Why are rabbis leaving the rabbinate? A rabbi and a union branch ☆ ★

David Mason 

Orange 10

Why is being a rabbi in 2023 so different than it was 30 years ago? What support do rabbis going through complicated and difficult workplace conflicts need? How might communities think differently about supporting their clergy? Last year, rabbis from across the denominations came together to found a Jewish Faith Branch within the GMB trade union to work on just that.

Almost normal: navigating the world as an undiagnosed autistic adult ☆ ★

Belinda Copitch 

Orange 12

At Limmud 2022, Belinda presented a session on the Jewish connection to autism. The experience prompted her to seek a diagnosis. This session charts her surprising discoveries since then.

God's face hidden: the divine tallit and tefillin (3 of 3) ☆ ★

Yael Roberts 

Red 8

Why does God put on tallit (prayer shawl) and tefillin (phylacteries) and why does the Talmud connect these practices to God's hidden face? We'll be drawing on Talmudic passages, as well as the Mei Hashiloach (Ishbitzer Rebbe) to further develop our understanding of Divine hiddenness and longing. (Session is part of a series, but come to one or all!)

 Limmud 5784_ God's Face Hidden (3_3).pdf

Israel under attack ☆ ★

Michael Wegier 

Orange 15

Hear how the Board of Deputies responded on behalf of the Jewish community during Operation Swords of Iron.

Feminism, Judaism and Philosophy: What we can learn from RBG and others ☆ ★

Yael Yechieli 

Red 4

In Jewish history we have plenty of examples of women seizing power: the biblical daughters of Zelophad, Miriam, and Queen Esther. But each of these were individuals. Yael Yechieli argues that we need a groundswell, a movement. Who can we learn from in Jewish culture as we move forward towards equal gender representation in the Knesset and elsewhere?

Israel’s domestic politics: what next? ☆ ★

Toby Greene 

Orange 14

In 2023 Israel has been rocked first by the mass protest movement against the government’s judicial overhaul and then by the Israel-Hamas war. How will these events play out in Israeli politics going forward? Who will lead Israel through the challenges to come? And what is the future for the ongoing internal struggle to define Israel’s identity?

Knowledge is power ☆ ★

Nicole Gordon  Louise Hager 

Orange 11

NHS England, in partnership with Jnetics and Chai Cancer Care, will be launching in early 2024 a BRCA testing programme for which anybody over 18 years can be tested. This session will explain why as Jews we are six times more likely to carry a BRCA gene fault and the wider implications of taking the test.

Nature walk (4 of 5) ☆ ★

Limmud Social Programming 

Hotel Lobby

Join us for a gentle, outdoor stroll. This is an opportunity to take a break, get some fresh air, tell us your Festival highlights, and find out more about Limmud. Meet wrapped up warm.

Preparing to present at Limmud Festival 2024 - because everyone can be a teacher ☆ ★

Marion Kinshuck  Alison Dollow  Clive Kennard  Aimee Birnbaum 

Red 2

Do you have something you are desperate to share with your fellow Limmudniks? Are you worried that you lack the skills for this? Come along and find out about Limmud's Presenter Bootcamp, our presentation skills programme, from graduates of this years' Bootcamp.

Sleep: how do we achieve it and what does the Torah have to say about it? ☆ ★

Jane Ansell 

Red 3

Sleep affects our relationships, moods, learning potential, physical health and our daily behaviour. After oxygen, it is the most important human need. We'll explore sources for sleep hygiene in Torah literature and the current science of sleep - the importance of sleep hygiene, and strategies to improve your and your family's sleep patterns.

Teaching the laws of niddah (Jewish menstrual purity) to modern couples ☆ ★

Miriam Lorie 

Red 7 - Brightsmith

Over the past six years, I’ve adapted the classic 'kallah classes' curriculum for brides into a course designed for couples - straight and queer, maybe or maybe not Jewishly observant - who live contemporary, thinking lives. Can Jewish menstrual purity laws be relevant and even loved? If so, how? I’ll share my process; you’ll share your feedback.

 Limmud 2023 Teaching the Laws of Niddah to Modern Couples.pdf

What does Taylor Swift have to do with diversity? ☆ ★

Noah Katz 

Yellow 21

This interactive talk takes a look at the importance of having a seat at an interesting table with a hook of one of the most commercially popular female singers of a generation. The session aims to act as a[n eras] tour of getting organisational strategy right, politics, dialectic thinking and self-reflection.

Essential oil making ☆ ★

Blue 34

Join us in the Wellbeing Hub for your daily boost, and time to unwind. We will be creating our own essential oil roll-ons, as well as reflecting on the time we have spent together at Festival. This is a great chance to meet new people in a low-pressure environment. Everyone is welcome at this session, which will run for two hours. You can join anytime.