Presenters: B

Eliaou Balouka

Eliaou is a PhD Student in Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck University. His PhD engages with Jewish-Muslim histories of minoritization in northern Africa and in the European urban diaspora. After studying for three years in yeshiva in Jerusalem and a master's degree in psychology in France, Eliaou worked as a clinical psychologist for several years.

Beejhy Barhany

Beejhy Barhany is an entrepreneur, and activist, born in Ethiopia, and raised in Israel she founded the Beta Israel North America Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to elevating and including Jewish Ethiopian voices in the broader Jewish community. Today, she is the chef and owner of an eclectic Ethiopian restaurant, Tsion Café

Linoy Barokas

Linoy is the shlicha for the Union of Jewish Students. She studied Education and Political Science at Hebrew University. Linoy has worked with Jewish communities globally, including North America, Greece, and Australia. During her studies, she interned at the Israeli President's Office, and took part in Hillel International student cabinet.

Lisa Barrett

Lisa has been practicing meditation for over 30 years and is part of the team at HaMakom, the UK's Jewish Mindfulness organisation. A trained Spiritual Director, Lisa has most recently served Manchester Reform Synagogue and worked as a Chaplain at The Christie Hospital. She will also be starting as the new rabbi at Birmingham Progressive in January.

Danielle Barta

Danielle is a seasoned educator with 15+ years of experience with formal and informal Israel education who has built unique, creative, fun, engaging, & impactful Israel Education programs. Danielle is passionate about providing participants with a variety of approaches to create, deepen, & maintain their love for Israel.

Tal Bassali

Tal Bassali, is the founder of The Zehud Jewish Online School, which focuses on Hebrew and Jewish Studies. Tal travels throughout Europe speaking to audiences around the themes of universal Jewish education & Hebrew as the language of the Jewish people. She has supported hundreds of parents in determining their own ethos for Jewish family culture in their homes.

Jack Baum

Debra is a passionate advocate for community, history, heritage, and identity. As CEO of The Together Plan, she gives agency to Jews coming from a traumatic past, empowers them and gives them skills to rebuild and revive. She believes that together we can make a difference for a better, stronger and more cohesive Jewish landscape in Eastern Europe.

Shoshana Becker

Director of Western World Region at Naale Elite Academy, Shoshana brings 30 years of transformative leadership in global Jewish education. With a BA from the Hebrew University and an MA from Haifa University, her pivotal roles at the Jewish Agency, JDC and Israel Experience have empowered Jewish youth worldwide, leaving a lasting impact on future generations.

Michael Ben-Gad

Michael is Professor at City St George’s, University of London and former head of its Economics department. He has worked at the University of Haifa and the Bank of Israel and served on the US National Academy of Sciences Panel on Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration and the Technion's Economics of National Security Program.

David Benkof

David Benkof (TheBroadwayMaven.com) is a Jerusalem-based Jewish educator and Broadway-appreciation content creator who helps students think more deeply about musical theatre. He reaches thousands of Broadway fans weekly through Zoom classes, his substack ("MARQUEE"), and YouTube. Since 2015, presenter at 40+ Limmuds worldwide (in four languages).

Max Bentovim

Max Bentovim is a professional bureaucrat and an amateur tabletop game designer. His game about the Jewish experience in 19th-century Eastern Europe is a finalist in the Zenobia Awards, a competition for designers from underrepresented groups. Born and raised in New York, he's currently in Bratislava, Slovakia with his wife and five-year-old twins.

Marilyn Berg

Marylin was born, grew up and educated in Salford. After a BA in English Literature at Cardiff and a PGCE at UCL, she taught English for 29 years in the state sector. Now in comedy, she won the Fed "Laughter Factor" in 2014 and has appeared at "The Comedy Store".

Jonathan Bergwerk

Jonathan Bergwerk is an occupational psychologist who talks and publishes widely on the lives of eminent Jews, both ancient and modern. His books, ‘Audacious Jewish Lives’ deal with individuals, their contributions to society and their wider impact on Jewish life.

Sami Berkoff

Sami Berkoff is President of UJS (Union of Jewish Students) and a proud graduate of Durham University.

Adam Berlin

Adam regularly gives divrei torah at Golders Green Synagogue, where he is also the FR. He has been coming to Limmud for many years, along with his wife, Andrea and 3 children. For work, Adam is an equity research analyst at UBS. As a student, he led the J-Socs at both Oxford and Harvard Business School; and is an alumnus of Darche Noam yeshiva.

