Who’s presenting this year?
Here's an A-Z list of just some of the presenters who are confirmed so far. Limmud is imbued with the belief that we all have something to teach each other and we all have something to learn from each other. Please email the conf11-programming@limmud.org if you would like your name to appear here.
Leo Abrami teaches in Judaic Studies and Logotherapy (Viktor Frankl) in Phoenix, US.
Nathan Abrams is a lecturer in film studies and Director of Graduate Studies at the National Institute for Excellence in the Creative Industries at Bangor University. He has published widely on film and Jewish culture and his most recent book is 'Jews and Sex'.
Zubair Ahmed is a convener of the Scriptural Reasoning Society who has been studying the Holy Qur'an, the Holy Bible, comparative religion, and multi-faith dialogue for 30 years.
Lydia Aisenberg is a journalist, informal educator and special study tour guide in Israell. Lydia has been involved for the last 25 years in shared citizenship projects of the Givat Haviva Institute's International Department in Wadi Ara, central Israel.
Luke Akehurst is the first Director of the We Believe in Israel network, formed after this May's conference. A former Director at PR company Weber Shandwick, outside of work he is a member of the Labour Party National Executive and a Councillor in Hackney.
Muhammad Al-Hussaini is a Fellow in Islamic Studies at Leo Baeck College, where he teaches rabbis and rabbinical students classical study of the Quran relevant to Jewish-Muslim relations. He is also Lecturer in Abrahamic Religions at Al-Azhar College.
Stuart Altshuler has been Rabbi of Belsize Square Synagogue since January 2011. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, in 1980, has a Ph.D in Jewish history (Yale/JTS), and is author of FROM EXODUS TO FREEDOM: A HISTORY OF THE SOVIET JEWRY.
Gilad Amit was born and raised in Jerusalem, he worked as a teacher in an integrative high school in Jerusalem and studied education and mass media in the Hebrew University. He is currently working as a community Shaliach to the Leeds Jewish community.
Eli Amir is award-winning Iraqi-born Israeli author who served as Israeli Prime Minister’s Advisor on Arab Affairs in the 1960s.
Lene Rachel Andersen is a writer, philosopher, lecturer, creative consultant, and publisher in Denmark. Born in 1968 she grew up a Christian, studied business economy, wrote comedy for television, decided to become a pastor in the Danish church and studied theology.
Daniel Anderson is a life entrepreneur and co-founder of Tiferet, which offers an integrated approach to psychological and emotional health & wellbeing, based on the timeless wisdom of the Kabbalah.
Anthony Ashworth-Steen works as the United Jewish Israel Appeal Jewish Activities in Mainstream Schools (JAMS) Education Manager. Prior to working for UJIA, Anthony worked for Habonim Dror as Northern Fieldworker and Social Action worker.
Allan Arkush is Professor of Judaic Studies and History at the State University of New York at Binghamton. He writes about Enlightenment, Jewish Thought and Mysticism. He is the translator of Moses Mendelssohn’s Jerusalem and Gershom Scholem’s Origins of the Kabbalah. He has been a fellow at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and a Starr Fellow at Harvard University.
Mohmmed Aziz is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism and the British Muslim Research Centre.
Chaim Bacon is an ex-professional photographer, now software entrepreneur. Chaim writes poetry, tells colourful stories of his life experiences and is something of a comedian. He's been involved with Reform, Masorti, Orthodox Judaism.
Yeshayahu Balog is a Yad Vashem adviser and former Rabbi in Germany.
Michelle Barnett is the dedicated Director of GIFT UK, a charity encouraging, inspiring and educating young people in the value of 'GIVING'.
Ruth Barnett was a former Kindertransportee, secondary teacher and Psychotherapist, now a freelance speaker on Understanding Trauma and Challenging Prejudice and Racism, has written two books.
