Chaia .

Chaia is an electronic composer working at the intersection of Yiddish culture and electronic club music. She weaves archival Yiddish samples with techno and ambient frameworks, creating folk-electronic compositions that situate ancestral sound within global and liberatory rave culture. In performance, she combines accordion, vocals, and samples.

Clare Aarons

Clare has worked for over 20 years in the UK's non-for-profit sector as a training professional and project manager. She is studying at Hebrew Union College's Zschool and works at JW3 (the London Jewish Community Centre) as Learning & Engagement Producer, driving their adult education programme and spearheading social action work, including managing the weekly foodbank and volunteers.

Shana Rose Aaronson

Shana Aaronson is the Executive Director of Magen for Jewish Communities, which provides education, awareness, mental health support, and advocacy around sexual abuse and its effect on individuals, families and communities. She volunteers as a madrichat kallot and birth assistant to women with histories of sexual and physical trauma.

Natan Abenaim

Natan is a wandering—and wondering—Jew. Strategy consultant and teacher of Judaism, he blends boardroom logic with beit midrash wisdom. Graduate of École Centrale Paris, with semichah from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, he calls himself a rational mystic—basically, someone who argues with himself a lot, but politely.

Luiz Aberbuj

Luiz Aberbuj, born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was active in the Habonim Dror youth movement. In 2011, he joined a leadership gap year in Israel. He made Aliyah in 2014, served in the Kfir Brigade until 2016, then gave testimony to Breaking the Silence and became its Jewish Diaspora Education Coordinator.

Nic Abery

Nic is a Jewish educator working across Jewish schools and communities in Europe to deeper their Jewish engagement and education. She has an innovative approach to teaching using art, museum and objects to bring Jewish themes and concepts together.

Gina Abramowitz

Gina is a 31-year-old occupational therapist from Australia, now based in London working in the NHS. Passionate about disability advocacy, she draws on both her lived experience and professional expertise to promote diversity, inclusion and accessibility for all. Through public speaking and workshops, she amplifies voices often unheard.

Hayley Ace

Hayley Ace is a reverend, church leader and fighter against antisemitism. She has been recognised among the top 50 Christian Zionists by the Israel Allies Foundation for her activism, which includes her growing Instagram profile and organising numerous rallies with ‘Stop the Hate’ and other organisations.

Daniel Aidan

Daniel, 56, is French and the father of 4 children. He is also a banker and finance professor. He lives near Paris, frequents the Jewish community, and thanks his wife for letting him attend his 3rd Limmud Festival. He is excited to lead a session with his son and will demonstrate that the French speak (a little) English.

Samuel Aidan

Samuel, 21 years old, is a Computer Science student living near Paris. His passions include fencing, beekeeping, and involvement in Jewish events at University.

Anoushka Alexander-Rose

Anoushka is a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Weber Institute at the University of Heidelberg, curating an exhibition ‘The Wandering Jew and other myths’, and researcher of British Jewish heritage at Durham. She completed her PhD on 'Vladimir Nabokov's Jewish Muse' at the Parkes Institute, and teaches Holocaust literature and philosemitism.

Jane Ansell

Founder of Sleep Scotland (charity developing sleep counselling services and sleep education for schools), and TEENS+ (post-school education for people with complex support needs). Co-founder of Edinburgh Jewish Dialogue and Cultural Centre. Now a sleep consultant as well as developing and leading Jewish learning sessions for teenagers and adults.

JIll Appleton

Jill Appleton is National Director of The Feast Youth Project. The Feast brings together teenagers from different faiths, cultures and backgrounds to build friendships, explore faith and change lives. Through dialogue, The Feast helps young people become more confident in their identity, more resilient in the face of prejudice and radicalisation.

Paul Arberman

Paul Arberman is a Masorti-Conservative rabbi living in Modiin, Israel and serving Netzach Yisrael in Ashkelon. He is the past rabbi of HEMS in Hatch End. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, he loves teaching, singing and playing guitar and being with his 3 young adult children.

Elana Arian

A composer, prayer leader, and multi-instrumentalist, Elana Arian is one of the most influential voices in Jewish music today. Elana serves 30+ communities a year, has released 5 albums, and is the subject of an anthology published by TMP. She is on faculty at Hebrew Union College, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.

Victoria Atlas

Victoria Atlas holds a PhD in Medieval Hispanistics, and specialises in the Jewish heritage of medieval Spain. Trained in Biblical Studies, Art History and pedagogy, she brings an interdisciplinary approach to her work. Has lectured at institutions including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Cambridge, UNAM, Oxford.

Amir Atsmon

Amir Atsmon holds MAs in Comparative Literature and Drama Therapy and is an improvised theater performer and teacher. He works as a psychotherapist, combining dramatherapy with somatic approaches, and editor, translator and author of psychoanalytic theory. He also does improvised poetry performances using antique typewriters.

Charley Baginsky

Charley Baginsky is co-lead of Progressive Judaism in the UK and Ireland, recognised for her commitment to inclusion, interfaith work, and as a leading voice on Progressive Zionism. Formerly a congregational rabbi and national Liberal Judaism leader, she helped unite Liberal and Reform Judaism, strengthening its national voice and future growth.

Avielah Barclay

Avielah is the first woman certified as a Soferet STaM (Torah scribe) in modern times. She has taught at venues including the Conservative Yeshiva and Machon Pardes. Her areas of research include religious feminism, Kabbalah of Hebrew letters and history of making traditional materials such as papyrus, ink, and parchment.

Isabel Bard

Isabel is a fool who is, luckily, watched over by God. She is a software engineer who enjoys the Ladies' Pond and Seder Nashim (for different reasons). She logs every book she reads, is a vegan of ten years, and likes mincha best. Talk to her about Ohel Mo'ed (the minyan she co-chairs), Shabbat hosting strategies, and strange ways to relate to God.

Lisa Barrett

Lisa has been active in HaMakom, the UK’s Jewish Mindfulness network, since its beginnings over 15 years ago, leading mindful prayer on retreat. She is a trained and experienced Spiritual Director, Hospital and Prison Chaplain, and currently serves the Birmingham Progressive community as their part-time rabbi.

Eddie Bass

Eddie has had an eclectic education. Now in his 91st year, he uses his interest in drama, comedy and funny stories, which he writes himself. He digs deep from the legends of Chelm - the historic 'Village of Idiots', now a popular holiday destination in Poland. He makes up humorous stories about the Jews in both the historic, and modern Chelm!

Sophie Bellamy

Sophie Bellamy is a PhD candidate at Durham University researching modern provincial Jewish networks in the North East of England in collaboration with the Tyne and Wear Archives. She holds an MA in Jewish Studies from UCL and a BA in Fashion History and Theory from Central Saint Martins.

Edward Ben-Nathan

Edward spent his career at IBM, then helped run his tennis club. He has had an abiding interest in history and politics for decades and has presented previously at Limmud on the 'Glorious Revolution'.

Geoffrey Ben-Nathan

Geoffrey was born in London in 1944. He studied tribal cultures at university and none was more fascinating to him than his own Jewish tribal culture. Equally fascinating are peoples close to Judaism: the Samaritans and Ethiopian Christians. First and foremost though, antisemitism and anti-Zionism. They have an identifiable cause. Jews must know.

David Benkof

David Benkof (TheBroadwayMaven.com) brings deep insight into musical theatre to Jewish and general audiences. He cultivates Broadway appreciation through his online classes, YouTube channel, and Substack MARQUEE, unpacking emotional and cultural layers in Broadway’s great stories. This is his 9th Limmud UK and 45th worldwide. He lives in Jerusalem.

Rossi Bennett

Rossi spent over a decade volunteering with CST, including six years as a senior team leader. A graduate of the Adam Science Leadership Programme, he built a career in sales and is known as a relationship-builder. Today he runs his own coaching business and, with his family, helps grow Jewish life in Hatfield.

Yonatan Berg

Yonatan Berg is a poet and author. He is the youngest recipient of the Yehuda Amichai Prize and a number of other national awards He has published seven books of poetry and five books of prose. His English language debut collection Frayed Light was published by Wesleyan University Press in 2019 and was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.

Jonathan Bergwerk

Jonathan 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.

