Presenters: B

Liora Baram

Liora is studying Honours in History & Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney. She is co-founder of the Sydney Jewish queer women’s film club, HaSodot, mum to two kittens, and a seasoned stand-up comic. Liora was on the programming committee for Limmud Oz 2019 and Chair of Limmud Oz 2020.

April Baskin

April N. Baskin is the joyful creator of the YouTube series Torah in Color and host of Wholly Jewish podcast. She is a global DEI strategic advisor and trainer. The Racial Justice Director of JSJR and founder of Joyous Justice, April has been honoured to receive several awards and lives in Senegal.

Eddie Bass

Eddie has an eclectic education, but now very interested in drama, poetry, comedy and the humorous stories, which writes himself, and digs deep from the legends of Chelm - the ancient 'Village of Idiots'. In modern chelm, there's plenty of shaggy dog tales to get you laughing (or weeping)!

_ Beit Midrash

The Limmud Beit Midrash is a space for intensive, community-minded text study. A typical Beit Midrash learning experience will include a centrally-facilitated opening and ending, with time spent learning the chosen texts more deepling in pairs (chavruta) in between. Come and learn with us!

Edward Ben-Nathan

Edward is a retired computer man who has been an avid reader of history and politics for some decades and has been delivering talks on History at the School of Economic Science in London and elsewhere.

Geoffrey Ben-Nathan

Geoffrey Ben-Nathan was born London 1944 and graduated from SOAS in 1968 in Anthropology and Ethiopian studies. His specialist interests are Ethiopia; the Israelite Samaritans; and the Middle East conflict. His 2019 booklet, ‘Palestinians or Jews: Whose Land Is It?’ argues both peoples are equally indigenous.

Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg

Shira is associate director of the New Israel Fund (NIF) in Israel. Her quest for greater religious pluralism led her to direct Jewish Pluralism Watch. Shira has over a decade’s experience focusing on religious freedom at NIF, which promotes democracy and equality. She is an enthusiastic anglophile.

Aviva Ben-Ur

Aviva Ben-Ur is a historian specialising in Atlantic Jewish history, slavery studies, and the Ottoman diaspora. She is the author of Jewish Autonomy in a Slave Society: Suriname in the Atlantic World, 1651-1825 (University of Pennsylvania Press, May 2020).

Miri Benchetrit

Miri is UK consultant for Genesis Philanthropy Group and director of the Westbury Group. She was chief executive of the Rothschild Foundation Europe and executive director of the Minerva Center for Human Rights at Hebrew University. Miri has an MSc in Politics of Africa and Asia from SOAS.

Hana Bendcowsky

The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) is working in partnership with Hana Bendcowsky from the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations (JCJCR) as their special guest at Limmud. Hana is the programme director of the JCJCR at the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue. She is a lecturer, consultant, and researcher and writes educational material for the centre's programmes.

Aaron Benderski

Aaron is originally from Belarus and has a BA in Politics and IR from Hebrew U. He served in the IDF as a combat soldier and educator, worked as a tour guide in the Knesset and attended and interned in the U.S. Congress. Currently Aaron works as an Israel Fellow (Shaliach) of the Jewish Agency to UJS.

Ofra Bengio

Ofra Bengio is Senior Research Fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Tel Aviv University and Head of Kurdish Studies Program at the Moshe Dayan Center. She is the author of eight books and over 150 articles and essays in leading journals and collective volumes.

David Benkof

David Benkof is a Jerusalem-based teacher whose sessions at Limmuds worldwide analyze Jewish cultural products – fiction, poetry, musicals, films, lyrics, paintings. His other hats include Jewish historian, political analyst, seven-language polyglot, essayist, theatre enthusiast, and trivia buff.

Janet Berenson

Janet is author of Kabbalah Decoder and an experienced teacher and student of meditation and Jewish mysticism. She's published poetry, educational books and short stories and learns from everyone she meets. Students say she's an inspirational teacher and she hopes to prove them right.

Jonathan Berezovsky

Jonathan is the founder of Migraflix, a startup based in Sao Paulo that empowers refugees and immigrants by promoting their cultures while building bridges with the locals. He is also the co-founder of Mazeej, a music band of Muslim and Christian Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese and Brazilian Jews.

Emma Bergen

Emma Bergen is the development director for PJ Library in the UK. PJ Library sends out books to families raising Jewish children aged between six months and eight years old every month. The award wining books celebrate Jewish culture, values, and traditions. Sign up at www.pjlibrary.org.uk.

Jeff Berger

Jeff Berger is a rabbi who moved to the UK in 2000. Ordained at Montefiore College, he founded Rambam Sephardi Synagogue in 2011. In 2016 he became a KAICIID Fellow and is now interfaith advisor to Mitzvah Day. He likes giving talks on the Spanish & Portuguese Jews' Congregation and inter-religious dialogue.

