Limmud Festival 2025

Limmud Festival 2025 – Tuesday 18:40

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4th Generation - do you care about your roots?

Helen Stone  Ernie Hunter 

Orange 12

Should we preserve Holocaust stories, experiences and testimonies? If so, who should do so and how can we do it? This session is aimed at younger people and challenges them to answer these questions. They will learn about the work of Generation 2 Generation and Northern Holocaust Education Group in schools and other organisations throughout the UK.

A cave in the West Bank or a 'temporary autonomous zone' (2 of 2)

Daniel Lichman 

Red 7

Inspired by Lionel Blue z’l, and with the help of some friendly nuns, I arrive in Israel for the final leg of my pilgrimage in time to attend a weekend gathering with a group of gay Palestinians and Israelis in a hidden cave in the West Bank.

A time of transition: menopause, meaning and reflection

Sarah Sharman Moser 

Orange 11

In this session, we will examine menopause through the lens of Torah, discuss common physical and psychological changes, and consider why this major life milestone is often left uncelebrated in religious life. We will also consider meaningful ways to acknowledge the end of fertility and the start of an exciting new stage in life.

A beginners guide to idol worship

Naomi Cohen 

Red 3

Join me as we paddle in the shallow waters of the Talmud and take a look at the first page of Masechet Avodah Zarah (section on idol worship). Learn how aggadah (story telling) is as important as halacha (laws) in the Talmud and how we can access the fascinating discussions and questions of the rabbis without speaking Aramaic or Hebrew.

 A Beginners Guide to Idol Worship - Naomi Cohen for Limmud 25.pdf

A year in the life of a female orthodox rabbi

Miriam Lorie 

Green 25

Eighteen months ago, I graduated as an Orthodox rabbi, one of a handful of British women to take this path. In this session I'll share some of the highs, lows, wins and struggles of my first year. We'll cover running a shul, conducting my first wedding and brushes with establishment organisations. All in all, it really is a nice job for a Jewish girl.

Allies or foes? Palestine during the Second World War (3 of 3)

Geoffrey Charin 

Blue 34

1942 saw the Jews of Palestine fearing imminent destruction. How did this affect British-Jewish relations once Palestine finally became safe from invasion? Were British fears vindicated when the Jewish revolt against British rule commenced once the war was won? Although part of a series, each session stands alone.

BoD@Work: supporting Jews in the workplace

Noah Katz  Dawn Waterman 

Orange 10

Over the last year, the Board of Deputies of British Jews has bolstered support for Jews in the workplace. Whether you have a large Jewish staff network, you're the only Jew in your office, or your magen david sits alongside your lanyard and you don't know when to have it on show, we're here to support you.

Book panel discussion

Yiscah Smith  Yehudis Fletcher  Natalie Grazin  Vivi Lachs  Elaine Grazin 

Yellow 24

A panel discussion with authors, who have recently published their books. They will be discussing how they came to write their manuscripts and brought them to publication, including their various experiences, challenges and celebrations. Natalie Grazin will chair the panel.

Cryptic crosswords corner

Nicole Jacobus 

Bar

Finish out the festival with some gentle cryptic crossword solving in the bar. Bring your own or take one of ours (available at various difficulty levels). Never done one before? Come and learn how to solve them! Consider yourself an expert? Come flex those Seriously kosher impressive learnings, Limmud-style, initially displaying expertise (6)!

Family friendly night time stroll

Family Team Limmud 

Hotel Lobby

Grab your jackets and join a family-friendly nighttime adventure! We’ll stroll under the stars, walking together towards the lake to enjoy the peace of the evening and, with luck, a sky full of sparkling stars.

Further adventures in the Limmud archive

Martin Devereux  Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz 

Orange 14

The Limmud Archive Project is nearing the end of its 2nd year. Join us as we reveal the hidden gems from the archive, show how the archive documents the rich history of Limmud and how it could help shape Limmud’s future.