Dovid Berisch

Dovid Berisch is a psychodrama psychotherapist and arts therapist. He works for North London NHS Foundation Trust as psychology lead and clinical lead for group psychotherapy in Haringey and runs a private psychotherapy practice. He is conducting PhD research at UCL on Jewish mysticism and psychotherapy, focussing on the works of JL Moreno.

Adam Berlin

Adam is a regular provider of divrei torah at Golders Green United Synagogue, where he was also Treasurer. Adam has been coming to Limmud for years, along with his wife, Andrea, and 3 children. Adam leads the European media research team at UBS. As a student, Adam led the JSocs at Oxford and at Harvard Business School; and is an alumnus of Darche Noam yeshiva.

Natasha Jules Bernard

Trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Natasha is currently playing Tzeitel in the touring production of Fiddler on the Roof. Theatre credits include: Mirila in Fiddler on the Roof (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Standby Mary Shelley in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (UK Tour) and many more.

Elaine Bernstein

Elaine Bernstein lives in Highgate, London and runs her own clothing brand. She’s a qualified yoga teacher, speaks French and German and kzat Ivrit (a small amount of Hebrew!). Since October 7th, Elaine has felt, like so many others, a greater pull towards her Judaism. She started going to shul more often and made various trips to Israel. Elaine had her bat mitzvah in September 2025.

Naomi Bernstein

Naomi Bernstein is the Campaigns and Jewish Enrichment Sabbatical officer at the Union of Jewish Students. She discovered the joys of Jewish student life during her time at Cambridge. Currently, she is hyper-fixated on solving cross-communalism and perfecting her brownie recipe and will gladly answer questions on either topic!

David Bilchitz

David Bilchitz is Professor of Fundamental Rights Law at the Universities of Johannesburg and Reading. He has served as an Acting Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He was a founder of Limmud SA, chair of Limmud International, and is a well-known Jewish educator. He is a proud member of the LGBT community and married to Reuven Ziegler.

Aimee Birnbaum

Aimee Birnbaum, an artist based in London, graduated the Museum School in Boston. A member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, she exhibited at Vilna Gaon Museum and Ciurlionis Art Museum. She presented at Limmud in 2023 and in 2025 at University College London for the Jewish Institute.

Sharyn Bistre Dabbah

Sharyn Bistre, a Mexican veterinarian and dog behaviour specialist, holds a PhD from the University of Bristol and is a Veterinary Researcher at the University of Lincoln. Beyond animals, she explores Jewish studies, history, arts, and theatre, and has taken roles in the Jewish community, volunteering with Limmud in Mexico and the UK.

Nicholas Blain

By day, Nicholas Blain is an educator, running his firm Quartic Training: he helps candidates and clients through financial exams (CFA, IMC, etc) and sustainable investing topics (climate, impact, ESG). By night he runs a private foundation that supports many charities – environmental, educational, social and medical.

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.

Vadim Blumin

Executive director and the head of The Jewish Agency’s delegation to the UK & Western Europe. A rabbi, an award-winning author of an Israeli bestseller, one of Israel’s ‘Top 30 Executives’, “Person of Year 2024”. He made aliyah from Dnipro, Ukraine, and currently resides in London, UK, whilst on shlichut with his family.

Carolyn Bogush

Carolyn has been a Limmud volunteer for more than 30 years, encouraging the rest of her family to be involved too. She is Chair of Limmud's trustees and Vice-Chair of UJS. She believes passionately in cross-communalism, the power of volunteering and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Professionally she is an Organisational Psychologist.

Gabriel Botnick

Based in London, Gabriel is the rabbi of Belsize Square Synagogue, which was founded in 1939 by German refugees and continues to lovingly preserve the unique German Liberale tradition to this day. Previously of Venice Beach, California, Gabriel is passionate about music and helping others find meaningful ways to engage with their Judaism.

John Bowers

John Bowers is principal of Brasenose College, Oxford and a barrister of 45 years' standing specialising in employment law. He has written 14 books on employment law and more recently a book on declining standards of ethics in government entitled 'Downward Spiral'.

Hannah Brady

Hannah is an acclaimed project manager, having delivered world-class events for Reuters, the Civil Service and the Jewish community that have reached millions of viewers and participants. She has founded multiple inclusion initiatives, including London-based lesbian/bi+ group Sapphic Shabbat. Most importantly, she has two three-legged rescue cats.

Jason Braier

Jason is a barrister specialising in employment and discrimination law and a Twitter/X addict who tweets mainly on employment law and whose summaries are relied on by lawyers and judges alike. Described in a recent directory entry as ‘A bit of an Employment Bar Hero’.

Jessica Brandler

Jess Brandler is Deputy Director of Solutions Not Sides, overseeing all aspects of SNS’ work, working closely with speakers from the Middle East and running the mental health support at SNS. She has spent considerable time in the Middle East and has worked with tens of thousands of British teenagers, teachers, and community members through SNS.

Roland Brandman

Roland is founder of the International Symposium on Jewish Meditation and chairman of HaMakom. His new book, Sapphire Light: Select Germs of Spiritual Wisdom, is an anthology of philosophical-spiritual ideas and sources from across the Jewish tradition. His previous (much larger) book is Sapphire Mind. He is also a lawyer and chazan.

Shelley Braude

Shelley is the Jewish Life Coordinator and Hebrew teacher at Clifton College in Bristol, England. She has been involved with Jewish Education since the age of 13, when she taught at the Masorti Cheder in Edgware. 30 years on, she is now a qualified Teacher and Educational Psychologist... and still enjoys teaching at her local Cheder!

Alex Braver

Alex Braver serves as a rabbi at Tifereth Israel in Columbus, Ohio, and was ordained at JTS in 2016. Previously a Rabbinic Fellow at B'nai Jeshurun in New York, his forthcoming book – The Snail in the Shell - explores surprising and creative metaphors for God and spiritual life in traditional Hasidic texts, with original translations and commentary.

Michael Brochstein

Michael Brochstein is a photojournalist based in Washington, D.C. & New York City. He covers the White House, U.S. Capitol, demonstrations & other events. Michael has also covered the war in Ukraine behind the lines & at the front lines. Michael’s photos have been published in the New York Times, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal & other places.

Sarah Bronzite

Sarah is Head of Education at KeshetUK. She is a qualified primary school teacher and a researcher on the topic of school-based sex education. In her spare time she writes about gender-based violence, is a Trustee for Migdal Emunah JSAS, and is slowly getting better at fancy challah braids. She has two religions: Judaism and choral singing.

Josh Brostoff

Josh is a psychotherapist based in London, with a background as a medical doctor and in medical ethics. He is interested in experiential therapies and in the meeting point between psychotherapy, spirituality, and Jewish life. He is currently exploring how practices of honesty, presence, and consent can deepen both personal growth and community.

Debra Brunner

Debra Brunner, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, is co-founder and CEO of The Together Plan (UK), founder of the Jewish Tapestry Project (USA), and founder of the Polotsk Jewish Cultural Educational Foundation (Belarus). For over 15 years she has championed Jewish heritage, identity, and community empowerment in Eastern Europe.

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik is an American papercut artist who cuts up comic books and reassembles them into bold, intricate works that explore the stories of the Jewish people. With his wife, Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik, he co-created Paper Midrash—bringing art, pop culture, and Torah together in dynamic workshops and residencies.

Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik

Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik is a rabbi and brings Jewish texts to life by connecting Torah with pop culture, making ancient wisdom accessible and relevant. With her husband Isaac, she co-created Paper Midrash—a creative partnership blending scholarship and art into hands-on workshops, residencies, and meaningful learning, where tradition and modern life meet.

Joe Buchanan

Texas-born and river-raised, Joe Buchanan makes country music steeped in Torah and Jewish spirit. Inspired by his wife’s heritage, his journey led to conversion, healing, and song. Blending Texas sound with deep faith, he has toured widely, leads the Small Town Tribe, and just released Heaven & Earth.

Raisel Byrne

Raisel has worked at the mental health charity, Jami, for over 11 years. She is passionate about how people can use both their lived experience and professional knowledge to support others. In her spare time, she manages an Instagram for two cats, which now has over 1,000 followers—documenting their ongoing campaign to take over the household.

