Moshe Ariel Abel

Ariel obtained semicha in 1997, received a commission as a Padre in Merseyside Army Cadet Force 2017 and again in 2022 (Reserves), and has a licence to practise as a solicitor in 2021. Married to Shulamit they live with two children in Liverpool.

Nic Abery

With over 25 years of experience in Jewish primary education in schools and communities, Nic works as an educational consultant for PaJeS and is the curator of Israel75:Building Artistic Connections. She has spent the past 4 years working with European Jewish schools and communities.

Daniel Aidan

Daniel, a French citizen aged 53, is an executive in a large French bank and a Limoudnik (yes, it exists in France!). He speaks French and some kind of English. He will be presenting the session with two of his four children: Yaelle (21), a biology student in a 'Grande Ecole' near Paris and Samuel (18), a student in maths and physics in a secondary school.

Anoushka Alexander-Rose

Anoushka is a doctoral researcher in English at the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations at the University of Southampton. Her PhD thesis is titled ‘Vladimir Nabokov and his Wandering Jews’ exploring the Jewish theme in his Russian and English, how it reflects history and contributes to literary modernism.

Kenden Alfond

Kenden Alfond is a psychotherapist and cookbook/studybook author. Kenden is the author of The Jewish Food Hero Cookbook; Feeding Women of the Bible, Feeding Ourselves; Beyond Chopped Liver; Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves, and the upcoming cookbook: Kosher Macros (expected 2023)

Joshua Alston

Joshua is a historian working at the University of Leeds. He is currently working on a project centring on the ways in which Jewish communities in South Africa responded to their status as white people during the late 20th century. He also has broader interests in Jewish and settler colonial history. Joshua's favourite penguins are Adelie penguins.

Emma Alter

Emma Alter is both professional musician and Feldenkrais teacher. She has 20 years experience of both world-class performance & teaching, specialising in anxiety in performers on and off stage. Her clients come from all walks of life and share a desire to improve their quality of life.

Wendy Amsellem

Wendy Amsellem teaches Talmud and Halakha at Yeshivat Maharat and directs The Beit Midrash Program, a joint project of Maharat and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. She received semikha from Yeshivat Maharat, is an alumna of the Drisha Scholars Circle and has a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University.

Maggie Anton

Maggie is a California novelist and Talmud scholar with expertise in Jewish women’s history. She is author of the award-winning 'Rashi’s Daughters' trilogy, as well as two 'Rav Hisda’s Daughter' novels and the non-fiction 'Fifty Shades of Talmud'. Her latest work, 'The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith, and the Talmud', takes characters inspired by Chaim Potok and ages them into young adults in 1950s Brooklyn.

Isobel Aptaker

Having worked in a range of cultural organisations I now support 2econd Chance with grant writing and business development. What appealed to me most about being part of the team was the opportunity of providing meaningful work experience to people living with disabilities whilst simultaneously reducing the huge amount of computer waste produced.

Hannah Arnaud

Hannah Arnaud is a current resident of Moishe House Kilburn. She recently completed a Master's degree in Shakespeare Studies and is a former movement worker for Noam Masorti Youth.

Esther Aronsfeld

Esther Aronsfeld is an ordained interfaith minister, lifecycle celebrant and creator of the 'Spirit of Judaism' course for Jews and Christians who want to connect to their spiritual roots.

Robin Ashleigh

Robin is the Director of the UK Programme at UJIA, overseeing a variety of educational programmes, including experiences in Israel and grant-making to Jewish communal organisations. Robin is also an educator for March of the Living UK, and has represented Team GB as a table tennis player and coach at the Maccabiah and European Maccabi Games.

Mie Astrup Jensen

Mie Astrup Jensen is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded PhD candidate at University College London. She researches non-heterosexual Jewish women's lived experiences and practises in England and Israel. Mie is also interested in connections between gender, antisemitism, LGBTQ+ and the Holocaust.

Nava B. Meiersdorf

Nava B. Meiersdorf was ordained at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary. She and her husband established an innovative and successful egalitarian minyan in the Ein Karem neighborhood of Jerusalem. Nava has recently started a new 'lab shul' at the Fuchsberg Center in Jerusalem.

Yerach B. Meiersdorf

Yerach serves as the rabbi of Marom, the Masorti/Conservative movement for young adults around the world. With his wife Nava, also a rabbi, they founded a young adult spiritual Masorti congregation in Ein Karem, Jerusalem. Earlier this year Yerach published a book on spiritual education.

Liora Baram

You may know Liora from the controversial JC headline 'Woman Sings Haftarah in Leeds'. Liora has spent her adult life challenging the boundaries that keep women and LGBT+ people excluded from mainstream Orthodox Judaism. Born in Sydney, married to a Londoner, currently living in Leeds.

Rina Barbut

Rina Barbut studied computer engineering and holds an MBA. She works at Microsoft and has been running her initiative JConnect Forum, a network for Young Jewish Professionals from Israel and Europe to encourage innovation, nurture business cooperation, share knowledge and skills, attract investors, and offer access to new markets.

Allison Barclay

Avielah is the first woman certified as a soferet (Jewish scribe) in 250 years, and both her sofrut (calligraphy) and Judaica are widely collected. She has taught at venues including the Conservative Yeshiva and Machon Pardes. Her areas of research/scholarship include religious feminism, Kabbalah of the Hebrew letters and materials such as ink and parchment.

Isabel Bard

Isabel loves Torah. She has expressed this in movement work at Noam Masorti Youth as well as studying at Yeshivat Hadar, the Conservative Yeshiva and at the Drisha High School Program. She is currently giving 'Torah im derech eretz' a go via a normal job, combined with furiously chavruta-ing after 5:30pm. She enjoys Python and vegan baking.

David Bash

David is a sculptor, storyteller and dyslexia tutor. He also co-leads the monthly 'fully inclusive' multisensory b'Yachad services (geared to congregants with learning disabilities) for Finchley Reform Synagogue. He has recently fulfilled a commission from a large London synagogue for an original modern sculptured piece of Judaica.

Gershon Baskin

Gershon Baskin is director of the Holy Land Bond. Baskin negotiated between Israel and Hamas for the release of Gilad Shalit. From 2012 to 2020, advised GigawattGlobal on solar energy in Palestine, and from 1988 to 2011 was the founding director of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research & Information, a joint Israeli-Palestinian public policy think-tank in Jerusalem.

Eddie Bass

Eddie has an eclectic education, but is now very interested in drama, poetry, comedy and the humorous stories, which he writes himself. He 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)!

Nadine Batchelor-Hunt

Nadine is a broadcaster and journalist. As a Black Jew, she has written about the intersection of the two identities and the importance of solidarity against racism across ethnic minority groups. Last year, she travelled to Israel to record a BBC documentary called Black, Jewish And Proud.

David Becker

David is 85 and for the past seven years has been leading a singalong class for Mill Hill U3A (University of the Third Age). He leads songs which older people enjoy - from shows, musicals, ballads, soul jazz etc.

Nadia Beider

Nadia Beider recently completed a doctorate in contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is currently a Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe post-doctoral fellow at the Social Research Institute, University College London.

Michael Ben-Gad

Michael is a Professor at City, University of London and former head of its economics department. He previously taught at the University of Haifa and worked at the Bank of Israel. Between 2014 and 2016 he served on the US National Academy of Sciences Panel on the 'Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration'.

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 first met Israelite Samaritan 'roving ambassador' Binyamim Tsedaka through Nitza Spiro's Spiro Ark which invited the Samaritan Choir to London in 2007. Geoffrey Ben-Nathan was born in London and is a member of the Wembley Spanish & Portuguese Jews' Congregation and is President of Bedford Progressive Synagogue.

William Dovid Berisch Secretan

William is Principal Psychotherapist within an NHS service for adults with severe and complex mental distress. He specialises in the theory and practice of group psychotherapy and ecopsychology. William is qualified in arts psychotherapy and psychodrama psychotherapy, and is a training member of the Independent Group of Analytical Psychologists.