Miriam Berger

This was Miriam’s bat mitzvah year as rabbi of Finchley Reform Synagogue. Seeing how hard life’s transitions can be for people led her to spearhead the Mikveh Project UK. A centre of wellbeing with a mikveh at its heart will support people, using this ancient ritual to heal and celebrate.

Sally Berkovic

An epistolary romance brought Sally to London in 1993 and since 2009, she has been the CEO of the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe, supporting Jewish heritage and culture across Europe. She is the author of Under My Hat, focused on Orthodoxy and feminism.

Adena Berkowitz

Adena Berkowitz is scholar in residence at Kol HaNeshamah NYC and senior scholar, MJE. She is the author of the best selling Jewish Journey Haggadah and mini siddur, Shaarei Simcha: Gates of Joy. A practising therapist, she lives in NY with her husband Zev Brenner and children.

Lisa Berman

Lisa has been with Mayyim Hayyim since it opened. From 2005-14, she directed the education centre, developing curricula and teaching. Since 2014 she's managed the Mikveh Center, responsible for guests’ immersion experiences and volunteers. Lisa is Mayyim Hayyim’s longest tenured staff member.

Robby Berman

Robert graduated Harvard University (MPA), Baruch College (MBA), Yeshiva University (BA), Gruss Kollel and Yeshivat Hakotel. He has published in Harvard Review, Los Angeles Times, Tablet, Ha’aretz, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, and the Jerusalem Report. He is founder and director of HODS.

Molly Bernstein

Molly has lived in some strange places - including Morocco, Tajikistan and Philadelphia - picking up Arabic and Persian on the way. She led IsraAID’s work in Greece’s refugee camps and recently returned home to Tel Aviv, where she is an aggressive runner, a mediocre potter and a graduate student.

Anna Leah Bernstein Simpson

Anna Leah is currently living in Israel as a Dorot Fellow. Anna Leah has lived in Belgium, Italy, and France and most recently worked as the Digital Content Manager for the Hadar Institute. She is also an alumna of the Kevah Teaching Fellowship and UJA-Federation YESH Institute.

Daniel Bernstein Vulkan

Daniel is a statistician, currently working in cancer awareness, screening and early diagnosis at Queen Mary University. He was previously senior researcher at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and has an MSc in Social Research Methods from the London School of Economics & Political Science.

Yoni Berrous

Yoni Berrous was born in France and made Aliyah with his family in 1992. He is the head of the European Jewish programming in the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem. He is responsible for Holocaust educational training for educators from Jewish communities in Europe.

Sharyn Bistre Dabbah

Sharyn Bistre is a veterinarian from Mexico, currently doing a PhD on medical detection dogs' behaviour at the University of Bristol. She is also involved on several other subjects such as history, arts, literature and theatre. She has been a Limmud volunteer in Mexico and the UK.

Joshua Black

Joshua Black has travelled and lived in several countries, which has contributed greatly to his world view. He is a landscape architect working in Hamilton, Canada. He has a passion for Jewish causes and tries to interpret personal experiences and questions through the lens of Jewish texts.

Ian Bloom

As a publisher, Ian bounced on a sex shop waterbed with Toni Morrison, drank whisky galore with Arthur Koestler and Lionel Davidson and swopped stories with Nick Tomalin at the Spare Rib launch party. Now he discusses Lord George Gordon – after Disraeli, English history's most famous Jewish convert.

Shoshana Bloom

Shoshana is a passionate Limmudnik, Schusterman Fellow and ROIer. She’s thrilled to be the new Limmud Global Chair volunteering alongside so many inspirational people around the Limmud world. Professionally, Shoshana founded and runs a disability inclusion and community facilitation consultancy.

Rebecca Blumenfeld

Rebecca Blumenfeld (aka. Bex) is a freelance chazzan, a spiritual and liturgical leader, and a Jewish educator affiliated with the Masorti movement. She has semicha from Hebrew College in Boston and she works for a variety of Masorti communities around the UK.

Yael Boim-Fein

Yael is the founding director of the Israeli Institute for Gender Equality in Education. Yael is also an executive member of the international Gender and Education Association (GEA), a graduate of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership, and served as a volunteer and chairman of the board for Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center.

Shana Boltin

Originally from Melbourne, Shana works as a children's occupational therapist. A coffee, Ottolenghi and Yiddish enthusiast, she previously chaired Limmud Conference and is currently a Limmud Board member with a volunteer training support role. But most excitingly, she is DJing again this year!

John Bowers

John is the principal of Brasenose College, Oxford, a barrister specialising in employment law and human rights, a deputy High Court judge and formerly a member of the Standards Board for England and the Home Office Task Force on Human Rights.