Daniel Cainer

Daniel is a multi-award-winning songwriter, storyteller and broadcaster. A veteran of seven off-Broadway runs, 20 years at the Edinburgh Fringe and concerts worldwide, Daniel composes for TV, radio, theatre, radio and temples. He was the BBC’s ‘Singing Reporter’, a Womble and the world’s only musical astrologer (probably). ‘The Comic Bard of Anglo Jewry’ (The JC)

Deborah Carpenter

Deborah works with schools across Norfolk and Suffolk for classroom sessions and visits to Norwich Synagogue. She has contact with thousands of non-Jewish children each year and is passionate about bringing Jewish traditions to life as a living religion and to encourage understanding and tolerance of different communities.

Ariel Chapman

Ariel is Executive Director of KeshetUK, working to ensure no one is forced to choose between their LGBT+ and Jewish identity. Ariel recently joined the organisation having worked in inclusion and diversity leadership for nearly ten years with a particular focus on Jewish and LGBT+ inclusion in higher education and the workplace.

Geoffrey Charin

Geoffrey Charin is a navy veteran, British/Israeli accountant and novelist with a first degree from the Hebrew University. He also holds a PhD from Buckingham University on the subject of British-Jewish relations in Palestine in the face of the German invasion threats of 1941-2.

Maurice Chernick

Maurice Chernick was born in Manchester and grew up in Liverpool. He started his working life as a composer and actor in theatre before opting for a career in teaching. In 1997, Maurice created the Jewish music group SHIR as clarinettist and singer and he has been collaborating as composer with playwright Diane Samuels since 2013.

Nurit Chitiat

Nurit Chitiat, Head of theatre studies and an educator of 12th grade at Leo Baeck Education Center, Haifa. Nurit’s agenda in leading the theatre curriculum is to address and raise awareness of social issues in Israeli society through the exploration of these themes and the development of socially engaged, community-based theatrical projects

Mark Claydon

Mark is a musician and engineer. Having worked with artists such as Peter Gabriel, Madness, Everything Everything, and for BAFTA in the studio and on the road, he turned his focus to software and womb care (wombshine.com). He has taught courses in programming from London to Gaza and enjoys creating interactive art exploring music and our brains

Sam Clifford

Sam Clifford is the CEO of Jewish Women’s Aid. Sam's varied career within the Jewish charitable sector has ranged from working with Finchley Reform Synagogue & the Jewish Museum to working as a freelance project manager. Sam's featured in The Jewish News’ “40 under 40” at number 22 and is a graduate of the JLC’s Dangoor Senior Leadership Programme.

Alina Cohen

Alina Cohen is a seamstress and theatre-lover from a family of Jewish tailors and seamstresses. She brings together heritage, mindfulness, and creativity, leading sessions that explore memory, spirituality, and the art of making.

Hayden Cohen

Hayden Cohen is a writer, performer and podcaster from Leeds. He's taken three shows to the Edinburgh Fringe & is putting the finishing touches to his memoir about American summer camp - 'Camp Mazel: Where everyday you get lucky'. Hayden is the Deputy for Harrogate shul where he puts his loud mouth and commitment to British Jewry to good use.

Mayta Cohen

Mayta Cohen is an award-winning vocalist, arranger and composer from Boston, MA. Founder of BerKalit, a national award-winning Jewish a cappella group, she is the first female arranger for The Maccabeats and Six13. Mayta tours nationally, teaching at elite training camp A Cappella Academy, and at Hava Nashira, a premier song-leading conference.

Naomi Cohen

Naomi has been learning Daf Yomi via an excellent podcast (Talking Talmud) since January 2020. She compares it to an open top bus ride through Gemara. She's also Community Development Manager for the United Synagogue, supporting and training lay leaders (Honorary Officers) at 55 communities across the UK.

Phil Cohen

Phil Cohen is a registered social worker. He has 40 years' experience predominantly in mental health. Now semi-retired, he's still thinking and writing about care and difference. Recently he has begun wondering whether ADHD might offer a framework to make sense of how he moves through the world feeling slightly out of place.

Samantha Cohen

Sam has been to far too many Limmuds to remember, but that's probably due to menopause symptoms rather than a desire to forget. Her children regularly tell her that she is not very funny, but she makes herself and her partner (code by the way, for gay) laugh, sometimes.

Naama Cohen Ashkenazy

Naama Cohen-Ashkenazy, Head of Communication and Film studies and at educator of 12th grade at Leo Baeck Education Center, Haifa. Naama leads Photography studies at the Ministry of Education and produces youth film and photography festival and art shows dealing with Israel's social and cultural challenges.

Justin Copitch

Justin, originally from Manchester, now works as a GP in Northwest London. In his spare time, he is a passionate indie rock fan and regular music festival attender with dozens of festivals and gigs under his belt including his 7th Glastonbury in 2025.

Ali Coy

Ali left a successful career as a software engineer to retrain as a nurse. They have volunteered in Africa, India and Palestine. Their Judaism informs a commitment to making the world a better place. Having moved from London to Glasgow out of love for being in nature, they are happiest hiking, cycling and wild camping throughout Scotland.

Mark Creeger

Mark helps companies with global Risk and Ethics. He taught Jewish Education and IT at multiple levels. A regular speaker, discussion and prayer leader at Barnet Synagogue, he taught Barmitzvah boys for 40 years. Married to fabulous comedian, Rachel Creeger, they share two wonderful boys, a marvellous daughter-in-law, and a fabulous grandson.

Rachel Creeger

Rachel is a multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, writer and director, and the only practising Orthodox Jew on the UK comedy circuit. She's co-host of 'Jew Talkin' To Me?' podcast and has taken four critically acclaimed shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. As seen on BBC1, Amazon Prime and NextUp Comedy, and regularly heard across the BBC Radio network.

Daniel Dable

Daniel is a Jewish student who is passionate about national and global political affairs. In his session Daniel will explore the Jewish teachings from the Talmud and beyond on how to respond to misrepresentation, and how these teachings can guide us to understand and respond to misrepresentations in media in the current day.

Jeremy Dable

Jeremy is a lawyer and mediator, and volunteers in interfaith, citizens' advice, law centres, refugee support and mountain rescue. Jeremy is active in Jewish education at shul, schools, colleges and Cub-Scout groups. He is a wandering soul, adapting to loss of empire and the rise of AI. Daniel is interested in the polarisation of everything and disruptive tech. Member of one progressive shul visitor to progressive liberal and orthodox shuls. He is a member of Begali Hindu organisations in Manchester and Liverpool.

Linda Dangoor

Linda Dangoor is an artist and also a food writer. She is the author of two cookbooks, Flavours of Babylon: a celebration of the flavours and recipes of her Baghdadi heritage, and From the Tigris to the Thames: a tapestry, part memoir, part cookbook interweaving recipes with personal reflections on the idea of home and belonging.

Daniel Daniel

Daniel Daniel is a London-based filmmaker whose award-winning short films have screened internationally and on platforms including All4 and BFI Player. A graduate of the National Film and Television School, he’s been bringing his passion for cinema and storytelling to Limmud for many years.

Louis Danker

Louis is the President of the Union of Jewish Students. An Edinburgh graduate, he is passionate about telling stories of warm, vibrant and resilient Jewish student life, and has become a bit of a broken record about it. Likes: Jewish pride, fish finger sandwiches, music festivals. Dislikes: New ketchup bottle liquid, antisemitism.

Aviva Dautch

Aviva Dautch is the Executive Director of Jewish Renaissance, the UK’s quarterly Jewish arts magazine. An award-winning poet and regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, she has worked as an educator for many of the major London cultural institutions and is the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for Oxford University’s new Jewish Women’s Voices programme.

Ayala Deckel

Ayala Deckel is an Israeli author, and a lecturer in the fields of Judaism, identity, and gender. She is a Research Fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute and the former Rosh Yeshiva (head) of the secular Yeshiva of BINA .

Martin Devereux

Martin has worked in the cultural heritage sector for over 25 years. As a qualified archivist, Martin has worked with a range of organisations including universities, charities, museums, embassies and businesses. Martin is currently cataloguing Limmud's archive as part of a project funded by the Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe.

Joshua Dresner

Josh works in design for the UK Government by day and for the last year has been also co running Still Alive - drawing the Jewish community alongside Abigail, as part of the Limmud microgrant project. He is keen to promote sketching and art as meditation and as a way to see and appreciate our Jewish community.