Sally Berkovic

Sally is a member of a Chevra Kadisha, a team that ritually prepares the deceased for a Jewish burial. Originally from Melbourne, an epistolary romance brought her to London and she is the chief executive of the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe, a foundation supporting Jewish heritage and culture across Europe. Her freelance writing is at https://sallyberkovic.com

Sophie Bigot Goldblum

Sophie Bigot-Goldblum is the director of Jewish education at BBYO Europe and Talmud Faculty at Hillel Germany. Additionally, she co-facilitates Paideia’s Paradigm program, bringing together European, American and Israeli Jewish professionals and thought leaders for a week of intense discussions and learning on Jewish identity.

Dalia Blass

Dalia joined Yachad as their Youth and Student Worker after graduating from Edinburgh university with a 1st in Classics. She has been actively involved in the Jewish community from an early age, including over a decade in the Zionist youth movement Noam. She has led a wide range of programmes for young people in both Jewish and non-Jewish spaces.

Carolyn Bogush

Carolyn has been an active Limmudnik for more than 25 years and is currently chair of Trustees as well as vice-chair of UJS. She believes passionately in cross-communalism, volunteering and developing the future leaders of our community. Professionally she is an organisational psychologist.

Joel Brahams

Joel is 14 years old and a proud Jew. He has taken a keen interest in the history of British Jewry since he was young. Growing up in Golders Green, he loves being surrounded by Jewish culture, from the cuisine to the community. He is an experienced public speaker, having been on TV to speak about his love of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Miryam Brand

Miryam Brand is a scholar and lecturer on Second Temple texts, the Bible and the Ancient Near East. She is best known for her book 'Evil Within and Without: The Source of Sin and Its Nature as Portrayed in Second Temple Literature', her podcast (http://understandingsin.com/), and her YouTube classes on biblical and ancient texts.

Pamela Brenner

Pamela Brenner is a Yiddish researcher and translator. She holds an MSt from the University of Oxford and a BA from Barnard College, both in Yiddish Studies, and studied at Drisha and Migdal Oz. A 2021 Translation Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center, Pamela is translating popular Yiddish stories by Shomer. She is director of the Begin Scholars.

Jess Bricker

Raised in Australia and based in Israel, Jess is an educator, activist and avid gardener. Jess works with the refugee community in Tel Aviv managing educational programs at the African Refugee Development Center.

Sarah Bronzite

Sarah is Head of Education at KeshetUK. Outside of KeshetUK, she is a primary school teacher and is conducting academic research about school-based sex education. In her ‘spare time’ she writes about gender-based violence, is a Trustee for Migdal Emunah and is learning to temper chocolate. She has two religions: Judaism and choral singing.

Rich Brownstein

After a career in Hollywood, Rich has lectured for Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies, specializing in the use of Holocaust film history and their use in the classroom. His book, 'Holocaust Cinema Complete: A History and Analysis of 400 Films, with a Teaching Guide' was published in 2021.

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik cuts up comic books and reassembles them into papercuts that explore the stories of the Jewish people, connecting popular culture with sacred texts. He and his wife, Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik, a rabbi, co-founded Paper Midrash, offering engaging artist- and scholar-in-residence programs and workshops.

Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik

Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik is an engaging teacher of Torah, adapting traditional Jewish concepts to a modern Reform context, and bringing that synergy to students of all ages. She and her husband co-founded Paper Midrash, offering engaging artist- and scholar-in-residence programmes and workshops.

Daniel Cainer

Multi award-winning songwriter, storyteller and broadcaster. A veteran of six off-Broadway runs, 18 years at Edinburgh Fringe and concerts all around the world. Composer for TV, theatre, radio and temples. Daniel's been the ‘Singing Reporter’ on the BBC and the world’s only ‘Singing Astrologer’ (probably). Also known as 'The Comic Bard of Anglo Jewry' (The JC).

Nigel Canin

Trained as a teacher Nigel was inspired by the potential power of technology in the classroom. In 1999 he launched creative programmes for schools; today the flagship programme Purple Mash is used in over 11,000 schools worldwide. More recently he has set up Lemon Soul, an independent campaigns print publishing company and 2econd Chance, a computer recycling community interest company providing training for vulnerable people.

Mike Capozzola

MIKE CAPOZZOLA is, by default, "The U.K.'s #1 [only] Italian-American Pro Comedian" Since the late 20th Century, Mike's done many shows for JCC's, synagogues, Hillels, private events and Chabads. TV & Film appearances include: "Men in Black international" "The Batman" "The Phantom of the Open" www.IMDb.me/MikeCapozzola

Shalom Carmy

Shalom teaches Jewish studies and philosophy at Yeshiva University in New York, is editor emeritus of Tradition journal and currently contributing editor of First Things journal. He has authored hundreds of articles on Bible, Jewish thought, Talmud and interface of Torah and general culture and has edited two volumes of Rabbi Soloveitchik's writings on prayer.

Hava Carvajal

Hava Carvajal is a teacher at the Queer Yeshiva, and is currently completing an MA in Jewish Studies at UCL before beginning a six-month course at Paideia, the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden. She's a queer transfem who hopes to begin their rabbinic studies soon.

Efraim Chalamish

Efraim Chalamish is an international economic legal scholar and professor (New York University, IESE Business School), media commentator (Forbes, Reuters, Jerusalem Post) and public speaker, and serves as a senior advisor and Institute Fellow at Kroll, the global risk-management firm. He was a McCloy Fellow on Global Trends for Association for Corporate Growth and a Rockefeller Foundation resident.

Michelle Charles

Michelle is an artist whose work has been shown widely at galleries and museums in the UK/USA. Her work is also held in public collections at the British Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Wellcome Collection and the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Edwin Chomer

Edwin lives with his family in Sheffield and enjoys cycling in the Peak District. His Jewish journey has taken him through New North London Masorti Synagogue, Noam, Bnei Akiva and Ohr Samayech Yeshiva and he has been a (semi) regular attender at Limmud over the years. He believes that the connection to 'self' is a vital part of the individual Jewish journeys that we undertake.

Anne Clarke

Anne is the London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden and chairs the Fire and Emergency Response Planning Committee at City Hall. Anne has been a Barnet councillor since 2018 and is chair of Barnet Labour Group.

Adrian Cohen

Adrian has been involved in communal affairs from the 1980s. He was national chair of UJS. He is co-chair of the London Jewish Forum, lay chair of Labour Friends of Israel and a trustee of a number of organisations. He has been involved in developing a work-placed community and also in interfaith work. He is a partner in an international law firm.

Barbara Cohen

Barbara lives in Weymouth, Dorset, and trained as a yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga. She has been teaching yoga for 23 years, practising meditation for 52 years and is still a 'a work in progress!' Barbara identifies as a JuBu, a Jewish Buddhist, and is very interested in the intersection between Buddhism and Jewish mysticism.

Lucy Cohen

Lucy is fat and fabulous! She is the Director of Noam Masorti Youth; prioritising inclusion, creativity and Jewish learning. Lucy also facilitates JW3's Full Fat (a community space for fat and plus size Jews), and is a Bellydance instructor, a burlesque performer and cabaret show producer; creating Jewish, Queer spaces and shows for fat performers.

Russell Cohen

Russell advises clients around the world on family governance, succession and tax planning. He is a partner in a London law firm and is convinced that years of taking children's services have provided him with all the communication skills he needs to deal with the world's wealthiest families.

Marilena Colasuonno

Maria Maddalena Colasuonno teaches Judeo-Italian at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies. She obtained her PhD in semitic philology at UniOr and was granted post-doctoral fellowships on the syntax of Late Biblical Hebrew at Bar Ilan University and Qumran Hebrew at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Her publications deal with ancient and modern Hebrew, Palestinian Arabic and Judeo-Italian.

Peter Cole

Peter's most recent collection of poems is 'Draw Me After' (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux). He has also translated widely from Hebrew and Arabic—medieval and modern. He is the recipient of many honours, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Jewish Book Award and a MacArthur Fellowship. He divides his time between Jerusalem and New Haven.

Ben Combe

Ben Combe is a Jewish community professional and was the Chair of Limmud Festival 2021. He currently works at The New Israel Fund UK as Digital Communications Lead.

