LIMMUD SPEAKERS

Take a look at our list of incredible speakers.

International Speakers

Colin Bolka

Colin is the Director of the Jewish Agency´s Machon L´Madrichim programme in Jerusalem. He´s an informal educator who grew up in London, made Aliya in 1992 and since then has worked primarily with Zionist youth movement long term programmes. He is a graduate of the Jerusalem Fellows and prior to Machon was on shlichut as head of the British shlichim delegation. 

Jeffrey Cohen

He is currently a Visiting Senior Fellow in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW. His areas of research include the Ethical, Spiritual and Cultural issues at End of Life as well as Spirituality and Health. He is particularly interested in Public Policy as it applies to Health and Spirituality. He is a member of the NSW Health Ethics Committee. He has been appointed one of the founding Directors of Spiritual Care Australia. He served as President of the Council of Christians and Jews. He was the Literary Editor of the Australian Jewish News for four years. Jeffrey is a Rabbi who also holds a doctorate from Eden Theological Seminary in the USA where his research was in the field of Pastoral Care. 

Scott Copeland

Scott holds a B.A. from Brandeis University in Near Eastern & Judaic Studies, and an M.A. from Hebrew University´s Institute of Contemporary Jewry. Scott has worked as a teacher, tour guide, and educator in a wide variety of Israeli and Diaspora settings. He was the Education Director at Hadassah´s Mt Scopus Youth Center, and directed the Archaeological Seminars Tour Gguide Course under the supervision of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. He has taught in Jewish communities around the world and has been deeply involved in educational tourism not only in Israel, but also in places like Poland and Jordan. His areas of expertise include Israel studies, Jewish history and thought, issues of history and memory, and travel as an informal educational arena.  As of August 2002, Scott was invited to join the faculty of the Mandel Leadership Institute, and served as its Dean of Fellows.  In his military reserve duty, Scott is an officer with the IDF Spokesperson´s Bureau. Scott is currently the Director of Israel Travel Education at MAKOM, the Israel engagement unit at sponsored by the Jewish Agency´s Education Department 

Ittay Flescher

Israeli born Ittay Flescher has been exploring and observing Jewish life for as long as he can remember. He is a creative educator who currently teaches in Melbourne at The King David School, Melton Mini School, and is a coordinator of the Ayeka program for secular Jewish learning. He is also a recent graduate of the Hebrew University’s year long Senior Educators Program where he completed a major project on teaching Tanach in a pluralist setting. Ittay has a keen interest in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and high school curricula that promote peace. 

Donna Jacobs Sife

Donna Jacobs Sife has been involved with Judaism as a teacher, performer, writer and contemporary interpreter with regards to creative, spiritual and ritualistic expression for 20 years. For several years she was a regular columnist in the Australian Jewish News, and is a regular speaker at inter-faith events and conferences.  A well known peace and social activist, Donna co-founded Jewish Voices for Peace and Justice with her friend Lyndall Katz, and regularly presents workshops on conflict resolution, dialogue, listening circles and other techniques, with Abe Quadan and Samira Ghabar– Palestinian experts in conflict resolution and peace studies. 

Carvin Knowles

Carvin Knowles´ music has appeared in over 20 feature films. He was born in Long Beach, California to a mixed ethnic, multicultural family. At the age of 6, his family moved to Oklahoma, where as a teenager he played funk and soul in a style that would eventually be banned as "indecent" in the city where he lived. He studied music composition and orchestration and began his recording career in Los Angeles immediately after completing his post graduate studies.  He has always been regarded as the go-to guy for any job that seemed too difficult, strange or controversial for other composers. His first real break came with Universal´s American Pie, but his range has included Orchestral Score, Jazz, House, Jungle, Lounge, Dub, Breakbeat, Indie Rock, Blues, Ancient Music, World Music and, of course Funk.

Melanie Landau

Melanie Malka Landau is a Lecturer at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Monash University with an interest in dialogue and peace building within and between different families and groups as well as having a passion for feminist legal analysis of Jewish texts. She is also a spiritual companion, midwife of lifecycle experiences and a student of yoga. 