Gregg Drinkwater

Gregg Drinkwater is a lecturer in Jewish studies at the University of California, Berkeley; director of Berkeley's antisemitism education initiative; and a scholar of queer Jewish history. He was the founding director of a U.S.-based Jewish LGBTQ organisation and co-editor of "Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible" (2009).

Noam Dromi

Noam Dromi is an Emmy Award–winning writer, producer, and executive based in Los Angeles. As Managing Director of Reboot Studios, he develops and funds film, TV, digital, and audio projects exploring Jewish identity. He co-created Dolphin Tale and produced AMC’s The Walking Dead: Red Machete.

Carmel du Parc Braham

Carmel is co-chair of the Civil Service Jewish Network and works in information. Previously a History and Politics teacher, she harbours a range of niche interests including (but not limited to): researching Jewish folktales; singing in barbershop harmony competitions; and penning poems of dubious quality.

Josh Dubell

Josh is the Education Director for Solutions Not Sides (SNS), overseeing the Youth Education Programme. Josh has worked in Israel-Palestine education for the past 15 years including working for LJY & RSY-Netzer, NFTY and UJIA. Solutions Not Sides is a British charity which educates young people around the country on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Sophie Duschinsky

Sophie is a clinical psychologist working in central London. She specialises in supporting neurodivergent people of all ages and their families. Sophie enjoys creating a space for people to reflect on their strengths and values, and how they can use these to understand the parts of life they find difficult and the changes they want to make.

John Dyson

John Dyson is a member of the House of Lords, as well as a former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and Master of the Rolls. Since retiring, he has performed international arbitration, sports arbitration, as well as investigations such as that into the BBC Panorama interview of Princess Diana.

Yulia Egorova

Yulia Egorova is Professor of Anthropology at Durham University. Her current projects examine representations of Jewish heritage in the United Kingdom and the notion of solidarity in initiatives of Jewish-Muslim dialogue. She is the author of Jews and Muslims in South Asia. Reflections on Difference, Religion, and Race (OUP 2018).

Deetza Elf

Deetza works in Communications at Women for Women International, which supports women and girls affected by conflict to rebuild their lives, care for their families and strengthen their communities. Passionate about the power of storytelling, she shines a light on today’s forgotten conflicts and helps women survivors share their experiences.

Louise Ellman

Louise Ellman was MP for Liverpool Riverside 1997-2019. She resigned from the Labour Party in 2019 because of Labour's antisemitism when Jeremy Corbyn was Leader. She rejoined in 2021 when Keir Starmer addressed the issue. She is a Board member of Labour Friends of Israel and joint chair of the Board of Deputies of British Jews

Hannah Ewence

Hannah Ewence is Head of Humanities at University of Chester and Honorary Fellow, Parkes Institute for Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations, (Southampton). She is a historian of modern British Jewish life. Hannah is currently working on two projects; one on the experience of Jewish suburbanisation, and a second about Jewish communities in post-colonial Britain.

Eylan Ezekiel

Eylan Ezekiel is an educator, writer and podcast host exploring the complexity of Jewish identity. Born into a mixed Indian Jewish and Ashkenazi family, he creates spaces — including Who Jew Think You Are? — where underrepresented Jewish voices are heard and hard questions about race, belonging and memory are asked.

Alastair Falk

Alastair Falk is the founder of Tsitsit , the Jewish Fringe Festival and Director of the newly established UK Jewish Arts Foundation. He has worked for a number of Jewish and national education organisations.

Roni Fantanesh Malkai

Roni is an attorney, media personality and activist. She is the author of 'We Are Black Jews: Ethiopian Jewry and the Journey to Equality in Israel' and 'Bibiland: How Benjamin Netanyahu made Israel in his own image. Roni has an MA in public policy and government (with Honours) from the Hebrew University and an LLB in law from Tel Aviv University.

Leon Fenster

The artist behind JW3’s 9-storey London Jewish Mural. Liked that? You’ll love his new Haggadah! He’s commissioned to bring stories to life as kaleidoscopic artworks: from cities or vast historical events to the story of one family or couple as a Ketubah. He was previously Chazan & para-rabbinical leader at a shul in Taiwan. He’s looking for an agent

Nathan Finkel

Nathan Finkel is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and live performer whose work spans festivals, fires, and international jam sessions. A long-time member of the Limmud house band, he blends genres and creates inclusive, improvisational spaces that bring musicians and audiences together.

Joseph Finlay

Joseph Finlay is a historian of British Jews. He is writing a book on Jewish responses to British race relations, based on his PhD. He is beginning a postdoctoral fellowship at Birkbeck on Jewish colonial governors. He writes the newsletter Torat Albion and is the musical director of Mosaic Liberal Synagogue and the London Jewish Male Choir.

Charlotte Fischer

Charlotte leads Love & Power, which organises women to make change on issues that matter to them. For 10 years she worked across the Jewish community from Liberal to Orthodox to develop communities internally – and win 60,000 care workers a Living Wage, the resettlement of 5000 refugees, and changed how violence against women is recorded nationally

Ellen Flax

Ellen Flax is a philanthropy specialist who currently supports the work of a graduate school of public health in NYC. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and serves as the rabbi of several senior-care facilities.

Yehudis Fletcher

Yehudis Fletcher is a co-founder of Nahamu, a Jewish organisation that counters ideologically motivated harms. There was a time when she had no academic credentials, and had to fill this bio with jokes. Now she holds a BSc in Social Policy and an MA in Religion and Theology. Her memoir, Chutzpah was published by Penguin earlier this year.

Josh Forman

Josh is the Head of Science, Education and Outreach for Jnetics, aiming to go into the community to prevent the next generation being born with devastating genetic diseases such as Tay-Sachs disease and Cystic Fibrosis and also save lives via the NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme.

Marc Frank

Marc is a qualified teacher of Jewish mindfulness meditation and works as community manager for HaMakom UK, as well as a practising Gestalt therapist and mental health support worker. Living in Totnes, Devon, he helps facilitate the local Jewish community and promotes regional interfaith initiatives as current Chair of Devon Faith and Belief Forum.

Baron Frankal

Baron is CEO of the Portland Trust. He was born Orthodox, is now Progressive, always secular. He has lived in the Arab world (aviation); was MAG Director, set up Combined Authority, corporate finance, UN, Honorary Consul, NHS Non- Executive Director, Besht Tellers, set up East-Euro Jewish student unions, ANU Museum Tel Aviv (several years), Habo movement work, JCOSS Gvnr, married two kids

Suzanne Franks

Suzanne Franks is Professor Emerita of Journalism at City St Georges, University of London. She has enjoyed pilates for over 20 years.

Tim Franks

Tim Franks presents Newshour on the BBC World Service, and is a former Middle East correspondent. His new book "The Lines We Draw: the Journalist, the Jew and an Argument about Identity" has been hailed in the papers as “brilliant, considered, thoughtful”, and "an inquiry into the forces that shape one’s self, (in) a history that spans centuries”.

Paul Freedman

Paul was a Physics teacher before training for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College where he has also taught Biblical Hebrew. He is senior rabbi at Radlett Reform Synagogue and has worked on liturgy for both Liberal & Reform Judaism, including as final editor of the first ever British Reform Haggadah and co-editor of its new High Holyday Machzor.

Vanessa Freedman

Vanessa is Hebrew and Jewish Studies Librarian at University College London, and was previously Assistant Librarian at Leo Baeck College. She is married to the senior rabbi of Radlett Reform Synagogue but is definitely not the rebbetzin! She has been to almost every Limmud since 1995.

Miki Friend

Miki Friend and Annie Whiteson are two of the most social people that you will ever meet. Let them program you socially this Limmud so that you too can experience the joys of social programming and friendship whilst socialising problematically. Join this duo to make friends, lovers, and enemies both socially and programatically.

Eva Frojmovic

Eva Frojmovic is the director of the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Leeds.

Stephen Frosh

Stephen Frosh is the author of many books and papers on psychosocial studies and on psychoanalysis. His latest books are 'Antisemitism and Racism: Ethical Challenges for Psychoanalysis' (Bloomsbury, 2023) and 'How to be Real' (Verso, 2025). He is the co-editor of the ‘Routledge Handbook of Psychoanalysis and Jewish Studies’ (Routledge, 2025).