Jacky Comforty

Jacky is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, oral historian and media creator. He has worked on ground-breaking films in Holocaust studies, inclusive education and applied media, including 'The Optimists', 'Balkan Jazz' and 'In the Shadow of Memory'. He is the owner of large photographic, film and audio archives of historical and scholarly significance to the Holocaust, World War II and Bulgarian Jewry. He wrote 'The Stolen Narrative of the Bulgarian Jews and the Holocaust' (Rowman and Littlefield, 2021).

Ann Conway-Jones

Ann is an honorary research fellow at the University of Birmingham, and freelance theological educator, specialising in early Jewish-Christian relations and biblical interpretation. She has been involved in interfaith dialogue for over 30 years and is chair of Birmingham Council of Christians and Jews.

Cynthia Cooper

Cynthia L. Cooper is a playwright, journalist and author. Her award-winning plays, published in 17 volumes, include 'Silence Not, A Love Story' about a Nazi resister, and the most recent, 'I Was A Stranger Too,' about a Jewish woman who reaches out to asylum seekers. She lives in New York, where she is an initiator of the Jewish Theatre Circle.

Belinda Copitch

Belinda has a PhD in education and has worked in the Jewish community. Since 2013 she has been researching the impact of Jewish schooling on Jewish family life and Jewish choices. As a teacher she has to deal with youngsters on the autistic spectrum. She is close to several adults who show signs, and may even be autistic herself. You decide.

Mark Creeger

Working in corporate ethics and compliance software Mark has taught Jewish Education and IT at multiple levels. He is a regular speaker, parasha discussion and prayer leader at Barnet Synagogue and has taught Barmitzvah boys for over 35 years. Married to fabulous comedian, Rachel Creeger, they share two wonderful boys and a marvellous daughter-in-law.

Rachel Creeger

Rachel Creeger is an award-winning stand-up comedian, writer and director, and the only practising Orthodox Jew on the UK comedy circuit. She is co-host of 'Jew Talkin' To Me?' podcast and resident host for London comedy club 'Upstairs at the Adam & Eve'. As seen on BBC1 and NextUp Comedy, and regularly heard across the BBC Radio network.

Ben Crowne

Ben lives in East London, works in Central London and comes to North West London twice a month for kosher meat and gossip. He is a forensic accountant and has been a trustee of Limmud and treasurer of the Board of Deputies, among other communal roles. He sometimes assists in the production of the parody magazine 'Private Oy!'.

Tilla Crowne

An artist, cartoonist and irrepressible forager, Tilla is the creator and co-editor of Private Oy! - the UK’s foremost parody magazine of a parody magazine. Follow her through the forest to find fantastic fungi.

Daniel Daniel

Daniel Daniel is a filmmaker and playwright from London. He is currently studying at the National Film and Television School. Past work includes the award-winning films, 'Web' (2018) and 'Sauce' (2022). His past theatre work includes an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s 'Nevsky Prospekt' (Pentameters Theatre) and 'The Knot' (Old Red Lion Theatre).

Oli Davidson

Owner of over 45 cookbooks, Oli considers herself a Gayshet Chayil. Raised within the United Synagogue but with a healthy level of scepticism and chutzpah, Oli now moves within US, Partnership and Masorti spaces facilitating women's and LGBT+ programming and inclusion. She is often found putting together last-minute collections of divrei Torah.

Rosella de Jong

Rosella de Jong likes to ask and answer questions, travel and explore culture. In between, she is a language and literature teacher and working towards a Master's degree in child and adolescent therapy. Prior, she learnt a number of languages and received a bunch of degrees, including film and television studies/media and culture studies.

WJC Diplomatic Corps

The Jewish Diplomatic Corps of the World Jewish Congress, under the leadership of WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, is a worldwide network of 380 Jewish leaders for the future from over 60 countries, receiving opportunity, experience and skill set to impact Jewish community interests worldwide through diplomacy and public policy.

John Dunston

John Dunston was Head of two Quaker schools and Vice-President of the Oxford Jewish Congregation. In 2020 he gave the Annual Oxford Brookes Zuckerberg Israel Lecture, and regularly conducted at the Keble College HMD Services. He led Maidenhead Synagogue's Jewish History tour to China in 2013. He has traced his family tree back to 1450.

Alison Durban

Ali is the Co-Founder of Gesher School. She has over 10 years’ experience working in SEND, and prior to this worked for 20 years in marketing. In addition, she sits on the education steering panel for the new Autism Centre of Excellence, led by Sir Professor Simon Baron-Cohen. Ali has a lived experience of SEND and navigating the education system.

Joe Dweck

Joseph is the senior rabbi of the S&P Sephardi Community of the United Kingdom and the rosh bet midrash of TheHabura.com. He has a master of arts degree in Jewish Education and is currently working toward a master's in psychotherapy. He oversees the Sephardi Beth Din and the Sephardi Kashrut Authority.

Marcus Dysch

As head of external affairs at World ORT, Marcus oversees the global education network’s external communications and media collaborations. His key responsibilities include raising awareness of ORT and liaising with 30+ national organizations on media issues. A former journalist, Marcus was previously assistant editor of the Jewish Chronicle.

John Dyson

Distinguished legal career culminating in appointment as Justice of the Uk Supreme Court and master of the Rolls. Since retirement, has had a varied career including sports arbitrations (e.g. Saracens), international arbitrations and investigations (such as BBC Princess Diana Panorama interview). Has written his memoir A Judge’s Journey.

Noelle Dückmann Gallagher

Noelle is a longtime Limmudnik and senior lecturer in 18th century literature at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses particularly on representations of the body, disease and medicine in the long eighteenth century (1600-1800) in Britain.

Alyaa Ebbiary

Alyaa is postdoctoral research associate at Durham University, working on the ENCOUNTERS project exploring Muslim-Jewish relations in Europe. She is an officer of the British Association of Islamic Studies (BRAIS). Beyond academia, Alyaa has been a teacher, community organiser and interfaith trainer.

Laura Elkeslassy

Born in France, with Moroccan and Israeli roots, Laura is a singer of Judeo-Arab music who lives and works in Brooklyn. In 2022, she released 'Ya Ghorbati: Divas in Exile', a multimedia album that tells the story of Judeo-Arab divas from mid-century North Africa.

Bat Ella

Israeli singer and recording artist, Bat Ella, is delighted to be back at Limmud after performing here with the legendary Debbie Friedman in 1995. Best known for inspirational musical experiences, her music represents a soulful bridge among people of all religions and ethnicities. Recorded 5 albums and performs extensively on stages in Israel and US

Benjamin Ellis

Benjamin co-founded and is former chair of KeshetUK, working for a world where no one is forced to choose between their Jewish and LGBT+ identity. After studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, he studied at Cambridge University and University College London medical school, then public health at Johns Hopkins University in the USA. He can often be found working as a rheumatologist, cycling or singing.

Yehoshua Engelman

Yehoshua has for many years taught at yeshivot in Israel and was rabbi of Yakar in London and Tel Aviv. He now works as a psychotherapist with analytical interest and enjoys seeing the psychoanalytical depths in Torah texts. He is currently completing his book on hassidic stories – commentary and enhancement - and will share some chapters with us.

Howard Epstein

Howard Epstein is a solicitor of over 50 years’ experience and an author of books and plays. He has lectured on legal matters and Jewish and Israeli themes. He has written for the website israelseen.com and he writes for the Jewish Telegraph. All his works reflect fastidious forensic research, which will shine through in his four Limmud presentations.

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa is the senior scholar and educator-in-residence at the Jewish Education Project. She has Orthodox ordination from Maharat as well as from Daniel Landes and holds a Law Degree. Yaffa loves Limmud, Torah and the Jewish people and is a proud board member of Limmud North America. Let’s learn!

Kelly Erez

Singer-songwriter Kelly was raised in a musical family, singing and writing since she could talk. Featured on BBC One television, radio and in the press, she has performed in places such as the Hilton hotel, the Royal Festival Hall and private events. Kelly also teaches vocal coaching and singing therapy, helping others release emotions through music.

Gali Etzion

Gali is an attorney at law in Israel and head of legislative consulting and special affairs department at Naamat - The Women's Movement Israel. She represents Naamat in major legal cases and petitions to the supreme court. Gali also drafts and promotes bills for members of the Knesset on various issues related to women.