Jeff Berger is a rabbi who has been coming to Limmud Conference since 2008. He was born in the USA and has lived in Japan, Israel and the UK. He serves the Rambam Sephardi Synagogue in Borehamwood & Elstree, a branch of the Spanish & Portuguese Jews' Congregation.
Michael Berkowitz is Professor of Modern Jewish history in the Department of Hebrew & Jewish Studies at University College London. His current research is on the engagement of Jews with photography.
Uri Berkowitz has enjoyed being a Limmud volunteer for over ten years. During that time he has learned about programming, signage, team-work, Shabbat, people management, community, training, geo-politics, timetabling and the powers of caffeine! He is currently the chair of Limmud International.
Carolyn Bogush is the global Chair of Limmud, with responsibility for overseeing all our volunteers and events, now in over 50 communities around the world. She has been volunteering with Limmud for more than 15 years.
Andras Borgula is the founder and Director of the Golem Theatre Group based in Hungary aiming to promote Jewish culture through theatre
Shmuley Boteach is an American Orthodox rabbi, author, TV host and public speaker. Among other books, Boteach wrote Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy, published in 1999, which openly discusses intimacy and sexual intercourse. His outspokenness has earned him praise and criticism; Newsweek magazine named him one of the 50 most influential rabbis in the United States three years in a row, including seventh in 2009.
Jonathan Boyd is Executive Director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research. A former Mandel Institute Jerusalem Fellow, he is editor of 'The Sovereign and the Situated Self: Jewish Identity and Community in the 21st Century' and author of recent reports.
Shoshana Boyd-Gelfand is Director of JHub and acclaimed Jewish educator.
David Breakstone is a veteran Jewish educator who has dedicated his career to the theory and practice of teaching Israel as a central component of Jewish self-understanding. A leading figure of Masorti/Conservative Judaism worldwide, he represents this movement on the Executives of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization.
Margaret Brearley is Chairman of Daphna WIZO, and is on the academic board of the London Jewish Cultural Centre. Formerly a lecturer in medieval and Renaissance German literature, Birmingham University.
Michael Brodsky is Director of Public Affairs at the Embassy of Israel, London. His experience spans economics, politics, press and public diplomacy. He holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Diplomacy and National Security.
David Brody successfully sued the Quebec government for the survivor pension for same-sex couples.
Robert Brody has been involved in Synagogue Music for many years as occasional chazan at synagogues and as concert soloist in many countries. He has also been featured in recordings and broadcasts with the Zemel Choir and with the BBC Singers, on radio and on TV.
Betsy Brown is a school student with an interest in Fair Trade and the environment.
Felicity Brown is a teacher from New Zealand and a volunteer for Tzedek and the WJR in the capacity of knitting.
David Brown is Social Action Coordinator at JHub, working on Climate change and Fairtrade campaigns, David has written for the Jewish Quarterly and PresenTense. David is a bit of a Jewish geek (and proud of it!) and lives with his partner Adam.
Libby Burkeman works for Tzedek as Director of Education, educating the Jewish community about issues related to poverty and development. Libby also manages to keep busy in her spare time by being on the Limmud Executive supporting volunteers across the organisation.
Daniel Cainer is an experienced composer for TV, music producer, songwriter and broadcaster of topical songs which he performs weekly on BBC Radio London.
Ruth Calderon is the founder and Chairperson of Alma – the Home For Hebrew Culture (the "secular yeshiva") in Tel Aviv.
Michael Capek has been a GP in South Manchester for 26 years. He has a Masters degree in Health Psychology, works as GP with a special interest in Mental Health and has a practice in hypnotherapy. He is advisor to various health authorities.
Nathan Lopez Cardozo is Founder and Dean of the David Cardozo Academy.
David Century has enjoyed working with and learning from Limmud groups around the world as a trainer and volunticipantor at events. He was Limmud Conference co-chair in 2005, and then served on the Limmud Executive for four years, looking after Limmud’s finances.