William Galinsky

William is director of programming & impact at JW3. During his time there he has undertaken a number of new initiatives including the hugely successful JW3 panto, the London Jewish mural, and the social action incubator project. Prior to JW3 William was artistic director of Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Cork Midsummer Festival.

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

Born in San Diego, California, and living in Jerusalem, Isaac is an experienced prayer leader whose compositions have been performed by multiple Jewish organisations, and a regular contributor to the Open Siddur Project. He may be most notorious for his yearly Purim videos — his most famous work, Megillat Ḥam-Ed, has over 200,000 views.

Joshua Garroway

Joshua Garroway is a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. He earned ordination from HUC in 2003 and a PhD from Yale in 2008. Though a specialist in ancient Christianity, he lectures widely about Jewish history broadly. For fun, he enjoys chess, tennis, opera, and taking his kids to Dodgers games.

Kristine Garroway

Kristine Garroway is professor of bible at Hebrew Union College (Los Angeles). She has spent time studying and excavating in Israel. Her scholarship combines archaeology and ancient texts to illuminate the world of the Hebrew Bible. She publishes widely and received the Biblical Archaeological Society’s award for best book relating to Hebrew Bible.

Jay Geller

Jay Geller is Professor of Modern Jewish Culture emeritus, at Vanderbilt University. He has published On Freud’s Jewish Body, The Other Jewish Question, Bestiarium Judaicum (Fordham UP). His Limmud sessions draw from his forthcoming book Living-While-Circumcised: Jewish Resilience during the Shoah (Indiana UP). This is his 5th Limmud Festival as presenter.

Noa Gendler

Former Limmud Programming Chair and current Limmud menace, Noa has been creating festival tomfoolery for eighteen years. Though she has released the weighty mantle of the Silent Disco from her shoulders, she still plans on subjecting you all to her music taste via the bar playlist. In her spare time she is a high school English teacher.

Daniel Gigi

Daniel Gigi is an orthodox Mizrachi rabbi and meditation coach with a specialism in deeper Torah traditions. He is a certified mindfulness teacher and has expertise in Kabbalistic and other meditative practices. He is that author of the book 28 Jewelled Crown, and is currently writing a guide to the early mystical book Sefer Yetzirah.

Andrew Gilbert

Andrew Gilbert is Vice President of the Board of Deputies (Security, Resilience and Cohesion). He has been coming to Limmud (every year it happened) since 1987, chaired 1990-1997, and set up and chaired Limmud International from 2004-2010. He works in luxury products.

Preet Gill

Elected in 2017, Preet Kaur Gill is MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, parliamentary private secretary to the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, and the UK’s first female Sikh MP. She has campaigned for exempt sector regulation, leasehold reform, measures against 3D printed firearms templates, and fairness in data collection.

Gary Ginsberg

Gary has a doctorate in public health from the University of North Carolina. He worked for England's Department of Health and Social Security and Wandsworth RD&P, then was director of medical technology assessment at the Israeli Health Ministry, where his published economic-epidemiologic analyses resulted in saving many lives. He also worked for World Health Organisation and now teaches health economics in Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Public Health.

Malcolm Ginsberg

Malcolm Ginsberg, is a Queen’s Scout and one of the first Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award winners. He has carved out a career as a journalist, publisher, PR man and aviation specialist. A regular speaker at Limmud, he will explain cruising (a complex subject), plus the Jewish element of City Airport and docks.

Paul Ginsberg

Paul is an ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) life coach. He volunteers with ADHD Aware and is a passionate community builder in his spare time, helping out with the Glasgow West End Project. On his blog he writes about neurodivergency, inclusivity and tech, with bold explainers, thoughtful pieces and some fun in between (https://linktr.ee/paulginsberg).

Aaron Godfrey

Aaron Godfrey is the Vice President of Marketing at MyHeritage.com, a global leader in family history and genetic genealogy. Aaron leads initiatives that inspire millions worldwide to explore their roots and discover their family stories. He is passionate about using technology and storytelling to make history personal, accessible, and meaningful.

Micah Gold

Micah Gold has long contributed to Limmud as a space for bold ideas and inclusive learning. He leads Mobilise Public, a consultancy driving community-led change across charities, housing, and local government. He facilitates learning across sectors and explores Jewish life, spirituality, and emerging psychedelic science.

Sasha Gold

Sasha Gold returned to London after a decade in Tel Aviv and is exploring identity between cultures. With a background in informal education, facilitation and leadership development, she designs experiential events across sectors. Sasha is on the Limmud Exec and loves learning that blends the personal, political and textual.

Melanie Goldberg

Melanie is a Scottish Jew from Glasgow who loves to combine her love for both her Scottish and Jewish heritage. She hopes to share her culture with others at Limmud through traditional Scottish ceilidh dancing! Melanie is currently the Scotland Support Worker for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Harriett Goldenberg

Harriett is the first chair of South Hants Reform Synagogue in Winchester, the first Jewish City Councillor, the chair of Social Action, on the steering committee for the Families' Asylum Seeker Drop In at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, past Council member, and a suspended member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Harriett is a psychotherapist and psychologist, supervisor, trainer and author. She is married and a mother.

Philip Goldenberg

Philip Goldenberg was not only one of the 36 Deputies who signed the FT letter and was sanctioned by the Board for speaking inconvenient truth unto power, but also one of the “Famous Five” who was effectively expelled from the Board for the additional heinous crime of speaking on the media.

Daniel Goldfarb

Daniel Goldfarb is a Boston-born lawyer/rabbi/teacher, resident of Jerusalem since 1976. He is a former Director of the Conservative Yeshiva and has taught many times at Limmuds around the world.

Nicky Goldman

Nicky is the chief executive of the Jewish Volunteering Network. She has worked in the Jewish community for over 40 years in leadership and community development, family education, HR, youth and student work, engaging with volunteers in each role. Nicky has always volunteered, currently co-leading services at Jewish Care’s Sandringham campus.

Yosef Goldman

Yosef Goldman is a rabbi and composer, chazan, & Torah teacher whose soulful music is sung across North America & beyond. Co-founder of Kedmah, he's reviving Sephardi/Mizrahi piyyut & mystical devotional practice for contemporary communities. Drawing from Ashkenazi and Sephardi heritage, he creates prayer experiences that move hearts and awaken souls.

Aviva Goldschmidt Kaufmann

Aviva loves grappling with Jewish texts. A Ma’aleh graduate, she boosts Orthodox women’s engagement in Judaism, is on her shul council and teaches Maths to teens in an alternative education setting. She met Andy at Limmud. They have four children.

Mark Goldsmith

Mark Goldsmith is rabbi at Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue. He served synagogues in the Reform and Liberal Jewish movements since semichah at Leo Baeck College in 1996 where he teaches Homiletics and Jewish Life Cycle. He is a trustee Rabbi of EcoJudaism and a student of Jewish Business Ethics, running a regular group for people in business.

Sam Goldstone-Brady

Samuel Goldstone-Brady is a museum professional and researcher. At previous Limmuds he has presented on Jewish connections to the Paralympics and other academic work related to disability histories. As a frequent music-listener and gig-goer, this year he is taking a swing at a music related topic... let’s see how it goes.

Susy Goldstone-Brady

Susy works in local government, where she is active in her local UNISON trade union branch. She is passionate about combating antisemitism in the trade union movement, and regularly speaks on this topic at UNISON conferences.

Rivka Gottlieb

Rivka is a musician and Music Therapist in private practice working with adults and teens, with experience in schools, charities and the NHS. She’s developing the Shema Koleinu prayer skills website for Masorti Judaism and serves on the board of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, which is proudly part of the Hillsborough Law Now coalition.

Ayala Gottlieb Alter

Ayala is a cantorial student, singer, cellist, and Jewish educator lending her voice to Masorti's Shema Koleinu tefillah skills website. After a year as Cantor at The Great Synagogue of Stockholm, she now studies at the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Centre Yeshiva and teaches remotely for Paideia - before heading to JTS to continue her cantorial training.