Itzchak Evan-Shayish (Marmorstein)

Itzchak is a passionate student and teacher of the illuminated teachings of Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (of blessed memory). As gabbai/educator at Beit HaRav Kook synagogue in Jerusalem and as chairman of Ohr LeRayah he is devoted to introducing and sharing Kook’s universal and enlightened teachings with the world.

Limmud Executive

The Limmud UK Executive is the volunteer group responsible for Limmud UK events and operations. If you'd like to find out more or get involved with Limmud in the UK please email execchair@limmud.org.

Shimmy Feintuch

Shimmy is a New York City-based psychotherapist, professor, writer and public speaker. He speaks about issues relevant to community, addiction, emotional wellness and spirituality. His first Limmud was in Shanghai, and he is excited to finally make it to Limmud Festival!

Leon Fenster

Leon is an artist from London whose art re-imagines the familiar. Families and communities, from Taiwan to Mexico, commission Leon to tell their story and capture their memories in his dream-like style. He creates city-specific illustrated haggadot, and an upcoming elaborate visual haggadah drawing on the breadth of Jewish experience.

UK Jewish Film Festival

UK Jewish Film (UKFF) aims for Jewish film to be enjoyed by the widest possible audience, and to be at the heart of British culture. UKFF believes film crosses cultures and has the ability to unite, engage and educate diverse audiences through visual storytelling, which provides stimulating and unique views of Jewish and Israeli life and culture.

Nathan Finkel

Nathan Finkel is a musician from London who has played with the Limmud House Band for over 10 years. He also creates ambient groove-driven music from loops, using guitars, drum machines and keyboards. He is passionate about mushrooms, community events, and wiring all his music gear together in order to see what happens.

David Finlay

David is a writer of songs and performance pieces which bring to life different aspects of Jewish history. He has taken a particular interest in the work of the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai and will be presenting 'How Rich They Are' which tells Amichai's life story through the words of his poems.

Ellen Flax

Ellen Flax is a philanthropy consultant who aids both foundations and grant seekers, and is a partner at Amplify Partners, which provides strategic support to non-profits, foundations and social ventures. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion.

Dalia Fleming

Dalia is KeshetUK’s first executive director, working to ensure no one is forced to choose between their LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) and Jewish identity. Responsible for the strategic direction of KeshetUK, Dalia has been involved in the UK Jewish and LGBT+ community for over ten years.

Jeff Fox

Jeff Fox is a rabbi and serves as the Rosh Ha-Yeshiva and Dean of Faculty of Yeshivat Maharat. He was the first graduate of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and served in the pulpit for seven years before joining Maharat. He lives in Riverdale, New York, with his wife Beth and their four boys.

Mark Fox

Mark is the president of West London Synagogue, former vice-chair of the Leo Baeck College and a former deputy on the Board of Deputies. He has a master's degree in Religion at Kings College, London, and is a Religious Studies PhD researcher at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, and editor of a religion and philosophy blog: www. phlexiblephilosophy.com

Marc Frank

Therapist, community facilitator, mental health worker and maverick mystic based in Totnes, Devon. Marc is motivated by an enthusiasm for interfaith and a passion for peace, driven by the wish to integrate authentic spirituality into the grounded reality of our everyday lives. Marc loves to explore opportunities for openness in coming home to the heart.

Deborah Freeman

Deborah is a playwright and short story writer. Plays include 'The Song of Deborah', 'Candlesticks', 'Xanthippe' and 'Remedies'. 'Candlesticks' recently had a successful run in London. 'Tell it Not,' is a short story collection - many with Jewish themes. Several have been published in The Jewish Quarterly, Jewishfiction.net, Stand Magazine and other publications.

Mordechai (Motti) Friedman

Mordechai (Motti) Friedman is the director of the Institute of Research of Zionism at the JNF in Jerusalem, and the author of the books 'Theodor Herzl’s Zionist Journey – Exodus and Return' and 'Moshe Sachs: A yeke, a charedi and a Zionist'.

Georgie Friend

Georgie is currently the Social Action and Volunteer Programmer at JW3. She is also a resident at Moishe House Kilburn, and a trustee of Masorti Judaism. At last year's Festival she was a co-chair of Young and Teen Limmud and is very excited to be returning to an in-person Limmud as a participant!

David Frisch

Now in yeshivah, David holds an MPhil in political theory from the University of Oxford where he was a Barry Scholar, and a bachelor's degree from Duke University where he studied politics, history and religion as an A.B. Duke Scholar. He has volunteered extensively in family law and served as an invited visiting researcher at the Monash University Law Faculty.

Noa Gendler

Noa Gendler has been many things, including yeshiva bocher, radio producer, shul administrator and bookseller. At Limmud, however, she is your Social Programming chair, and can therefore be found in the bar, playing Assassins, or just generally being a public nuisance. She enjoys inappropriately-themed quizzes and telling other people what to do.

Andrew Gilbert

Andrew Gilbert is currently the Co-Chair of the London Jewish Forum and the London Jewish Health Partnership. As well as being Reform, Labour and a Spurs supporter, he has chaired more Limmud Conferences (Festivals) than Jonathan Robinson!

Malcolm Ginsberg

Malcolm is an active 80 year old, involved in the Jewish community. He is a Queen's Scout and one of the first winners of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. In 1951 his parents emigrated (and returned) to Oz, introducing cruising. He was editor in chief of Business Travel News for 30 years and now Travel News Update. Malcolm has written for the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News and Jewish Weekly.

Elliot Glassenberg

Elliot is an American-Canadian-Israeli Queer Jewish educator-activist. Elliot teaches and advocates on topics relating to Jewish pluralism and inclusion, refugee rights, LGBTQ rights and human rights. Elliot is a senior educator at BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change and lives in Jaffa.

Pearl Gluck

Gluck’s work has been part of the Sundance Lab, Cannes, Tribeca and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Her first documentary, 'Divan' (2004), was a Sundance Institute project, opened theatrically, and was broadcast on the Sundance Channel. 'Where is Joel Baum' (2012), 'Junior' (2017), 'Summer' (2018), 'The Turn Out' (2018) and 'Write Me' (2020) won prizes such as Best Actor and Best Film. She teaches film at Pennsylvania State University.

Micah Gold

Micah Gold is a consultant and founder of Mobilise Public Ltd. Micah delivers change and supports the development of communities, their assets and organisations. He was a volunteer with Limmud, chairing Festival twice, and as a Board member. He's a trustee of the Lambourne End Centre, Barnsbury Housing Association and St Albans Brass Band.

Daniel Goldfarb

In the pre-Covid world Daniel (Boston-born lawyer/rabbi; in Jerusalem since 1976) taught at the Conservative Yeshiva and at Limmuds around the world (Conference 2000-2018). He looks forward to resuming his Limmud experience and to teaching Jewish texts to friends old and new.

Nicky Goldman

Nicky is the chief executive of the Jewish Volunteering Network. Nicky has worked professionally in the Jewish community for 38 years in leadership and community development, family education, HR and youth and student work.

Aaron Goldstein

Aaron is a senior rabbi of The Ark Synagogue (Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue). His motto is: 'Count Jews In, Not Out' and passionately supports Liberal Judaism’s inclusion policies and championed the Equal Marriage campaign for Liberal Judaism. Aaron adores cycling and relaxes on the allotment with UnOrthodox podcast and blues/jazz music.

Lisa Goldstein

Lisa Goldstein is a rabbi and teacher of spiritual wisdom and meditation. She is a NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) practitioner, a modality of healing complex trauma. Educated at Brown University and Hebrew Union College, Lisa has 25 years of executive experience at Hillel of San Diego and Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She is a faculty member for M²'s Jewish Pedagogies of Wellbeing.

Marine Goldwaser

Marine is a musician based in Paris. She runs "Mish-Mash and company" who organise cultural events related to Yiddish music and other traditional music and cultures, but also regularly performs alongside various artists all over the world.

Adam Goodman

I have been involved with 2econd Chance from the start and it's amazing to see how fast it has grown. As my first job I've experienced many new things including meeting new people, a regular routine and being part of a team. Since I started I can feel how much my life has changed and I am much more confident in my everyday life.