Rosalie Bernheim

Rosalie has recently submitted her PhD thesis 'Believing in Blood: Menstruation, Menopause, and Jewish-Christian Relations in Medieval Religious Texts.' After three years of intense research and both running and participating in academic conferences while living in Edinburgh, she has moved to London whilst waiting to defend her viva.

David Bilchitz

David Bilchitz is Professor of Fundamental Rights Law at the University of Johannesburg and the University of Reading. He served as an acting justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa between February and May 2024. He was also a founder of Limmud SA, chair of Limmud International and founder of Jewish Outlook: SA Jewish LGBTQ Alliance.

Ben Bilefield

Since 2021, Ben has been running weekly guided meditation sessions for colleagues across the UK Civil Service, reaching 1,000+ people in 25+ Government Departments. He has been meditating for the last nine years and has been on multiple retreats and courses. He is currently studying for a Master's in Environmental Policy at Cambridge.

Sharyn Bistre Dabbah

Veterinarian from Mexico and a specialist in dog behaviour, Sharyn completed a PhD in medical detection of dogs' behaviour at the University of Bristol. She is also involved in several other subjects such as history, arts, literature and theatre. She had several roles within the Jewish community of Mexico and has been a Limmud volunteer in Mexico and the UK

Dalia Blass

Dalia is Yachad's Youth and Student Worker. She's been involved in the Jewish community from an early age, including over a decade in Noam. She's led youth programming in both Jewish and non-Jewish spaces. She's passionate about social justice issues outside of the Jewish community, having volunteered abroad for NGOs that support refugees.

Carolyn Bogush

Carolyn has been an active Limmudnik for almost 30 years and is currently Chair of Trustees as well as Vice-Chair of UJS. She believes passionately in cross-communalism, the power of volunteering and developing and inspiring the next generation of future leaders. Professionally she is an Organisational Psychologist.

Sharon Booth

Sharon Booth has master’s degrees from Cambridge in theology and from Kings College London in nationalism and religion. She taught English in Tunisia, worked for a publishing company in Jordan, and worked at the British Embassy before moving into Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution and founding Solutions Not Sides in 2010.

Gabriel Botnick

A US native, Gabriel met his wife, Rose, at Limmud, dancing at the Rebbetzin’s Disco. As the rabbi of Belsize Square Synagogue, which was founded by German refugees in 1939, he is committed to preserving the unique German Liberale tradition. Other rabbinic interests include shechitah (kosher slaughter) and creative tefillah (prayer).

Hannah Brady

Hannah is a former Limmud Festival chair and professional conference producer. A queer, deaf and disabled Jewish woman, she has founded multiple community and workplace inclusion initiatives, including the queer womxn and non-binary group Sapphic Shabbat.

Syd Braham

Syd Braham is a senior mashgiach who has been part of the Kashrut Team at Limmud for several years. He has officiated in several shuls across the UK on shabbat and chagim, including leyning. His interests include cricket, travel, landscape, the weather and Thomas Hardy novels. He is married to Sue with whom he has three sons and now five grandchildren.

Gareth Brahams

Gareth Brahams is an employment lawyer of 30 years standing. He is an ex-chair of the 6,000 member Employment Lawyers Association and is in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame and top ranked by Chambers Legal Directory. He is a member of Muswell Hill Synagogue and met his wife at Limmud!

Minna Bromberg

Founder of Fat Torah, Minna Bromberg is a rabbi who is passionate about bringing decades of fat activism to writing, teaching, and change-making at the nexus of Judaism and body justice. Her book, Every Body Beloved: a Jewish Embrace of Fatness, is forthcoming from Wayne State University Press. Minna lives in Jerusalem with her husband and their children.

Sarah Bronzite

Sarah is Head of Education at KeshetUK. Outside of KeshetUK she is a primary school teacher and is also conducting academic research about school-based sex education. In her spare time she writes about gender-based violence, is a Trustee for Migdal Emunah JSAS, and enjoys making mendiants. She has two religions: Judaism and choral singing.

Debra Brunner

Debra is a passionate advocate for community, history, heritage, and identity. As CEO of The Together Plan, she gives agency to Jews coming from a traumatic past, empowers them and gives them skills to rebuild and revive. She believes that together we can make a difference for a better, stronger and more cohesive Jewish landscape in Eastern Europe.

Emma Buggy

Emma has been facilitating Compassionate and Authentic Relating since 2016. She offers courses, retreats, and relational mediation to support conflict transformation. She co-organized the NVC Global Festival and empowers clear, compassionate communication to turn conflict into growth and connection.