Israel and Palestine

Baron Frankal 

Red 8

The 'two-state solution' era is over. Now, you: support the States of Israel and Palestine; Greater Israel one-state reality; or ending Israel. This session is about isolating extremists in Jewish and Arab communities, and locking both into an international order that enables Israelis and Palestinians to go about their lives without fearing for them.

Jews do count (but who decides?). Ben-Gurion asks 'Who is a Jew?' (2 of 2)

Robin Moss 

Red 9

In 1958, Ben-Gurion wrote to 50 of the greatest scholars, rabbis and cultural figures across the Jewish world and asked them to answer that thorniest of questions: who is a Jew? The replies are fascinating. Why did Ben-Gurion ask the question? Who did he ask it to, and what did they say? A two-parter, but each session stands alone.

 Jews Do Count handout.pdf

Early years corner in the Games Hall

Family Team Limmud 

Yellow 23

Come along to the Games Hall to meet other young families and enjoy the space together. The Games Hall is open throughout Limmud, but this slot is a designated time for young families to be there at the same time. There is a dedicated early years corner for our youngest children, and the rest of the hall is suitable for older children as well.

People of the comic book

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik  Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik 

Red 2

Ever wondered why Spiderman speaks so much Yiddish or how Batman became halachically Jewish? In this lively visual presentation, Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik reveal how Jewish creators shaped superheroes, and how Jewish history shaped them in return. A fast, funny and fascinating visual presentation for fans and learners alike.

The messages hidden in the songs we love

Daniel Goldfarb 

Yellow 21

We often sing them without realising they engage life’s biggest challenges: hope and disappointment, love won and lost, God present and absent. Likely starters: 'When You Are a King' (White Plains, 1971); 'Slip Slidin' Away' (Paul Simon, 1977); 'Forever Young' (Bob Dylan, 1973) and 'Send in the Clowns' (Stephen Sondheim, 1973).

“The ugliest story in the Bible”: new commentaries on the silences in Judges 19-21

Sarah Bronzite 

Red 4

There are many women in this story about the causes and consequences of a civil war. All are victims of violence; none is given a voice; and our Sages mostly look the other way. In this session we’ll discuss what existing sources say, then add new commentaries that centre the women’s experiences and allow their voices to be heard. No Hebrew needed.

 Limmud - Bronzite SL - source sheet 1 - Judges 19 1-10 - pilegesh leaves her husband.pdf  Limmud - Bronzite SL - source sheet 2 - Judges 19 23-29 - Benjaminites call for the stranger.pdf  Limmud - Bronzite SL - source sheet 3 - Judges 21 6-14 - wives from Yavesh Gilad.pdf  Limmud - Bronzite SL - source sheet 4 - Judges 21 16-23 - wives from Shiloh.pdf

Limmud Mallorca: the ripple effect

Dani Rotstein 

Red 1

Discover the story of Limmud Mallorca — the grassroots movement that changed Jewish history on a small island. Through rare footage of groundbreaking events and candid reflections, we’ll explore its successes, struggles, and lasting impact on Mallorca’s Jewish life today.

Pointless?

Paul Freedman 

Blue 32

Why are there three different vowels pronounced ‘a’? When is an ‘a’ an ‘o’? (Spot one at 50 paces.) What does a sh’va sound like? All these mysteries and more... For those who can read (but not necessarily understand) Hebrew and would like to know a bit more about Hebrew ‘pointing’ (vowels and other dotty stuff) to improve accuracy and understanding.

I will exalt you: Piyyut as a pathway to prayer

Yosef Goldman 

Red 5

How does liturgical poetry open the gates of prayer? Through the 12th-century piyyut Agadelkha, we'll explore how sacred poems shape intention and deepen worship. We'll sing this piyyut to a Sephardi-Yerushalmi melody, study its layers, and discover how it attunes the soul—turning liturgy from words on a page into lived encounter.

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