Mark Gordon

Mark has attended Limmud for 16 years and has finally got around to presenting a session. He is the Executive Producer of The Jerusalem Post Podcast Travel Edition. In his spare time, he works at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, where he has watched England beat Germany with Liz Truss on a beach and viewed Prince William take penalties in Jaffa.

Mark Gottlieb

Mark Gottlieb is Senior Director of the Tikvah Fund. He received a bachelor's degree from Yeshiva College, rabbinical ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and a master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Chicago where his doctoral studies focused on the thought of Alasdair MacIntyre. He lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, with his wife and family.

Michah Gottlieb

Michah Gottlieb is associate professor in the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University. An expert on modern Jewish thought, his research centres on ethics and politics. His most recent book is 'The Jewish Reformation: Bible Translation and Middle Class German Judaism as Spiritual Enterprise' (Oxford, 2021).

Daniel Grabinar

Daniel Grabinar is a 22-year-old in his second year of Teach First. He has a history degree from the University of Leeds, and is a Maths teacher in the city centre of Leeds.

Jaclyn Granick

Jaclyn is a senior lecturer in modern Jewish history, was educated at Harvard (BA) and the Geneva Graduate Institute (MA, PhD) and has held Fulbright and British Academy fellowships. Her book 'International Jewish Humanitarianism in the Age of the Great War' (Cambridge 2021) won the (US) National Jewish Book Award. Jaclyn co-leads research project on Jewish Country Houses.

Natalie Grazin

Natalie is a Limmud Trustee, parent of Eden (14 years old) and Blu (13) and partner to Samantha, whom she met at Limmud in 1997. Aged nearly 50, she is coming to understand her own brain much better. Professionally, she is an executive coach and management consultant, working with leaders in the NHS leaders and charities.

Abigail Green

Abigail Green is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Oxford. She is the author of the prize-winning "Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero" (2010) and is Principal Investigator of the Oxford-based Jewish Country Houses project. She writes regularly about Jewish books for the TLS, the LRB, and Jewish Review of Books.

Michael Green

Michael is an environmental consultant during office hours and a mushroom hunter at most other times. He leads wild food walks and is inspired by how mushrooms and plants connect us with nature and Jewish traditions, as well as the role fungi play in sustaining the health of people and the planet.

Joanne Greenaway

Joanne is chief executive of London School of Jewish Studies delivering education programmes and developing excellent teachers and educators. A student on the four-year International Halakha Scholars Program for women educational leaders, Joanne has a languages degree from Cambridge and worked as an international arbitration lawyer before moving to the London Beth Din as Get Case director.

Joel Haber

Joel Haber researches, writes, and lectures about Jewish food history. He is currently writing a book that looks at the history of Shabbat stews (chulent, hamin, dafina, etc.) from around the world. Recently he published a related ecookbook on the subject, available via his website. Joel is also a licensed tourguide in Israel, and among other things, has guided thousands of tourists in Shuk Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem's famous outdoor market. He loves Limmud, and hopes/believes it is the future of Judaism.

Caroline Hagard

Caroline has been teaching for many years in religion schools. A storyteller, songwriter and creator of children's services for the High Holy Days and chagim, Caroline is passionate about Judaism and her sessions are great fun. In her spare time, Caroline is a full-time Medical Secretary in the NHS.

George Halfin

George is a marketing manager, wellbeing coach and creator of the book, ‘A Life Less Serious’. Together with Farah Halabi, she runs monthly wellbeing sessions for Nisa Nashim, the UK national Jewish and Muslim women’s network. George is passionate about supporting women to reconnect with who they are, so their light shines brighter in the world.

Denise Handlarski

Denise is the founder and spiritual leader of the online community Secular Synagogue. She is the author of the book The A-Z of Intermarriage published by New Jewish Press/University of Toronto Press. Denise got a grant in 2022 to study Jewish responses to the loneliness epidemic.

Ziona Handler

Ziona is a senior independent domestic violence advisor and has worked at Jewish Women's Aid in Manchester for 10 years. Her role is to support Jewish women who have experienced domestic abuse, providing them with the practical and emotional help they need.

Shabbat and Hanukah Programming

Welcome to the Shabbat and Hanukah programme at Limmud Festival 2022!

Claris Harbon

Claris is Professor of Law and gender at Al Akhawayn University, Morocco, and a Mizrahi-Moroccan feminist lawyer and activist. She directs the Hillary Clinton Center for Women's Empowerment and founded a Mizrahi, feminist, antiracist, and social justice advocacy initiative. Her scholarly work on marginalized minorities is deeply informed by 20 years of experience.

Igal Harmelin

Igal is a spiritual director, meditation teacher and a practitioner of NARM, a therapy modality for healing developmental trauma. He has been studying and teaching mystical understanding of religious texts for decades in various contexts. He has translated into Hebrew a number of books on the subjects of religion and spirituality.

Daniel Heller

Dan Heller is a senior NHS manager, leading the regional roll out of 'Anticipatory Care' in London. He is a trustee of FEAST With Us, a charity whose mission it is to provide regular access to nutritious meals, nutrition education and skills for people suffering from food poverty. Dan is also on the Limmud Volunteers executive group.

Judi Herman

Judi is an experienced presenter, podcaster, public speaker and reader/interpreter of texts. She has bachelor's and master's degrees in performing arts from Middlesex University, is a BBC trained journalist and an arts and podcast editor for Jewish Renaissance. Judi is in demand to read in synagogue and loves to share how to bring texts to life with Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Kabbalat Torah students and all ages!

Yizhar Hess

Yizhar, vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization, is one of the leading voices in Israel promoting Jewish peoplehood and pluralism. Yizhar is a regular contributor to the Israeli press about the issue of religion and state. He represented the Masorti movement in the negotiations with the Israeli government regarding egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall.

David Hochhauser

David is currently doing a master's degree in social anthropology, focusing on communal responses to false prophecy and conspiracy theories. He is also an artist. Like most Limmud-goers, he is slightly too interested in antisemitism.

Adina Hoffman

Adina is an award-winning essayist and biographer. Her books include 'Till We Have Built Jerusalem: Architects of a New City', and 'My Happiness Bears No Relation to Happiness: A Poet’s Life in the Palestinian Century', winner of the JQ-Wingate Prize. She lives in Jerusalem and New Haven.

The Limmud House Band

The Limmud House Band are a group of musicians from across the UK who volunteer their time to act as the backing band for our guest musicians and educators, learning their songs to best support our presenters’ musical vision. Don’t forget to join the Limmud House Band for their own session - a concert of favoured tunes and timeless classics!

Ernie Hunter

Ernie has been a volunteer Holocaust educator in the UK and Germany for many years. He chairs the Northern Holocaust Education Group and is one of its speakers. Ernie is also one of Generation2Generation’s speakers and sits on the Jewish Representative Council’s Education Advisory Group. In his spare time Ernie is happy to be a working grandpa!

Jonathan Hunter

When not at Limmud events, Jonathan spends a large amount of his leisure time at various modern jive dance events around the country and is very much looking forward to sharing the joy of dancing with all at Limmud Festival this year!

Ilana Hutchinson

Ilana is the schools manager at Jewish Women’s Aid. She recently co-developed a Whole School Approach for consent education and sexual violence prevention, reaching out to 3000+ students annually. With 20+ years’ experience as a teacher and youth leader, Ilana is passionate about empowering young people to be positive drivers of change.

Joe Hyman

Joe Hyman is Limmud's director of innovation and engagement. He is an LGBTQ+ activist, co-founder of DAVAR, the Jewish Art Immersive, and previously worked as a cultural programmer at JW3. He studied at yeshivot Hadar and Eretz Hatzvi and has a bachelor's degree in architecture. When Joe isn't at work he can be found at an exhibition, cooking for friends or searching for the perfect Kiddush biscuit.

Shir Malka Ifrah

Shir is a 23 year-old paytanit (poet). She studied piyutim (liturgical poems) in the organization of Kehilot Sharot and currently teaches piyutim from Moroccan and North African traditions. Shir sings and performs throughout Israel and other countries at shows and festivals of Andalusian and Jewish music. Shir teaches in the Jerusalem Conservatory.