Sarah Grabiner

Sarah is a cantor and aspiring academic, writing her PhD at University College London on Prayer Book Jewish English. She has studied Hebrew, sacred music and linguistics, and was ordained as a cantor. She teaches at Leo Baeck College, Hebrew Union College, and is passionate about the future of progressive Jewish spiritual leadership.

Helen Graham

Helen is the former executive chef of Bubala. As the creator behind many of the restaurant's best loved dishes, Helen’s fresh approach to vegetables secured Bubala a reputation as one of (if not the best) vegetarian restaurants in London. She is set to release her debut cookbook Centrepiece in April 2026

Avi Grant

Avi Grant is the Limmud Marketing Co-Chair for 2025 and works as a freelance content creator. Avi has also graduated the text track of the Limmud Presenter bootcamp with Pardes.

Elaine Grazin

Elaine is a Masorti member, first in Leeds and now at New North London Synagogue. She co-authored 'Stories of NNLS' with Ivor Jacobs, son of Rabbi Louis Jacobs. Elaine is a founder member and now Honorary Vice President of Jewish Women’s Aid. She is a retired communications manager working in public and voluntary sector organisations.

Natalie Grazin

Natalie recently stepped down as a Limmud Trustee, having volunteered since first attending in 1994. She has two teenagers with her partner Samantha, who she met at Limmud 25 years ago. Professionally, she is a coach and consultant, working with NHS organisations and Jewish charities and leaders on strategy, impact, change and development.

Daniela Greiber

Originally from Chile, Daniela has worked in Jewish non-profits for 26+ years across Israel, the USA and the UK. Since 2013 she’s led the Jewish Communal Life programme at Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe and launched Kaleidoscope to collect first-person stories of Jews in Europe. She speaks 4 languages.

Jasmina Griffoul

Jasmina Griffoul is a Holocaust history researcher. She and her husband Izzy Posen are co-authoring a book uncovering a family’s Holocaust story through original archival work. She is also a communications and strategy expert, advising non-profit organisations such as the Jewish Ethics Project and the Jerusalem Interest-Free Micro-Finance Fund.

Batsheva Haber

With over a decade of experience in formal and informal education, Batsheva is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences that connect people to ideas, one another, and to their communities. Currently serving as a Jewish Agency Shlicha at UJIA, she brings a deep commitment to Israel education, Jewish learning, and community building.

Joanna Hahessy

Joanna works as a senior peer support worker at Jami, the UK Jewish mental health charity. She also does peer support work in the trauma service at the Tavistock Centre, London. She has experience of over 11 years with an interest in trauma and its effect on the mind and body.

Chaim Hames

Chaim was born in London but grew up and lives in Israel. He is a historian of religions who, for the last seven years, has been the Rector (academic head) of Ben-Gurion University, where he has taught since completing his Ph.D. in 1996 (University of Cambridge). He has worked on inter-religious encounters and polemics, kabbalah, conversion, etc.

Rebecca Hames

Rebecca was born in England, received a BA from University College London and an MA from the Institute of Education. She married in England, had three sons and made aliyah in 1978 to Petach Tikva. Rebecca has taught at the Seminar Ha-Kibbutzim, The Open University, Israel and given shiurim (Torah lectures) for many years.

Viva Hammer

Viva couch surfed from Sydney to New York to Washington where she wrote laws for the US Congress and a column for the Jerusalem Post. On weekends she was a rebbetzin. Now she is at Brandeis University, asking why some Jews have many children and some have none. She founded the Tongue Set Free, where women from 30 countries write their migration stories.

Grace Harris

Grace is 14 years old and neurodiverse. She has a twin sister and an older brother, and is the daughter of Paul Harris and the late Rina Wolfson. She is a chanicha at Noam Masorti Youth and excited to present her first session at Limmud!

Paul Harris

Paul Harris is Senior Partner at a leading criminal law firm, having acted in the Post Office appeals, the Hillsborough Inquiry. Most notably, he was the solicitor advising the Jewish lawyer accused of agitating pro-Palestinian protestors by wearing a Star of David. He is a Deputy for Masorti Judaism and, most proudly, parent to Ava, Grace and Bz.

Rebecca Harris

Rebecca’s PhD is titled Material Thinking, Translation, Unmaking History: Reinterpreting Traumatic Resonance in Postwar Jewish Women’s Art and Literature. She has curated exhibitions and talk series alongside artists and recently presented research at Charles University, Prague, Humboldt-University, Berlin, and The Wiener Holocaust Library, London.

Abi Hartuv

Abi Hartuv is a family and couples counsellor, passionate about helping people through life’s challenges. After teaching in Israel for 11 years, she gained a Master’s in Family Counselling and brings curiosity, care, and practical wisdom to her sessions.

Josh Hartuv

Shuki is the Executive Director of BBYO UK. Born Canadian, he lived 13 years in Israel and was a top-rated tour guide. Passionate about Israeli music, rich in Jewish song, and always up for a jam, Shuki brings a creative, welcoming, and fun vibe to his sessions.

Zev Harvey

Zev Harvey is a professor emeritus in the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he has taught since 1977. He is the author of many studies on medieval and modern Jewish philosophers, like Maimonides, Crescas and Spinoza. He is an EMET Prize laureate in the humanities (2009).

Martin Hasan Di Maggio

Martin Di Maggio is a graduate of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and a rabbinic student. He has a master's in endangered language documentation and lives in London. He leads services for Humanistic Judaism UK (www.hjuk.org) and Spinoza Havurah.

Miriam Hayes

Miriam Creeger is an adult neurophysiotherapist, clinical lead, and co-founder of UP – The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement. She is presenting on how the Jewish community could better help the 500 Jewish people in London with Cerebral Palsy, without learning difficulties, live their best lives.

Josh Hepple

Josh is a disability activist and academic. He created an award winning play on sexuality and disability. His academic work looks at law, sexuality and British Empire, focussing on decriminalisation of same sex activity. He is relatively new to Judaism, and is loving Liberal Judaism. He runs training on the social model of disability and is a volunteer in mental health listening services.

Christina Hilsenrath

Christina Hilsenrath is Chair of Trustees, Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground and author of Jews in Bath - A Community and their Burial Ground 1700-1945.

Zvi Hirschfield

Zvi Hirschfield has been a faculty member of the Pardes Institute for 25 years. He teaches courses in Talmud, Jewish Thought, and Halakha. Zvi also develops curriculum and teaches for Pardes"s Machloket Matters Project. He also is Director of the Pardes Summer Program, and hosts Pardes from Jerusalem, the Pardes Podcast on the Parsha.

David Hoffman

David is a Jewish rock musician and songwriter from Manchester where he leads the ‘Shir Chadash’ tefillah (prayer) band. He has several albums out, you can find him on all good streaming sites as ‘David Hoffman and the Magic If’. He’s also a commercial barrister, legal historian and founder and CEO of Limmudniks Anonymous.

Joel Hoffman

A popular speaker and author, Joel focuses on 'bringing the Bible to life'. He has appeared before audiences on all six inhabitable continents, including Limmud conferences worldwide. He has authored or contributed to some two dozen books, and served on the faculties of Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion.

Julia Holt

Artist Julia Holt will show you the mechanics of an artistic practice in colour. A painter and printmaker who also writes poetry, she retells stories, combining the atmosphere of the narrative with the psychology of the people involved.

Jess Hooks

Jess is an artist-educator finishing a PhD in Heritage Studies. Their Jewish work involves projects that explore belonging, identity & memory, supporting folx navigating complex journeys via embodied learning. Their ongoing project, Routes & P(l)aces, involves walking interventions in the English countryside.

Renato Huarte Cuéllar

Renato is a Professor at Mexico's National University and Universidad Hebraica in Mexico City in Philosophy of Education, Philosophy of Religion, and Jewish Studies. He founded Limmud Mexico and has been part of several cultural projects like the Jewish Dance Festival in Mexico City, the Adraba Project, and translations from Hebrew and Ladino to Spanish.

Ernie Hunter

Ernie is second generation and a volunteer Holocaust educator in the UK and Germany. He chairs Northern Holocaust Education Group [NHEG ]and is one of its accredited speakers. Ernie is also a speaker for G2G. He is a member of the Education Advisory Group of the Manchester Jewish Representative Council. His best job: being a grandpa!

