blue 33

Catholic mass is over in 45 minutes, while Methodists and Lutherans aim for an hour! What would consumer reports say about Judaism's "Spiritual Value per Devotional Minute?" How did endless davening on a Shabbat morning ever happen? What can we do and why hasn't someone done it? Possibly treason to the Union of Service Leaders... For the brave!

The Comic Book and Me: Bob Dylan and Comics (Jewish Version)

Daniel Fingeroth 

Red 1

Just as he has profoundly affected creators in other media, Bob Dylan has long influenced comics writers and artists. Comics historian (and sometime Dylan scholar) Danny Fingeroth discusses references to Dylan in comics, as well as references to comics in Dylan’s work, with an emphasis on the singer’s complex relationship to Jewishness.

The travelling synagogue

Tamarah Benima 

Green 25

Since 2016, Tamarah has organised Kabbalat Shabbat services for non-Jews all through the Netherlands, once a month. The goal is to give non-Jews an experience of Erev Shabbat. The welcome with drinks and the kiddush afterwards are an integral part. The minyan is formed by members of my 3 kehillot (communities) and curious Jews (of all denominations) living close to the venue.

Towards coexistence: can there be peace without it?

Eve Harow 

Orange 11

Many Jews in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) interact on a daily basis with our Arab neighbours. Living in the Middle East at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures has been a fascinating journey. A long time activist reflects on missed opportunities and misconceptions on the path to peace. Failure is not an option; where do we go from here?

What’s really behind Spain and Portugal’s laws of return for Jews?

Cnaan Lipshiz 

Orange 13

Eclipsed by the tumults shaking Europe and its Jews since 2012, both Iberian nations have passed the world’s only Jewish laws of return outside Israel’s. We'll explore the backstory of this extraordinary development, which cynics say is designed to jump start debt-ridden economies but which others celebrate as unprecedented acts of repentance.

What's your brand essence? A workshop for nonprofit organisations

Karen Radkowsky 

Blue 34

In this session, we will employ a variety of interactive exercises to help you uncover your brand essence: your organisation’s unique contribution and impact. You will also learn how to define your target audience: who they are and how best to reach them.

“Why don’t you have children...?” - a forum for women who are not mothers

Sarah Bronzite 

Yellow 22

The question that every non-mother dreads. Women without children shouldn’t be judged; but neither should they have to hide. This interactive session provides a space for childfree women to talk honestly about their experiences and feelings: please come and share, and meet/support other Jewish non-mothers. (All women welcome)

Your space or mine?

Maya Skaarbrevik 

Red 2

Progressive Jewish Students are ever more present at university, but why don’t the organised Jewish spaces on campus reflect that? This session will brainstorm the structural and personal barriers there are to building progressive Jewish spaces on campus, with advice in how to constructively combat the current ortho-normative narrative on campus.

Zakhar U'Nekevah Barah Otam: Towards a definition of gender in Jewish Law

Michael Even David 

Red 5

From the six genders in the Talmud to modern Transgender and Queer people, How does Judaism define gender? What are the halachic implications of not-binary gender definitions? How can modern Judaism cope with gender identities besides male and female?

Rabbinic rebels and rebellious rabbis: understanding authority in the Talmud (2 of 3)

Yaffa Epstein 

Orange 14

Abraham, the founder of monotheism, is the next rebel in our series. Was Abraham a seeker of power or did he eschew it? We will examine how the Rabbis understood Abraham’s character, and thus how they understood their own authority. All levels of experience with text welcome; texts provided with English translation.

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