Alex Israel

Alex Israel is a rabbi, international Tanakh lecturer, creative educational director and author. Raised in the UK and a proud Bnei Akiva-nik, he teaches at Pardes, Midreshet Lindenbaum and Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi. His website has over 500 articles and he publishes a 929 podcast - a chapter of the Prophets every day.

Thea Jacob

Thea is a community musician and trained singer. Recently she has been experimenting with getting more of her synagogue congregation actively involved in prayerful singing; not a choir but a community that sings. Join Thea to hear about the experiment and experience her Jewish infused vocal warmups, exploring tunes and texts.

Richard Jacobi

Richard is the rabbi at East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue (ELELS). He is also a member of faculty at Leo Baeck College, a trustee of Tzelem (the rabbinical call for social and economic justice) and co-founder of the Jewish faith workers' branch of the British trade union, GMB. He and Lyn are parents to Josh, Abigail and Hannah, and grandparents to Zach and Harry.

Nicole Jacobus

Nicole is a theatre production manager and science communicator, as well as a resident at the Moishe House Kilburn. After serving as Logistics Chair for Online Limmud Festival 2021, she's excited to be attending her very first in-person Limmud this year!

Yael Jaffe

Yael Jaffe (she/her) is in her final year of rabbinical school at Hadar. She has taught Torah and led tefilah in a variety of communities across the US and UK, including New North London Synagogue, Ohel Mo'ed, and Noam UK. Yael and her husband BZ divide their time between New York and the UK, and she is excited for her first in-person Limmud Festival!

Elie Jesner

Elie is a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with a background in philosophy and Jewish studies. His writing and teaching brings together these elements in fresh and original ways. Elie works in private practice in London and is also Head of the Psychotherapy Training Program at the Philadelphia Association in Hampstead.

Susan Kahn

Susan Kahn is the associate director at The Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law at Harvard Law School. Her book, 'Reproducing Jews: A Cultural Account of Assisted Conception in Israel' (Duke, 2000) won a National Jewish Book Award.

Deborah Kahn-Harris

Deborah Kahn-Harris is Principal of Leo Baeck College in London. She holds a PhD in Hebrew Bible and has published widely. Her book, 'Polyamory and Reading the Book of Ruth', is forthcoming from Lexington Books. She and her husband, Keith, have two teenage children, a cat, a budgie and an indeterminate number of fish.

Keith Kahn-Harris

Keith Kahn-Harris is a sociologist and writer. He is a senior lecturer at Leo Baeck College and runs the European Jewish Research Archive at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research. The author of eight books, he has most recent interests are stock photos of Jews and the warning messages inside Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs.

Gabriel Kanter-Webber

Gabriel took up his first rabbinic post at Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue this summer and has since had to expend considerable energy in resisting the copious amounts of cake that it turns out rabbis get offered in an average week. Crocheter, shorthand writer, tweeter; once labelled a 'horrible human being'.

Michael Kay

Michael has a PhD in the history of science and technology and has done research into the use and spread of electrical technologies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is now interested in the impact of electrification on Jewish communities during that period. He currently works in online learning design at King's College London.

Martin Kaye

Martin is a familiar face at Limmud running its ever-popular bookshop, providing Limmudniks with Jewish publications from around the world. In the last few years he has turned his hand to presenting. His previous Limmud sessions include 20 Jewish Books that everyone should read and 20 Jewish personalities, of whom you might be blissfully unaware

Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll

Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll is a writer and an activist. Born and raised in Lakewood, she now lives in Israel. As co-founder and director of Chochmat Nashim, Shoshanna raises awareness of the growing extremism in Orthodoxy and offers ways the community can counter them. She writes for numerous publications and speaks internationally.

Ethan Kelly

Ethan is a songwriter and communications officer from London. He grew up attending Kingston Liberal Synagogue, where he learnt a love of Jewish music. As a fan of classical and popular music, he now writes original songs for guitar, harmonica and voice inspired by Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. This is his first time at Limmud – please say hello!

Harry Kelly

Harry is Global Community Manager for Moishe House supporting young adult community builders across Europe, Canada and China, to create meaningful Jewish experiences for their peers. He has worked across the British Jewish community professionally and as a volunteer and is passionate about growing the Jewish community in new and innovative ways.

Clive Kennard

Clive is an art historian with expertise in cultural Hebraism expressed in British 19th-century art and literature. He completed a PhD on the British Jewish pre-Raphaelite artist, Simeon Solomon (1840-1905), and the fast-changing Jewish stereotypes affecting the reception of his work.

Barry Kleinberg

Barry is a non-practising solicitor and a practicing osteopath. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Haifa researching Universalism in Orthodox Jewish Thought. Barry is interested in Jewish views towards animals, the philosophy of Nietzsche and the problem of dirty hands!

Sefi Kraut

Sefi Kraut is a core faculty member of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators, based in Jerusalem, where she is thrilled to be involved in training the next generation of Jewish educators. Sefi is also the director of education for the Pardes Mahloket Matters Schools project. This is Sefi’s first Limmud!

Michael Kretzmer

Michael visited Lithuania in 2019 and since then has made a film 'J’Accuse!', a passionate indictment of Lithuanian Holocaust fraud. It features two heroes: Grant Gochin, whose family was murdered by a Lithuanian called Jonas Noreika, and Silvia Foti, Noreika's granddaughter. Michael is a member of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue.

Annette Kurer

Annette is senior business leader, international leadership coach and motivational speaker with 30 years in global business and a business reputation in the Private sector, Not for Profit, the Civil Service and a qualified dentist. She is a trusted board advisor and Chair of ORT UK outcome-driven and is enthusiastic to empower and engage others to be their best self and achieve their desired work/life aspirations.

Clive Lawton

Clive, co-founder of Limmud and significantly involved in its international spread, is CEO of the Commonwealth Jewish Council, a lecturer at JW3, a magistrate, a tribunal Chair for the NHS and an internationally active educational consultant. He has published over a dozen books and for 40 years has led the Yamim Nora'im services in Oxford.

Debbie Lechtman

Debbie Lechtman is an educator, author, and artist based out of California. In the past, she has worked for Costa Rica’s only Jewish museum and written for a number of Jewish publications. She currently shares her research on Jewish history on her Instagram account, @rootsmetals, where she has fostered a learning community of over 52,000 followers.

Olga Lempert

Born and raised in Lithuania, I now live in Israel and work at the National Library in Jerusalem, managing European projects in the fields of Heritage and Lifelong Learning. I am also a fiction and non-fiction translator, currently earning an MA in Creative Writing & Literary Translation at Bar-Ilan University.

The Leo Baeck Education Center Haifa

The Leo Baeck Education Centre is considered of Israel’s premier educational institutions, providing quality educational programs for mainstream, gifted and special needs students of all racial, religious, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Zvi Leshem

Zvi Leshem directs the Gershom Scholem Collection at the National Library of Israel. He also served as Associate Dean of Nishmat and Rabbi of Shirat Shlomo. Zvi researches Hasidism, Gershom Scholem and Rav Shagar and authored "Redemptions: Contemporary Hasidic Essays", as well as numerous articles. He made Aliyah to Jerusalem in 1979.

David Levin-Kruss

'Judaism is technology that makes the world better,' says David Levin-Kruss, Jewish Learning Director for Yesod-Europe, which works with professionals to sustain and strengthen Jewish communities. David loves text-life interplay. He also works for JDC. Prior to this, David taught at Pardes, and was community director of Stanmore Synagogue.

Andrew Levy

Andrew is a senior lecturer in law in London and author of a major new work on the Song of Songs, 'Love in the Time of Tyranny'. He writes for numerous Jewish publications and prolifically on Biblical texts. He is a member of Assif, a prayer group at New North London Synagogue, and is a regular ba’al koreh (Torah reader) and presenter of divrei Torah (words of Torah/sermons).

Joel Levy

Joel Levy lives in Jerusalem where he serves as rosh yeshiva of The Conservative Yeshiva. He teaches Talmud, Halacha and Tefillah. Joel is also the part-time rabbi of Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue in Edgware. He received his rabbinic ordination from David Hartman z'l in 2000.