Daniel Pipes

Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum, and a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. A former official in the U.S. Department of State, he has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, the U.S. Naval War College, and Pepperdine University. Mr. Pipes is the author of twelve books on the Middle East, Islam, and other political topics. He writes a bi-weekly column for the Jerusalem Post and other newspapers; his writings have been translated into 33 languages. Mr. Pipes frequently discusses current issues on television and radio. He has received two Presidential appointments, has testified before many congressional committees, and has served on five presidential campaigns.

Carmella Rose

Carmella Rose is a graduate of the Hineni Youth Movement and of the Machon programme in Israel. She and her husband Ittay Flescher recently spent a year living in Israel, immersed in the incredible opportunities of Jerusalem life.  She is an executive officer for the Shira Hadasha Congregation in Melbourne where she and Ittay regularly run interactive ´bibliodrama´ plays on shabbat, that delight kids and adults alike.  Carmella has a particular interest in working with children through music, stories and performing arts. 

Gary Samowitz

Gary is the CEO of Jewish Aid Australia, an organisation that mobilises the Australian-Jewish community to make a meaningful and sustainable difference in the world. He has extensive involvement in the Jewish community, but the highlight of his calendar is always Limmud. He is doing a masters in Jewish studies, and was involved in Habonim Dror, AUJS, CSG and Jewish Care.

Paul Turner

Paul Turner used to teach regularly at Limmud in the UK, where he was also on the Limmud Executive and a previous Conference Chair. Now resident in Sydney, he helped organise Limmud Oz in 2009 and is an active member of Or Chadash and the Shalom Institute. In his spare time, Paul works at the Children´s Hospital at Westmead and is a lecturer in paediatrics at the University of Sydney. 

Boruch Zaichyk

Rabbi Zaichyk received his education in the US at leading yeshivas and universities. He received his Smicha-ordination from the late great sage, Rabbi Moses Feinstein. Received degrees in Psychology from New York University and Doctor of Divinity in Comparative Religions. He was Pulpit Rabbi in the US, Canada, South Africa and Australia. He is presently Rabbi, lecturer and educator having started his own school for boys in Jerusalem. 

Our Local Talent

Meir Alfassi

Meir Alfassi has spent 16 years in the hospitality industry. He arrived in NZ 12 years ago with his partner Jude Berman and created and sold 3 food businesses. He now works in commercial real estate sales but always enjoys good healthy wholesome food and cooking.

 Gavin Beinart-Smollan

Gavin is on the executive of the Zionist Federation. He was the Merakez of Bnei Akiva New Zealand, and is involved with the Stiebel. Gavin has a BA in English and History, and is a graduate of Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shvut, Israel.

Dov Bing

Dov Bing is Professor of Politcal Science at the University of Waikato and an international expert on Holocaust Denial in Universities. He has spoken on this subject at Yad Vashem, Tel Aviv and Bar Ilan Universities, the Sorbonne in Paris and the Free University of Amsterdam.

Marti Friedlander

Marti Friedlander has had a long career as a photographer. Her subjects have been diverse; portraiture, rural, urban and suburban scenes and encounters, both in New Zealand and other places in which she has lived or visited, such as Israel, Fiji, Tokelau and England, from where she immigrated in 1958.. Her photographs of elderly Maori women with moko, artists and writers, vineyards and vintners, and children are particularly well-known. Her work has been exhibited at the Photographers´ Gallery in London, the Waikato Art Museum, and in a large and celebrated retrospective at the Auckland Art Gallery in 2001, which then toured the country.  Recognition of her work came with the award of the CNZM in 1998.

Leonard Bell

Most recently Marti’s work has been exhibited at The Gus Fisher Gallery, Shortland St (October - November 2009). The show, Looking Closely,  was curated by Associate Professor Leonard Bell to accompany the publication of his book on Marti´s photography and career. Marti gifted her Moko Suite to TE PAPA in March 2010.

In his recently published book, Marti Friedlander, Leonard Bell has selected 185 photographs representing the full breadth of Marti’s work, many published for the first time using her signature methods .. Len  has taught Art History at The University of Auckland since his return to New Zealand in 1973 and has known Marti since 1976 when she did a course in Art History at the University of Auckland.

JoEllen Duckor

JoEllen is the Mashpia (Spiritual Director) of Temple Sinai and Principal of Temple Sinai Beit Midrash.

