Limmud Festival 2023

Limmud Festival 2023 – Monday 12:20

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Achieving environmental sustainability

Dennis Snower 

Orange 14

The global systems in place to address climate change are unsuited to meeting the current internationally agreed global climate goals. Achieving the necessary collective mobilisation will require a new, holistic approach to managing the global commons. This session will draw on economic, political and social research to address this challenge.

Consent and coercion: understanding the approach of Jewish law towards non-consensual sex

Talli Rosenbaum  Scott Kahn 

Red 1

Jewish law forbids non-consensual sex, yet some sources refer to sex when consent is effectively impossible and discuss marital sex without explicitly referring to consent. How should committed Jews today approach these troubling sources? What other factors can affect a religious couple’s attitude towards sexual obligation versus mutual desire?

Dickens in a twist

Vanessa Freedman 

Red 7 - Brightsmith

In 1863 Eliza Davis wrote to the novelist that 'Charles Dickens the large hearted … has encouraged a vile prejudice against the despised Hebrew’ in his depiction of Fagin in Oliver Twist. This fascinating exchange of letters is in the archives of University College London. Find out how one Jewish woman's chutzpah may have influenced a famous author.

 Dickens in a Twist source sheet.pdf

Divorcing in the 1st century, and the 21st

Ben Crowne 

Orange 10

In the same week earlier this year, Ben started a new job in family law, and started learning the Talmudic tractate of Gittin (Divorces). Join him for a whistle-stop tour through the highlights and eccentricities of two different systems – often radically different, sometimes surprisingly aligned. Plus find out which recent Jewish community divorces have made new UK law…

Dobble kef

Nina Morris-Evans  Rosie Mercer  Nicole Jacobus 

Red Bar/Lounge

Back by popular demand! Join residents of Moishe House Kilburn to play some good old fashioned Dobble. All ages and abilities welcomed.

Is there hope? Can Jewish and Muslim women work toward peace?

Emma Weleminsky 

Orange 13

An interactive film and discussion session featuring the short films of Paula Kweskin of The 49%, a non-profit organisation using film and media to advance global women’s rights. Two short films will be screened: 1) Palestinian and Israeli feminist peacemakers and 2) a short animated film on an Afghan women’s rights activist.

Kindertransport - the unsung heroes

Mike Levy 

Red 4

85 years on, Mike celebrates the forgotten heroes who helped bring 10,000 Jewish children to safety in Britain. The chutzpah-filled rabbi, the quiet Quaker, the Dutch aunt, the blind teacher and the kind grocer are all part of his much-praised book 'Get the Children Out!' - signed copies available.

LGBT+ and Jewish? Discussing what an inclusive Jewish community looks like for you

Dalia Fleming  Alex Foley 

Orange 11

This session is for LGBT+ people (including: lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, intersex and more) to join us in discussing your hopes and concerns for our community. Whether you’re from the UK or elsewhere, KeshetUK wants to hear your voice about what you need to ensure you and your family are included in Jewish spaces.

Skills session - how to create and deliver a Dvar Torah

Steve Miller 

Red 8

Using the model developed for the Torah l’Am programme, participants will learn a foolproof method for teaching a Dvar Torah (normally five-ten minutes maximum) based on Biblical texts, regardless of Hebrew knowledge.

Two racisms are better than one: tackling anti-Muslim hate and antisemitism in mainstream schools

Jodie Franks 

Yellow 21

Stand Up! Education against Discrimination is an anti-discrimination interfaith project, created in partnership between Maccabi GB and the Community Security Trust. Join us to explore antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, and break down common stereotypes about Jews and Muslims voiced by young people. We will also be discussing the reactions to the conflict in schools today.

What we can and should learn from the Charedi community (2 of 3)

Asher Lovy 

Orange 12

The Charedi community catches a lot of flak in the media and elsewhere, but as Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) teaches us, the wise are the ones who learn from everyone. The Charedi community has a lot to teach us about charity, mutual aid and building robust communal systems of support. Let's examine those systems and learn from them.

What’s that on your head?

Yael Jaffe 

Red 5

Hats, scarves, wigs, kippot, headbands, doilies - you name it, a Jew has put it on their head! We’ll take look at some halachic (Jewish legal) texts behind the varying practices of 'head covering'. And we’ll explore how our personal experiences might shape our relationships with this practice, especially with regard to gender.

Women of worth: the ‘real’ Yentl? (2 of 3)

Aviva Dautch 

Red 3

What led Isaac Bashevis Singer to create the Jewish feminist Yentl with a thirst to learn? Among others, one foundational woman influenced the portrayal: his sister. We’ll explore her life and writing, as revealed in a newly discovered cache of letters she wrote to Singer, which Jewish Renaissance will be publishing as a world exclusive in January.

Ukraine: an eyewitness report

Vadim Blumin 

Orange 15

Vadim volunteered in the rescue efforts at the borders of Ukraine and is still part of the aid efforts in Israel and abroad. This session is an invitation to conversation and insights surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war: the tragedies it has wrought in the past two years, the local and global effects on our present, and its implications for the future.

Past is Present: Stephen S. Wise, the Jewish Institute of Religion, and the Reinvention of Liberal Judaism

Shirley Idelson 

Red 2

In the 1920s, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise challenged denominational norms, founding the Jewish Institute of Religion for free thought and practice. Taking a non-denominational stance, it developed counter-cultural Rabbis who profoundly impacted liberal Judaism. Explore this history and its relevance for global Jewry today.

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