Mike Levy

Mike Levy is a professional researcher, educator, critic, playwright and journalist. Mike’s book, GET THE CHILDREN OUT! – Unsung Heroes of the Kindertransport was published this year (www.lemonsoul.com). He is a researcher for US Holocaust Memorial Museum and AJR.

Charlie Lewin

Charlie is a queer ex-charedi artist, musician and photographer living in London. They are currently doing their master's degree in Children's Book Illustration & Graphic Novels at Middlesex University.

Ben Lewis

Ben is a long-standing Limmud volunteer who co-chaired Festival last time it was in Birmingham in 2019 and is now the lead for events on the Limmud Executive. He holds a PhD in chemical biology from Imperial College London and now works as a civil servant.

Jonathan Lewis

Jonathan Lewis studied Law at Cambridge and practised as a solicitor in the City of London and as a judge. In retirement he studied for and was awarded a doctorate in Jewish History from University College London. A member of Pinner United Synagogue, he is married with two sons and three granddaughters.

Stuart Lewis

Stu who lives in Prairie Village, Kansas, has been attending Limmud UK since 2013 and has given presentations on a variety of topics both at Limmud and at Certificates in Advanced Jewish Education (CAJE) and NewCAJE in the USA. For the past several years he has written online opera guides for Kansas City Lyric Opera.

Yuval Linden

Director of the gap year Department in BINA—The Jewish Movement for Social Change, Yuval is experienced in facilitating study groups with a particular focus on leading identity development processes linked to Jewish and Israeli sources. Yuval holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in modern history. He lives in Hod Hasharon.

Harris Lorie

Harris enjoys Jewish text study and read theology and religious studies at university. He is a regular at Kehillat Nashira partnership minyan, was a past programming and shabbat co-chair of Limmud Festival, and is a governor at Kisharon Noe School. Harris works as a management consultant in public services.

Miriam Lorie

Miriam Lorie is one of the first few Orthodox British women to study for the rabbinate and she is Rabbi in Training at Borehamwood's Kehillat Nashira. Prior to semicha at Yeshivat Maharat, Miriam studied at Pardes, Midreshet Harova and Cambridge. She has worked in inter-faith dialogue, leadership training and is a BBC Pause for Thought contributor.

Asher Lovy

Asher Lovy is an abuse survivor and director of ZA'AKAH, which raises awareness about child sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community, advocates for legislative reforms, and operates a Shabbat and Yom Tov mental health peer-support hotline.

Chana Luntz

Originally an Australian, Chana Luntz studied at Drisha, Nishmat and the Susi Bradfield Leadership Programme. She is particularly interested in providing access to the complexity of halachic literature, including to those with language barriers and unfamiliarity. When not learning, Chana Luntz works as a lawyer and is married with three children.

Yael Maghen

Yael Maghen is a student at Israel's elite Ein Prat IDF cadet training academy, where she studies, inter alia, political philosophy and Jewish thought.

Ze'ev Maghen

Ze'ev Maghen is professor of Arabic and Islamic History and Chairman of the Department of Middle East Studies at Bar-Ilan University. His latest books are Reading Revolutionary Iran: The Worldview of the Islamic Republic's Religio-Political Elite and John Lennon and the Jews: A Philosophical Rampage.

John Mann

John Mann was the Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw from 2001 until 2019. In 2005, he was appointed as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism, and stepped down in 2019 when he was appointed the Government’s Adviser on Antisemitism by the then Prime Minister. He joined the House of Lords in 2019 as Lord Mann of Holbeck Moor.

Ethan Marcus

Ethan Marcus is the Managing Director of the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America, the national umbrella organization for the Ladino-speaking Sephardic community in the United States. In 2019 Ethan was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Athens, Greece, where he conducted research on the liturgical customs of the Jews of Greece.

Bat-Sheva Margalit Stern

Bat-Sheva is a professor of history and gender studies at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Her book 'Redemption in Bondage - The Women Workers Movement in Eretz Israel 1920-1939' (Winner of The Hecht prize 2009) is one of her core topics. Her biography on Ada Fishman Maimon won the Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi prize 2018.

Ezra Margulies

Ezra is the Limmud Programming Czar having held roles for the organization continuously since 2016. He will take a bribe in the form of an alcohol beverage from anyone who wishes to submit requests or complaints about this year's programme. After spending ten years in the UK he recently relocated to Tel Aviv where he works for a cybersecurity start-up. So great are his responsibilities that he is even capable of submitting a presenter biography that exceeds the official character limit.

Erica Marks

Erica is CEO of Migdal Emunah, Jewish sexual abuse support, supporting children, women and men across the UK Jewish community who have experienced sexual abuse, and is a specialist in child and adult safeguarding and services.

Avi Mayer

With one of the largest online followings of any Jewish communal figure and a monthly audience in the millions, Avi Mayer is considered one of the most prominent millennial voices in Israel and the Jewish world. A writer, commentator and advocate, he has held senior roles with some of the world's top Jewish organisations. He lives in Jerusalem.

Sarah McCulloch

Sarah McCulloch is an autistic occupational therapist, autism professional, and founder of the Autistic Empire, a community for autistic adults developing tools and services for all autistic people.

Paul Mendes-Flohr

Paul is professor emeritus of modern Jewish thought, Divinity School, University of Chicago and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Among his most recent publications are; `'Cultural Disjunctions. Post-Traditional Jewish Identities' (2020), and 'Martin Buber. A Life of Faith and Dissent' (2021).

Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Dafna Michaelson Jenet is a Colorado State Representative. She has made over 60 laws around mental health, sexual assault, education and other issues. She brings Torah values to her work legislatively and otherwise. As a 12+ year curator of TEDx in Colorado she has coached over 350 women and youth to give TEDx Talks with ideas worth spreading.

Elhanan Miller

Elhanan Miller is a rabbi and Torah teacher at Pardes and research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He is the founder of "People of the Book", an online initiative that teaches the Arab world about Jewish faith and culture.

Helena Miller

Helena Miller is the Director of Degrees and Teacher Training Programmes, Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies. She has a doctorate in Jewish education and has taught, researched and written widely for many years. Helena was co-chair of Limmud International (2009-2012) and senior editor of the 'Journal of Jewish Education' (2014-2020).

Steve Miller

Founder of Tzedek and Restore Community Projects, Steve works with organisations who share a vision of a more just, creative, connected, inclusive and sustainable society. Steve teaches on a wide variety of Jewish topics in communities across the UK and Europe.

Ephraim Mirvis

Ephraim Mirvis is Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth. He is a primary representative of the Jewish community to government, other faiths and civil society. He is well-known as a principled spiritual leader, who has strengthened Jewish community life and broken new ground in education, interfaith and social responsibility.

Isaac Montagu

Isaac is a musician and educator, cellist and oudist, currently researching Sephardic liturgical music as a scholar of the JMI. Also co-editor of the new siddur Or veShalom, Isaac believes in widening access to Sephardic traditions. Finally, Isaac would like to take this chance to thank Limmud for being born, Isaac's parents having met here.

Rachel Montagu

Rachel Montagu teaches Biblical Hebrew and Jewish studies at City Lit (an adult education centre in London) and to private students. She volunteers in the archives of the S&P Sephardi Community. She studied at Cambridge, Leo Baeck College London, Machon Pardes Jerusalem and Heythrop College London. She met her husband Francis Treuherz at Limmud and they live in London.

Abigail Morris

Abigail Morris is a keen - and chatty - runner. She has previously been Director of the Jewish Museum (from 2012 to 2020) and Artistic Director of Soho Theatre Company (from 1991 to 2006). A member of Finchley Reform Synagogue, she and her family have been coming to Limmud for the last 24 years.

Nina Morris-Evans

Nina is a maths and politics teacher at a state comprehensive secondary school in Camden, London. She lives in a Moishe House, where she runs events for the young adult Jewish community. When not teaching kids or cooking for events, she enjoys running, swimming and being outdoors.

Michael Moskowitz

Mike is the scholar-in-residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue. Mike received three ultra-Orthodox rabbinical ordinations while learning in Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. Mike’s writings can be found at www.rabbimikemoskowitz.com.

