“Wherever you are going, Limmud will take you one step further along your Jewish journey"

Adina Halpern, one of the Organising Committee for Limmud NZ, tells us what to expect from the first ever Limmud conference in NZ.

Adina, what is Limmud?

Limmud is a cross-communal ‘festival of learning’ which last year attracted over 25000 participants to its events, held across five continents, in almost forty countries. It started in the UK 30 years ago where the annual five-day event now attracts 2,500 people from across the religious spectrum and boasts 350 presenters offering some 900 sessions.

Limmud aims to enable each participant to go one step further on their own Jewish journey.   One of the key principles behind what has now become an international cross-communal movement is that we all have something to contribute and can learn from each other.  Presenters are treated as part of the community, they are volunteers like those who organise the events and all are rewarded by the opportunity of learning from each other.  Becoming Limmud NZ makes us part of an exciting worldwide movement.

How will Limmud NZ be different from previous Jewish Learning Conferences?

I think the ‘buzz’ at this year’s annual festival of learning in Auckland will be just a little different.  It will be more of a festival, because there is more culture and creativity – such as book clubs and authors, film, cooking and music and two days of free children’s programmes (provided a parent is attending Limmud).  Excellent local and international speakers will run varied events – there will be more discussion and workshops as well as text study and lectures.   

Our much loved Jewish Learning Conference, which is in its fourth year, fits very well into the Limmud framework, which is one reason we decided to affiliate to the international Limmud movement.  There will be more choice across a wider spectrum of culture and learning and international speakers that we might not otherwise have been able to attract. We believe that being part of an active global celebration and exploration of what it means to be Jewish will bring real advantages to the New Zealand community.

The framework allows individual countries and events to keep their own identities – so for example we will continue to provide an educators’ programme within the Limmud framework, and The Zionist Federation and Raye Freedman Trust will continue their invaluable sponsorship.

Limmud has core principles that we feel reflect our community. The catch phrase behind Limmud is “every Jew should be a student and everyone can be a teacher”. This seems very much to capture what our organising committee believes, and we are eager for more local speakers to put themselves forward and to encourage people to volunteer. Even an hour will make a huge difference to the success of the first Limmud conference on 22/23 August.   Expanding Jewish horizons, empowering individuals to contribute to their community and enabling connections to be made between individuals and across communities are the values behind Limmud International and behind Limmud NZ. We also love the emphasis on ensuring all participants feel equally respected and comfortable at Limmud, no matter which shul they go to, or don’t go to.  All Limmud events will be strictly kosher to enable participants to eat and enjoy together.

What has the Limmud NZ August event have to offer the community as a whole?

Limmud, of course, means learning and it is about learning but not in a formalised way. The great thing about the format is it is “pick and mix”. Each session runs for an hour, and there are five different streams to choose from. You just pick what you want to go to – discussion of an ethical dilemma with local and international experts, an intimate text study, a cooking class, or sessions relating to parenting issues. If you need a break for a session, grab a coffee and schmooze. The only thing we can’t do for you is arrange for you to be at two sessions at once – although some sessions are repeated.

Marti Friedlander in dialogue with Len Bell will undoubtedly be a highlight of the weekend, as will Shifra Horn in English and Hebrew, and the stream focusing on Tikkun Olam (“Repairing the World”) which will enable us all to engage in a project to make our world a better place or to think about how we might do this. Text study and examination of various aspects of spirituality (including a workshop with Linda Kaye and JoEllen Duckor) will engage those interested in more traditional and those interested in more experimental Jewish learning. And there’s so much more!

Details of the speakers who have confirmed so far are on the Zionist Federation website, www.zfnz.org.nz and on www.facebook.com/LimmudNZ.