Jonathan Hunter

When not at Limmud events, Jonathan spends much of his leisure time at various Modern Jive dance events around the country, and is very much looking forward to sharing the joy of partner dancing again with all at Limmud Festival this year!

Ilana Hutchinson

Ilana is the Co-Director of Outreach and Prevention at Jewish Women’s Aid, working with the whole Jewish community to reshape attitudes and challenge norms around domestic abuse and sexual violence. With over 30 years’ experience in education, Ilana is passionate about empowering young people to be positive drivers of change.

Joe Hyman

Joe is Limmud's Director of Innovation & Engagement. He has an obsession with creating meaningful Jewish gatherings and rituals. When Joe isn't at work he can be found at an exhibition, cooking for loved ones or making art. If you want to volunteer for Limmud, speak to Joe (he may even get you a drink at the bar!)

Arni Ingolfsson

Árni Ingólfsson is an Icelandic musicologist with a PhD in music history from Harvard University. His most recent book is "Music at World's End: Three Exiled Musicians from Nazi Germany and Austria and Their Contribution to Music in Iceland" which was nominated for the Icelandic Book Award in 2024.

Magen Inon

Magen Inon is a father and educator and holds a PhD. He has worked to cultivate liberal values and leadership skills with students, military officers, young adults and inmates. Since the murder of his parents on October 7th 2023, Magen has become a leading voice for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Brady Isaacs Pearce

Trained at the Brit School, Brady is currently an off stage Swing in the touring production of Fiddler on the Roof. Theatre credits include: Cable Street (Southwark Playhouse), Celebrating Lionel Bart (JW3 London), Evita (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and many more.

Rivka Isaacson

Rivka is Professor of Molecular Biophysics at KCL. She grew up in the frum community of Broughton Park and is interested in lots of things beyond science, including poetry, fiction & theatre. She was on the Royal Institution Christmas lectures & writes for the Independent and FT. She’s married to Nick Blain & their kids are lifelong Limmudniks so far.

Judith Ish-Horowicz

Judith Ish-Horowicz is an experienced Early Years Headteacher and the founder of Apples and Honey Nightingale, the UK's first co-located nursery in a care home. She is the chair of Gen-All, a grassroots network of intergenerational practitioners, and has developed an internationally accredited intergenerational vocational training programme.

Stuart Izon

Stuart Izon is a musician and researcher exploring the historical roots of synagogue and home music. He creates new arrangements and recordings of cantorial works, sharing them through his YouTube channel and using digital tools to preserve and promote this rich repertoire.

Margaret Jacobi

Margaret recently retired as the rabbi of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue. Originally trained as a medical doctor she has a PhD in Talmud. She is joint Chair of the Liberal Judaism Bet Din and Chair of Tzelem (the rabbinic call for social and economic justice). She is passionate about sharing the cry for justice in Jewish texts.

Ivor Jacobs

Ivor Jacobs, a Founder of Masorti and New North London Synagogue, wrote a book on the history of NNLS with Elaine Grazin. He also founded the Louis Jacobs Foundation and recently retired from a software and print company.

Ruth Jacobs

Chair of the Jewish Representative Council for Birmingham & the West Midlands, involved in interfaith work since the 90’s a member of the City Council & WM Police Faith Forums, Central TV News Faith & Diversity panel, past chair of Birmingham Council of Christians and Jews and Birmingham Council of Faiths, founder of Nisa Nashim West Midlands.

Zoe Jacobs

Zoe Jacobs is a Jewish educator, often focusing on teaching Judaism joyfully particularly in small communities - and how children perceive and process living as a minority. Last year she surprised everyone by taking a job in Survivor Participation in the Church of England, and surprised herself by discovering her skills are entirely transferable.

Zoe Jacobs

Zoe Jacobs is a cantor who has spent 16 yrs at Finchley Reform Syagogue, where she leads the clergy team. Inspired by her education at HUC, Zoe believes in music’s power to add vibrancy to Jewish life. She founded and leads 'Shirei Chagigah’ - the biennial music & prayer conference, which develops musicians & future clergy.

Nicole Jacobus

Nicole is a theatre producer and enthusiasm enthusiast from London. Find her lino prints in the print shop!

Yael Jaffe

Yael Jaffe (she/her) is a rabbi serving the communities of New North London Synagogue and Ohel Moed, a grassroots minyan in Northwest London. Yael attended Brandeis University before studying at Yeshivat Hadar in New York City, where she received her ordination. Originally from South Florida, Yael lives in Finchley with her husband, BZ Gilinsky.

Jonathan Javor

Jonathan is a political consultant for senior politicians and world leaders. He is a commentator for i24 News, is credited with establishing Yom Ha’Aliyah (Aliyah Day), consulting on a Guinness World Record, advancing Knesset legislation and driving municipal reform. He is an IDF combat veteran and holds a BA and MA degrees from King’s College London.

Elie Jesner

Elie is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and teaches philosophy and psychoanalysis at the Philadelphia Association and The Site for Contemporary Psychoanalysis. He has taught Judaism at a wide variety of venues, and has written in various contexts including for Haaretz. His book on Nationalism, Religion and Zionism will be out in early 2026.

Oliver Joseph

Oliver Spike Joseph is a rabbi and chaplain in Canary Wharf offering faith advice and spiritual support. Oliver teaches pastoral care and is a prison chaplain. Oliver works for the European Masorti Bet Din. Oliver studied in the UK, Israel and USA and was ordained in 2015. Oliver is a cancer survivor and health advocate on genetic cancer.

Slavyan Kanovski

Slavyan Kanovski works with the Jewish community in Bulgaria and is a tour guide in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is also an Israeli dance teacher and organises an Israeli dance seminar in Bulgaria called SoDa - Sofia Dance. He loves presenting at Limmud and sharing the miraculous story of the Bulgarian Jewish community and its beautiful Sephardi heritage, so feel free to ask him about it any time you meet him around Limmud!

Noah Katz

Noah is the Board of Deputies of British Jews' Workplace and Equalities Officer and co-founder of the Yad Fellowship. Equally passionate about equitable access to society for British Jews and ensuring we have level headed leadership for decades to come, they sit on the boards of National Union of Students, the Advisory Council of Jewish on Campus, and Lancaster & Lakes Jewish Community.

Isaac Kaufmann

Isaac studied Mathematics at Cambridge, where he was an integral part of both the Jewish Society and the Doctor Who Society. He has now been working as a Software Engineer for two years. This is his second Limmud presenting, but he has been going to Limmud since before he was born.

Martin Kaye

For 10 years Martin ran the legendary Limmud Bookshop. You’ve probably also heard him speak at Limmud, sharing his knowledge from history to culture. A recent communal initiative is Speakeasy Sundays — a bold space bringing provocative speakers and fresh perspectives to new audiences. His project, 586 and All That—is a Limmud microgrant recipient

Melanie Kelly

Melanie is the Impact Evaluation & Volunteer Management at UJIA and a trustee for Kol Nefesh Masorti Shul. A passionate crocheter/knitter (she does a charity challenge at Limmud yearly!), she's excited to create a space for you to relax, unwind, and natter during the conference. She's married to an amazing man Jeremy and with two adult sons.

Andrea Kelmanson

Andrea works exclusively in the charity sector and her roles have included Deputy CEO of The National AIDS Trust and CEO of The National Centre for Volunteering. Andrea then set up a consultancy practice, continuing to support charities, in both the USA and the UK.

Maureen Kendal

Maureen Kendal is a multidisciplinary artist, author, research academic, innovator and creative producer in the areas of Cyber Worlds and Creative Computing, Media and Visual Arts, video poetics and Artists’ Oeuvres and Estates. Director of dreamstudio.io and Cecile Elstein Studio Ltd.

Ábel Keszler

Ábel is a psychology graduate turned humanitarian. Originally from Budapest, he has lived in five countries. After embracing Jewish activism at the University of Glasgow, he became Programme Manager at the European Union of Jewish Students. He now serves as Program & Development Officer at OlamAid.

Ahmed Khuzaie

Ahmed Khuzaie is a prominent political consultant, acclaimed author, and Managing Partner at Khuzaie Associates LLC, a Washington, DC–based Political Consultancy firm. He's a Gulf strategic analyst who positions himself as a calm voice in a chaotic region, pushing for pragmatic diplomacy and regional security.

