Orange 15
Considerable backlash has been generated by Bradley Cooper's 'fake Jewish nose' in 'Maestro', where he portrays conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Likewise, Dame Helen Mirren has been criticized for her ethnic portrayal of Golda Meir. When is it fair to demand that characters be portrayed by actors of the same ethnicity or background?
Red 4
In this conversational, ask-me-anything session, rabbinical student Marques Hollie will share the story of his conversion process (heavily featuring Madonna), and leave ample time for you to ask questions you've always wanted to ask about what converting to Judaism is like. This session is open to born-Jews, seekers and converts alike!
Orange 14
Football has a reach beyond the pitch and has the power to do much good in society. Ze'ev Portner helped set up the Watford FC Jewish Supporters Group club. He was the brainchild behind the first ever Chanukah party at a football club and will discuss how the Jewish community can engage with football clubs on matters of importance to the community.
Red 5
Israel Zangwill has been described as the Jewish Dickens. The first tale of his 'Ghetto Comedies' tells of an artist who finds a suffering Jew to model for a realistic painting of Jesus. But his model turns out to be a crook. What British art inspired the story? And how do we respond to the Christian fantasy of Jewish suffering?
Red 7 - Brightsmith
Among the main players shaping musical life in Vienna between the 18th and 20th centuries were several Jewish women. They were salonnières, composers and performers. This session follows the stories of a select few of these women, among them Fanny von Arnstein (1758-1818), Amalie Mauthner (c 1832-1915) and Bertha Engel (1887-1945).
Jekaterina Erlich-Koren Marika Guralik Tamas Buchler Mihails Beškins
Red 9 - The Arbour
An evening of cocktails, snacks, vibrant conversations and networking exclusively for Limmud activists and Europe enthusiasts. Choose a breakout session aligned with your interests for diverse discussions. Join us for spirited conversations, new connections and stimulating insights.
Red 3
God makes demands on us that seem, at times, to be impossible to fulfil. The Torah's demands can feel insurmountably challenging. Are we truly expected to lead a sin-free, fully halachic life? Does the Torah honour our humanity and our struggle to do God's will? This session explores some of these thorny issues.
Orange 10
When antisemitism and Jim Crow laws were growing in America, why were Black artists singing and recording Hebrew and Yiddish songs? How did Jewish singers and songwriters feel more at home next to black neighbourhoods? What made Paul Robeson sing in Yiddish in Madison Square Garden and Moscow? What made BB King cry recording a Doc Pomus song?
Yellow 21
Queen Victoria’s curse, the spread of (then) incurable haemophilia to European royalty and a cause of the Russian revolution, could have been minimised by genetic counselling. The Talmud, Mishnah and also Maimonides fascinatingly suggest that what was presumably haemophilia was detectable following circumcision and families counselled accordingly.
Orange 11
Even rabbis are baffled by the Kaddish prayer. Why is it hardly mentioned in the Talmud? Why is it said right after the Torah reading in morning services, but not so when the Torah is read during afternoon services? We will explore all such questions and gain a clear understanding of what the Kaddish means and how the structure of the Jewish service works.
Red 2
What is humanism? How does it relate to Humanistic Judaism, and what makes Humanistic Judaism distinct from other forms of Jewish belief and practice? How do people celebrate a Judaism without God? Is Humanistic Judaism a religion, and what can it offer our society going forward?
Red 1
A personal dig in to the Jewish identity of Polish Jews born in communist Poland (PPR). How did politics and the Roman Catholic Church influence Jewish identity and what happened to the Jewish people in reborn Poland?
Orange 13
'The Narrow Bridge' is a searching journey into the souls of four people who, after searing pain, develop strengths they never had before. We watch with wonder as Bushra, Rami, Meytal and Bassam - women and men who lost a child or parent in violent conflict - transform their grief into a bridge for reconciliation. (80 mins)