Mendel Goldstein 

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Goldstein is Director of Chabad of New Zealand, Rabbi and Shaliach of the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation, and founder of the Kosher Kitchen in Christchurch - the Country´s first Kosher Cafe. He is a graduate of the Rabbinical College of America and qualified as a Rabbi in Melbourne Australia. Before arriving in New Zealand, Rabbi Goldstein served as assistant Rabbi to the only Synagogue in Hawaii and has lectured extensively on the subject of Jewish education. He is married with three children.

Leon Goldwater

Leon Goldwater is a practising Jew, involved in the Auckland Jewish Community for most of his life. He is also a practising veterinarian, currently veterinary director of an Auckland companion animal practice. These two strong influences in his life have lead him to an interest in Jewish ritual slaughter of animals for human consumption, in particular the welfare of those animals.

Wally Hirsh

Walter (Wally) Hirsh, OBE, is a keen tramper, tour guide, adventurer, environmentalist and emerging potter, but is probably better known to New Zealanders for his work as Race Relations Conciliator and Human Rights Commissioner in the 1980s. He was also the Principal of Kadimah College. He has tramped extensively throughout New Zealand and in many other countries. Wally lives in Auckland with his wife Adele. 

Justine Hitchcock

As Principal Of Moriah School in Wellington, Justine Hitchcock drove the school’s successful project to collect 1.5 million buttons in memory of the children who died in the Holocaust. She is now involved in establishing a Holocaust memorial and will speak about the motivations and actions behind this project.

Evelyn Jaffe

Evelyn Jaffe (Blau) was born in the city of Cochabamba (Bolivia). She came to Auckland in 1981with her parents to finish her education. Her career has been in Customer Service in the Hospitality Industry and Retailing and she has a diploma in Tour Guiding and Management. She speaks 5 languages, which helped her in the tourist industry doing translations for the Chamber of Commerce immigration and specialty tours in farming and wineries. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster.

Bruce Keeley

Bruce was ordained - together with his wife, Diane Miller-Keeley - as an Anglican priest 32 years ago, and they have worked together in parishes in Hastings, Gisborne, Hamilton and (for the last 18 years) in Howick. Bruce has a B.Sc in Zoology, and an MPhil in Ecumenics from Trinity College, Dublin, where he wrote his thesis on Muslim-Christian relations. He is the founding co-President of the Auckland-based Council of Christians and Muslims. He also serves as Police Chaplain in Counties-Manukau.

Bronwen Klippel and Philip Gluckman

Philip and Bronwen are first cousins and share a grandmother, Ann´s mother, Augusta whose story they will tell. Both Philip and Bronwen live in Auckland with their children, now third generation ´Jewish Kiwis." Philip is a general practitioner and Bronwen is a lawyer.

Shmuel Kopel

Rabbi Shmuel Kopel is known for his unique way of understanding Jewish literature. Rabbi Kopel studied in New York, Israel and Australia where he received his smicha by the Yeshiva Centre in Sydney. In 2007 Rabbi Kopel was appointed the director of Adult Education at Chabad in St Ives, Sydney where he introduced a dynamic range of educational opportunities. Rabbi Kopel has lectured on a wide range of topics including Talmud, Jewish philosophy and mysticism. In 2009 Rabbi Kopel moved to Dunedin New Zealand to promote Jewish activity in Otago. In Dunedin Rabbi Kopel established a Chabad Centre where locals, travelers and students frequent for education, Jewish holidays and social activities.  

Lesley Max

Founder of Great Potentials, Dame Lesley developed the Family Service Centre model, and introduced HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters) and MATES (Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme).

In addition to her work for Great Potentials Foundation, Dame Lesley is Chair of the Parenting Council, Patron of the Family Help Trust, a member of the Brainwave Trust, as well as a member of the Family Services National Advisory Council. Her government appointments have included terms as a Director of the Northern Regional Health Authority and as a member of the Family Violence Advisory Committee.

Daniel Meyrowitz

Daniel Meyrowitz is pursuing a conjoint BA/LLB at the University of Auckland, majoring in English and Classics. He was a madrich in Bnei Akiva, and together with his wife Cheron, teaches cheder and bar/batmitzvah in Auckland´s eastern suburbs every week. He is involved in the Stiebel and is a member of the Yiddish club. Daniel is a graduate of Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shvut, Israel.  