Amanda Bowman

Amanda Bowman is vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Amanda’s work focuses on the defence of Jewish freedoms, security, anti-racism and anti-Israel extremism. She has been at the forefront of the Board’s work in tacking antisemitism in politics, sports, the media and online.

Hannah Brady

Hannah is a Festival 2019 Co-Chair and hopes you’re enjoying it! Passionate about women's and disabled empowerment, she sparks hard conversations with humour. A former civil servant, Hannah’s just moved into organising pharma conferences in the US. When she gets a chance, she also likes to bake!

Peter Brady

Peter is a history enthusiast who lectures and writes articles for local synagogues. A retired solicitor, he enjoys researching the role of Jewish figures in military and political history, and discussing them with his grandchildren (including this year’s Limmud Festival Chair Hannah)!

Sam Brady

Sam is a first year PhD student at the University of Glasgow. He recently completed his Masters thesis at the University of Leeds which explores historic instances of disability within the Jewish community, for which he received a grant from the Jewish Historical Society of England.

Gabriel Noah Brahm

Gabriel Noah Brahm is director of Michigan's Center for Academic and Intellectual Freedom and a Senior Research Fellow at University of Haifa. He coedited (with Cary Nelson) The Case Against Academic Boycotts of Israel, and has dual (not divided) loyalty, splitting his time between Israel and the U.S.

Amy Braier

As director of Pears Foundation, one of the UK's largest family foundations, Amy oversees the Foundation's grant-making and operations. She is a former trustee of Limmud and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and is currently a trustee of the Miscarriage Association.

Jason Braier

A barrister specialising in employment and discrimination law, Jason has a particular interest in religious discrimination. He has acted for a Jew refused a job for being shomer Shabbat, a Sikh sacked for wearing a kirpan and a Muslim sacked for breaking for prayers. He tweets avidly at @jasonbraier.

Emma Brand

Emma is a theatre-maker and performer who has just completed an MA in Performance Making. Her work uses playful, innovative means to explore complex social issues - it’s basically like still being in RSY-Netzer! She is also one of the programming chairs for this year’s Festival.

Zev Brenner

Zev J. Brenner is president of Talkline Communications Network, America’s leading Jewish broadcast network, and is host of the network's flagship programme, Talkline With Zev Brenner. His guests include: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bibi Netanyahu, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin.

Shira Britannia

Shira Britannia is a collective of British Jewish composers, with Judith Silver, Dean Staker and David Hoffman as its driving force. We showcase different styles of Jewish song and liturgical music, dealing with Jewish texts and themes. Join us for the here and now of British Jewish music!

Robert Brody

Robert has been a tenor soloist for over 50 years presenting both secular and cantorial music with many Jewish choirs as well as recording with the BBC Singers for Radio 3. He has acted as chazzan in many countries and recently was soloist in an international cantorial conference in Prague.

Gidon Bromberg

Gidon Bromberg, attorney, is the Israeli Director of EcoPeace Middle East, a regional organization bringing together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists. He recently presented at the UN Security Council and UN Climate Summit on the relationship between water and Middle East peace.

Sarah Bronzite

Previously a social researcher, now a primary school teacher. Sarah's current academic research aims to change the UK sex education curriculum so that it meets young people's needs. She also writes about childfree women and gender-based violence. Judaism is her second religion, after choral singing.

Mekella Broomberg

Mekella Broomberg is a creative producer. She has a background in comparative literature and festival making and has written, performed and produced in the worlds of puppetry, circus and film. She is head of arts and culture at JW3, London’s Jewish Arts and community centre.

Dan Brown

Dan Brown is founder of the web-based publication eJewishPhilanthropy.com. Dan holds graduate certificates in Nonprofit Program Management and in Fundraising from the University of Pennsylvania and is an alumnus of the 2017 Cohort of UPenn's Executive Programme in Social Impact Strategy.

Debra Brunner

Co-founder and CEO of The Together Plan, Debra has worked with Jewish communities in Belarus for over 10 years. She is passionate about the revival of Jewish life in Eastern Europe and believes the route to success is through capacity building, empowerment and the development of self-sufficiency.

Libby Burkeman

Libby is head of grants for a trust supporting charities in the UK & India. She was director of education at Reform Judaism & Tzedek. Libby has a long history with Limmud including co-chairing Conference and, since 2013, DJing! Libby likes lunch for £4, follow her on Insta & join the hunt!

Georgina Bye

Georgina is the chief executive of Mitzvah Day, an organisation that seeks to bring people of all faiths and backgrounds together through Jewish-led social action. A dedicated community builder and educator, her interests include social justice, interfaith, inclusivity, food, travelling and feminism.