Jaclyn Chernett is Founder and Director of Studies, European Academy for Jewish Liturgy, teaching inspired leaders of Synagogue prayer internationally. She was the first woman in the UK to be ordained as a Chazan (AJR, NY, 2006).
Anne Clark used to be Director of Jewish Resource Centre at the University of Roehampton, London. She has worked as a Jewish educator with Jews and non-Jews of all ages in various settings and is a UJIA Ashdown Fellow.
David Clark wrote his Phd on Jewish museums in Europe. He is a warden at Wimbledon Synagogue, trustee of Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Crete, member of Second Generation Network and involved in interfaith work.
Jane Clements works for The Forum for discussion of Israel and Palestine which seeks to promote and facilitate dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims in the UK on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Jane serves on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Anglican Commission to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and is a Trustee of the UK’s Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
Sam Clifford is Manager of LEAD: Jewish Leadership Excellence and Development. Sam has previously worked for UJIA and Jewish Care in leadership and programme development. Sam has an MA in Applied Anthropology, Community and Youth Work from Goldsmiths University.
Ronnie Cohen is a metric campaigner and serves on the Committee of the UK Metric Association. He is committed to seeing the completion of the UK Metrication Programme that was started in 1965.
Samantha Cohen is a Bnei Akiva girl, an Edgware girl, a Shlicha Tzibor (service leader) on Rosh Hashana and Kol Nidrei, a captain of a Maccabbi table tennis team, a mummy to Eden and Blu, and partner of Natalie since they met at Limuud Conference 1997.
Nurith Cohen has a degree in Hebrew and Jewish studies and is a Susi Bradfield fellow. She teaches in schools and ulpanim and tutors for Bat Mitzvah and Hebrew exams. Born in Haifa, Israel, she is an active member of Woodside Park Synagogue.
Adrian Cohen is a founder member and currently chairman of the London Jewish Forum, founded in 2005 to promote the civic engagement of London's Jewish Community with the Mayor of London and local London government.
Nina Collins has published on textual problems in Jewish and Christian literature. Her book, The Library in Alexandria and the Bible in Greek, fixes the date of the translation of the Torah into Greek, a seminal event in Jewish history.
Russell Collins by day Russell works with the NHS and local government but at night time he get excited by social stuff, community stuff, local stuff, health & wellbeing stuff, Jewish stuff, open stuff, participatory stuff and other stuff!
Ilana Conway has been belly dancing for seven years, when not occupied with the day job in media promotions and journalism, in London! She has performed both solo and with groups, and is looking forward to introducing Limmud-goers to a fun and funky way of dance.
Helen Coren is a healing sound practitioner, inspired by the Heartsongs of Israel. She uses drum and voice to promote Joy, Love, Unity and Return. Her work remains true to the essence of practical Kabbalah but travels beyond religious or political views.
Elinor Corfan is a graduate of Edinburgh University Medical School, was a specialist in community medicine, lecturing to undergraduate and post-graduate students and undertaking research. She lectures on the West Midland circuit on medical and non-medical subjects.
Leibel Cowan provides education, integration opportunities and ongoing support to individuals with learning disabilities and to their families at Kisharon. Leibel has worked with both children and adults at every level and now delivers tailor-made programmes.
Tim Cowen is a barrister who lives in Highgate. He is an enthusiastic chess player. Tim also teaches at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS).
Benjamin Crowne studied at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh and at Cambridge University. While Education Officer at Cambridge JSoc he developed "Commentator and Cake", "Parsha Nuts" and other snack-based study programmes. He has taught at LSJS and various London synagogues.
Gabby Dagan left Orthodoxy after growing up in a Moroccan-Iranian Orthodox family, attending B’nei Akiva Yeshivah and serving as a rabbi in the Israeli Defence Forces. He co-founded a non-governmental organisation promoting multiculturalism and after getting smicha from Hebrew Union College is now Rabbi at Ohel Avraham, a Reform synagogue in Haifa.