Robin Moss

Many moons ago, Robin was a movement worker for LJY-Netzer. He then spent a decade as a Jewish/Israel educator at UJIA. He is now chief executive of Unitas, an amazing youth centre in North London. He is a Trustee of KeshetUK and the Jewish Youth Fund. He edits 'Limmud On One Leg' and has presented at Limmuds around the world. Oh, and he loves whisky.

Tim Motz

Tim is a trustee and prayer leader at New Stoke Newington Shul. Having moved from Reform to Masorti, he has at times felt that everyone but him knows what is going on. Tim previously worked in tech and is currently a pianist in Berlin. He will soon complete the European Academy of Jewish Liturgy's ba'al tefilah (prayer leader) course.

Naomi Munk

Naomi is a junior barrister and lifelong Limmudnik. She has a particular interest in how secular law interacts with religious issues and how the law protects our beliefs - topics that never fail to spark lively discussion!

Russel Neiss

Equally fluent in Yiddish and Javascript, Russel is a Jewish educator who builds critically acclaimed educational apps used by thousands each day. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, Ha'aretz and other media outlets He currently serves as a Senior Product Engineer at Sefaria.

Neil Nerva

A social worker by training, Neil is a Labour Councillor in Brent. He is Cabinet lead for Public Health Culture and Leisure, Chair of Brent Health and Wellbeing Board, Vice Chair of Local Government Information Unit, member in the London Jewish Health Partnership, Chair of London branch of the Jewish Labour Movement, a member of Belsize Square Synagogue and the Makor Hayim community.

David Newman

David, originally from the UK, is professor of Geopolitics at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. In addition to his work on Israeli politics and borders, he is also interested in Anglo-Jewish history and its synagogues. In 2013 he was awarded the OBE for promoting scientific cooperation between Israel and the UK.

Michael Newman

A grandson of a Holocaust refugee, Michael Newman OBE is chief executive of The Association of Jewish Refugees which represents and supports Holocaust refugees and survivors nationwide. Among his other duties, Michael is a member of the UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and a Board member of the Claims Conference.

Jacqueline Nicholls

Visual artist and Jewish educator, Jacqueline's art engages with traditional Jewish texts in untraditional ways. Recent projects include drawing the Talmud ('Draw Yomi'), interpreting the Megillah ('Deck of Esther'), and digital animations that turn prayers into questions. Jacqueline also works at JW3 as part of the Arts & Culture team.

Hillel Norry

Not every rabbi can break boards with their bare hands, or hit the bullseye at 25 yards. But Hillel is not your typical rabbi. A Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, certified firearms instructor, and congregational rabbi, Hillel brings spiritual arts and martial arts together. He is widely recognized as a scholar and dynamic leader and speaker.

Tracy-Ann Oberman

Tracy-Ann is an English TV, theatre and radio actress and writer. TV credits include 'Ridley Road', 'It’s a Sin', 'Doctor Who', 'After Life', 'Friday Night Dinner' and more. She will be playing Shylock in the highly anticipated Watford Palace Theatre adaptation of 'Merchant of Venice', a new production set in the East End at the time of the Battle of Cable Street.

The People's Democratic Republic of Not The Gala

An 'Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu'-free zone.

Stephen Ogin

Stephen is emeritus professor of engineering, co-founder of the Yiddish Open Mic Café and chair of the Yiddish Café Trust. The Kaczerginski talk was first given at the UK Yiddish Sof-Vokh (June 2022). The research for the talk on settlements followed a chance discussion with a Palestinian family after the Yiddish summer programme in Tel Aviv this year.

Limmud² – pair-powered learning

Limmud², formerly known as the Chavruta Project, takes you one step further on your Jewish journey. Curated by Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz, Jessica Spencer, Yael Jaffe, and Leah Jordan, engage with carefully selected texts in an accessible, friendly environment. Our aim is to create a meaningful experience of learning for all participants.

Hagit Peer

Hagit Peer is the elected President of Naamat - The Women's Movement of Israel and Naamat International. Naamat was established in 1921 and provides services for women and working families such as day care centres, legal counselling, domestic violence treatment and prevention, as well as initiating national awareness campaigns and legislation.

Juliana Peña

Juliana is a humanitarian aid and international development expert. She led IsraAID's response to the Venezuelan migrant crisis in Colombia - one of her home countries - and worked with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Colombia and Sierra Leone. Today Juliana manages IsraAID's disaster response and resilience-building programmes in Asia.

Joanna Phillips

Joanna Phillips is a Talmud nerd and teacher at the Queer Yeshiva. The Queer Yeshiva is a project creating something new in the UK: rigorous, radically inclusive multi-day Talmud learning through an explicitly Queer lens. Joanna is also a trustee of Babel's Blessing, a grassroots language school that funds free English classes for migrants.

Ilan Pillemer

Ilan was born in South Africa, spent some years in Israel at various times and now lives in London with his family. Ilan has a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's degree in computing. Ilan stays up late at night too reading and thinking.

Sibel Pinto

Gourmand Cookbook award-winning author Sibel is a Sephardi chef-instructor and founder of Action Kashkarikas. As a sustainability trainer, she educates and inspires people to eat real food, reduce food waste and keep a conscious kitchen. Her new book 'Kashkarikas: A Turkish-Sephardi Chef's Recipes and Stories' was published in November 2021.

Marcia Plumb

Marcia is rabbi of Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Boston, Massachusetts. She is passionate about Jewish spirituality and Mussar and has studied and taught it for years. She leads an international mussar group which you are invited to! In London she worked as a congregational rabbi, day school rabbi and director of the Spirituality @ Leo Baeck College.

Zeev Portner

Ze'ev Porner is a law lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University. He previously worked as a trainee advocate at Gilead Sher and Co in Tel Aviv and was a parliamentary assistant to former Labour MP, Louise Ellman. He has a keen interest in history particularly the legacy of Benjamin Disraeli.

Simon Prais

Simon is technical director of LUMESCA Group Ltd. He is an expert in colour communication, artist, and author of 'On the Sixth Day God Created Colour'. He has an art college training with a master’s degree in visual communication. This, combined with his modern Orthodox Torah ethos, is reflected in his Gematriart® work.

Limmud Social Programming

The Limmud Social Programming team (aka ministers of fun) is in charge of some organised fun, getting Limmud participants mixing and mingling.

Sonti R Ramirez

Sonti is a London-based secondary school history teacher and alumna of University College London's Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies.

Alma Reisel

Alma is a life-long Limmudnik. She is in her fourth and final year of training as a systemic and family psychotherapist, is a social worker and an activist.

Anthony Reuben

Anthony Reuben is a BBC journalist and fact checker. He was the corporation's first head of statistics and wrote the book, 'Statistical: Ten easy ways to avoid being misled by numbers'. He goes to the 'Assif' service at New North London Synagogue.

Isaac Reuben

Isaac is a student and musician. He represents Barnet on the UK Youth Parliament and writes drama when he can. He attends two synagogues, New North London and Finchley Reform, and neither knows he’s a member of the other. This is his seventh Limmud and he thinks he finally knows how things work, but if you see him looking for Grab’n’Go at 4am, please offer him a hand.

Marcus Roberts

Marcus Roberts is the founder/director of JTrails, creating Jewish Heritage and Holocaust trails in the UK, the Channel Islands and NW France and works with communities and conserves Jewish heritage. JTrails is the UK leg of the official ‘European Route of Jewish Heritage’ and a partner with the Oxford University 'Jewish Country House Project'.

Jonathan Robinson

Serial Limmud Chair - I'm doing it for the 3rd time!

Sarah Robinson

Sarah Hass Robinson is a psychotherapist and professor at Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. She works at the intersection of leadership and mental health, and makes space for Jewish anti-racism conversation. Sarah and Shaul left the UK seventeen years ago to lead Lincoln Square Synagogue, Manhattan.

Shaul Robinson

Shaul has been the senior rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue, one of the most prominent modern Orthodox Synagogues in America, since 2005. He was previously the first ever Jewish chaplain at Cambridge University and rabbi of Barnet Synagogue. He was born in Glasgow and holds an MBA from Nottingham University.