David Kinshuck

A retired improving artist, David is concerned about climate and social issues.

Andrew Kirk

Andrew is a passionate speaker, trainer, and global mobiliser who has served in dangerous regions and helped rescue people in crisis. With a deep family-rooted commitment to Israel, he has led groups for 20+ years and, since Oct. 7, continues bringing teams, aid, and advocacy for Israel and the Jewish people.

Daphne Kirk

Daphne Kirk is a dynamic communicator urging leaders to prioritise the next generation. She recently addressed 50,000 young people on standing with Israel. After Oct 7, 2023, she mobilised teams across four continents to go to Israel, show solidarity, serve, and become informed advocates.

Moshe Koppel

Moshe Koppel is professor emeritus at Bar-Ilan University with over 100 publications in computer science and other disciplines. He founded the Kohelet Policy Forum, an influential think tank, and Dicta, which develops AI tools for Hebrew text analysis. He's authored three books on Jewish thought, including, most recently, 'Judaism Straight Up'.

Barry Kosmin

Barry is an international expert in social survey research, Jewish sociology and demography. He won the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Humanist Association and the 2021 Sklare Award of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. He directed the 1990 US National Jewish Population Survey.

Orli Krief

Orli Krief lives in Zurich with her two daughters. Passionate about languages and meeting people as they are, she holds a Master of Education and teaches while training in family constellations.

Maya Kristal Tenenbaum

Trained at The Royal Academy of Music, Maya is currently a Swing in the touring production of Fiddler on the Roof. Theatre Credits Include: Julia in The Band’s Visit (Donmar Warehouse); Emilia in Marie Curie (Charing Cross Theatre); Protagonist in Antisemitism: A Musical (Camden People's Theatre) and many more.

Yasmin Krutik

Yasmin's journey in Jewish education began when her family made aliyah from Argentina to Israel. From her first shlichut (Israeli emissary) in Greece with Hanoar Hatzioni to her current senior shlichut with FZY (Federation of Zionist Youth) in the UK, Yasmin has been driven by a passion to connect Jewish communities worldwide with Israel through learning, cooperation and shared inspiration.

Miriam Kunin

Mim is a queer talmud nerd from Leeds, living and working in Oxford. A lifelong Limmudnik, Mim has studied at Drisha, Hadar, Pardes, the Conservative Yeshiva, Yashrut and Azara. In hir spare time, Mim can be found swimming in rivers, singing folksongs or having long conversations about religion and/or disability.

Nat Kunin

Nat has been going to Limmud since he was a child and volunteering at Limmud since he was an adult. Since 2024, he has represented Limmud at the Board of Deputies, sitting on the Community and Education Division. In his free time, Nat is a Civil Engineer for a local council in London.

Vivi Lachs

Vivi Lachs is a historian, Yiddish translator and singer. Her books Whitechapel Noise, London Yiddishtown and East End Jews explore Jewish history through popular culture. She co-hosts the Cockney Yiddish Podcast, runs the Great Yiddish Parade, is vice chair of the Yiddish Café Trust, leads East End tours and sings with Klezmer Klub and Katsha’nes.

Harry Lampert

Harry is a long term Limmudnik working professionally in TV and Podcasting. He's also appeared as a contestant on Netflix's Crazy Delicious and featured in the Jewish Chronicle for recreating and reviewing the technical challenges from the Great British Bake Off. He is one of this year's Programming Chairs.

Joanna Landy

After a successful PhD viva, Joanna discovered she was dyslexic. This made sense of many of her ongoing challenges but not all. Things really began to fall into place, seven years later, after being diagnosed with Adult ADHD (inattentive type). Since her diagnoses she has spent a lot of time collecting productive coping strategies to life more enjoyable.

Robin Lansman

Robin was born in Manchester. He has been an osteopath for over 30 years and lectures in leadership in healthcare and osteopathy for undergraduate and postgraduate health professionals. Singing is his passion, as well as theatre directing and performance. He loves green spaces and travel as well as cooking.

Clive Lawton

Clive is the Executive Chair of the Commonwealth Jewish Council and a co-founder of Limmud. A former headteacher, CEO of Jewish Continuity (Jonathan Sacks' flagship project), chair of a hospital trust, Metropolitan Police governor and Home Office adviser on race issues, Clive is a Presiding Justice in Wiltshire, chair of NHS tribunals and works worldwide in educational development.

Ellie Lerman

Ellie is a fine art shipper in London. She studied History of Art at Bristol and has an MA from the Warburg Institute, researching medieval illuminated haggadot and pseudo-Hebrew in the northern Renaissance. When not transporting Hockneys and Warhols around the world, Ellie sings in her local choir. This is her first time presenting at Limmud.

Jan Levi

After a rewarding career in education, including outdoor education and special educational needs, Jan is newly retired. Life is full and busy as ever, spending time in nature, playing sports and doing outdoor activities. This inspires creative pastimes, such as painting and writing. Jan does love a challenge!

Eliah Levin

Eliah Levin, 26, is a peace activist from Haifa. Moving to Israel at 12, she felt both belonging and the injustices and racism around her. After October 7th, she began university and sought joint Jewish-Palestinian activism. In Standing Together, she found a community to share pain and hope, and a platform to push for change.

AJ Levine

The first Jew to teach New Testament at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, she is the recipient of the Seelisberg Prize for Jewish-Christian Relations and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s H. Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. AJ, an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue, works to counter harmful exegesis. This is her 5th Limmud Festival.

Luke Levine

Originally from Essex, Luke has worked in charity 10+ years, specialising in youth development, fundraising, and community building. A trustee and LGBT+ inclusion facilitator, he champions equality for trans young people of faith. He is completing an MA in Childhood and Youth with The Open University and runs Luke Sonny Pets!

Daniel J Levy

Daniel J. Levy is Programmes Manager at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) where he oversees the thinktank's media operations, networking, and capacity building. He is also a British Army veteran, and a Programming Team Track Chair for Limmud Festival 2025.

Eleanor Levy

Eleanor Levy is an enthusiastic mature History student who has morphed into a historic power point presenter. She taught American undergraduates at Regents College for 20 years. No topic off limits and the more contentious the better.

Charlie Lewin

Charlie is a queer creative visual artist, illustrator and photographer from the UK. They have two BAs - one in Songwriting and one in Fine Art. They recently completed their Masters in Children’s Book Illustration and Graphic Novels. Charlie’s art focuses on their former community - the Ultra Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) community which they were born and raised in.

Helen Lewis

Helen is a career NHS manager who is also the first female Chair of Trustees for Leeds Jewish Welfare Board. She lives in Leeds with her husband Bill and is the proud parent of 4 communally active children. She's almost finished processing the contents of her late mother's house and is now an expert in sorting, recycling and gifting.

Daniel Lichman

Daniel, an ordained rabbi, is a storyteller and theologian. In 2023 the ground that he stood on to teach Torah collapsed. Daniel set out on a long ‘pilgrimage’ across the terrain of his collapsed theology in the hope that he might be able to tell it anew. He has returned with stories to share.

Sarah Lightman

Sarah Lightman is an artist, writer, curator and faculty at The Royal Drawing School. She has a doctorate in comics, a graphic novel, “The Book of Sarah”, and two books on Jewish women and comics which have won many awards including an Eisner. In her art she borrows biblical women from famous paintings and places them in her life and ageing body.

Beit Midrash Limmud

Family Team Limmud

The Limmud Family Team invites everyone to join our fun, creative, and inclusive activities! Programmes run 16:00–19:00 (between crèche and baby listening). Kids must be supervised by an adult. Parents are encouraged to help lead, engage, and keep the atmosphere joyful and fitting for each activity.

House Band Limmud

For over a decade, the Limmud House Band has backed guest musicians from around the world and kept the festival’s stages moving. From folk and funk to pop and jazz, they play whatever the moment calls for. Between sets, they host How to Jam — and bring versatility, good humour, and very little sleep to every stage.

Participant Care Limmud

The Wellbeing Hub is a peaceful space at Festival where you can take a break and recharge. Whether you need a quiet moment, friendly support, or just a breather from the buzz, the hub offers a calm, welcoming environment for everyone.

Programming Team Limmud

Limmud Programming Team is wonderful yay

Social Programming Limmud

The team that organises Limmud Social events.