Debbie Miller

Debbie Miller hold a BA in Politics and Business from Washington University. She was a tour guide for Kibbutz Yahel, Zionist Regional Director for the 5 states surrounding Wash. DC, worked for the American Israel Political Action Committee Political Dep., Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, was the Director of Educational Overseas University Student´s Programming for Minhal Hastudentim, and is a student of Esther Rose Jewish Meditation. She lived in Israel for 18 years married to Ofer Vakurlker and a mother of 4 children.

Chris Milton

Chris Milton PhD is a Jungian Psychoanalyst and Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Auckland. Currently working mostly with adults he also has many years of clinical experience with children and adolescents. Chris is a New Zealand regional coordinator for training of Jungian analysts and serves on the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand. He has a strong interest in transpersonal psychology and spirituality. Chris is an active member of Beth Shalom.

Moshe Na-or

Moshe Na-or is the assistant  Rabbi of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation. Moshe is  an informal Jewish educator, a graduate of several orthodox Yeshivot, a book lover and always up for a good discussion. Moshe is Married to Meital and a proud father four.

Meital Asher Na-or

Meital Asher Na-or is a holocaust educator, a curriculum writer hold a  BA in Education & Music and a Masters degree in Jewish Studies. Meital worked for Yad V´shem and the Israeli Education Ministry. Meital is married to Moshe and a proud mother of four children.

Ronit Netzer

Ronit Netzer was born in Israel to an Ashkenazi Family. She has been living in New Zealand for over 15 years. She is not a chef but she has a real passion for food, cooking and talking about food and cooking. Since Ronit and her family live far from their extended family, she has been preparing Gefilte fish every year and she would like to lift the mystery and horror over the Gefilte fish and convince you to give it a chance for your Rosh Hashana dinner this year.

Sue Nevezie

Sue Nevezie is an experienced educator whose career has focussed strongly on Jewish education. She spent twenty years at Kadimah College, in roles as a teacher, Associate Principal and Principal. Her teaching career began at the Christchurch Hebrew School. She also taught later at the AHC Cheder. Sue set up the NZ Jewish Educators Network, which existed for a number of years. She is passionate about children’s basic learning particularly in literacy. She is currently doing post-graduate studies on children’s literacy, teaching reading to ESOL students and supporting the AHC Cheder.

Luca Quaglia

Luca was born and raised in Italy. After getting a Masters Degree in Nuclear Engineering in Milan, he lived in Paris for 7 years where he did a Ph.D in Laser Physics. After a brief stay in Italy, Luca moved to New Zealand where he has been living for the last 5 years, working as a building physicist. His great hobby is astronomy, and in particular chasing total solar eclipses wherever they happen on the globe.

Dean Shapiro

Rabbi Dean Shapiro is Rabbi of Beth Shalom, the Progressive Jewish Congregation of Auckland, having previously served congregations in Los Angeles and California´s Bay Area. He holds a Bachelors Degree, with honours, from Harvard University, was ordained by Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and is a passionate advocate for Social Justice. A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Shapiro worked for over ten years as an executive in International Film Distribution, overseeing the foreign sale and marketing of movies including My Big Fat Greek Wedding and many others.  Rabbi Shapiro and his partner, Haim Ainsworth, have a young son, Jacob, and are proud to call Auckland home. 

Norman Simms

Normann Simms is a Professor in the English Department at the University of Waikato. Together with Dov Bing he has been the Convenor of the Colloquia on Jewish Studies at Waikato for the last 20 years. Professor Simms has published four books on Marranos and has an international reputation on this subject.

Tony Stroobant

Rev Tony Stroobant is a Methodist Minister with a particular interest in Christian/Jewish relations. he is Christian Co-President of the Council of Christians and Jews, gained an MA (with Distinction) at the Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge, UK in 2001 and a PhD from the University of Auckland in the same field in 2007. He is the author of Beyond Contempt" Removing Anti-Jewishness from Christian worship.

Taghi Derhamy

Seyed Taghi Derhamy has more than twenty five years of experience in leading prayers and delivering Islamic lectures and answering questions on Islamic issues. He was a member of the establishing team for the Pakuranga sIslamic Centre about 18 years ago. For the past 14 years, he has been Friday Prayer Leader and Lecturer at Pakuranga Islamic Centre. He works as an accountant.