Mohammed Dajani is Director of the Center for the Advancement of Peace and Democracy at Al Quds University.
Sharon Daniels worked within Jewish social care services and youth groups for 20 years, she is currently leading the Judith Trust Inclusion Campaign, working to make communities from across the religious spectrum more accessible to people with learning disabilities.
Aviva Dautch works as a creative educator for the British Library and is reading for a PhD in contemporary poetics. She regularly writes book reviews for a number of publications, and her own poems are published internationally in magazines.
Sergio DellaPergola is a leading authority in the demography and statistics of the Jewish people.
Selwyn Dorfman writes a regular column for the Manchester Jewish Telegraph and has been speaking to non-Jewish audiences and individuals for several years. He brings a fresh and humorous approach to pro-Israel advocacy.
Uri Dromi is spokesperson for the Rabin and Peres governments and Director General of Jerualem’s Mishkenot Sha’ananim promoting dialogue, tolerance and coexistence.
Gregg Drinkwater is a senior staffer at Keshet, a U.S.-based Jewish LGBT organization. He is the co-editor of the book "Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible" (NYU Press, Sept. 2009). Drinkwater is also president of Limmud Colorado and will soon be a student in the ALEPH Rabbinic Program.
Gili Dvash was born in Mitzpe Ramon, in the Negev. She’s recently started her job as shlicha for FZY, and is working with the northern groups. She has been part of the Israeli scouts, and served in the IDF spokesperson unit for three years.
Robbie Duschinsky is Senior Lecturer in Social Science for Social Work at the University of Northumbria. He has published articles on social and anthropological theory, philosophy, the sociology of childhood and qualitative research methods.
Miriam Edelman is an organisational psychologist and management consultant in the investment industry, Miriam also teaches at Wimbledon cheder (which makes her a much better consultant).
Mohamed Elsharkawy is Vice-Chair of Children of Abraham, the national body for rabbis and imams, and architect of the Banu Ibrahim Declaration on Muslim-Jewish-Christian dialogue.
Louise Ellman has been the MP for Liverpool-Riverside for 14 years and is a council member of the Holocaust Education Trust as well as vice chair of Labour Friends of Israel, and chair of the Jewish Labour Movement.
Danny Epstein of Efrat Teaches Halacha and Jewish Thought at Nishmat's Advanced Torah Study Center for Women in Jerusalem and at Yeshivat HaMivtar in Efrat, and has challenged students in California, Vancouver and Israel to find both their personal voice and contemporary meaning in the study of Jewish texts.
Yaffa Epstein teaches Talmud, Jewish Law, and Liturgy at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa is a member of the Israeli Bar, and studied at the Pardes Kollel, and the Advanced Talmud Institute at Matan.
Nadav Eyal is Chief News Editor for Israel’s Channel 10, Senior columnist for Ma’ariv daily newspaper, former news correspondent in Uk for Israeli news and covers politics, social issues and international news.
Alastair Falk is Director of Educational Leadership at UJIA and the lead professional for the JLC’s Jewish Schools Strategy. He has been a Headteacher of two Jewish schools and an Academy.
Marvin Feuer is Director of Policy and Government Affairs at AIPAC. Previousl he served in senior staff positions on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. Until 2006, he was an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University SAIS.
Linda Finck is a poet and artist and graphic novelist. In 2009, Liana studied at Université de La Cambre in Belgium on a Fulbright Fellowship that sponsored her creation of a graphic novel based on Tintin creator Georges Remi’s bad dreams.
Robert Fine is a British sociologist and leading European scholar on the history of social and political thought, cosmopolitan social theory, the social theory of Karl Marx and Hannah Arendt, the Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism, crimes against humanity and human rights. He is a Professor Emeritus at Warwick University.
Andy Finkel is a 53-year old solicitor from Dublin now living in west London, a member of Holland Park Sephardi synagogue. He is a veteran Limmudnik and has presented his quirky brand of songs and poems previously at Limmud Conference.
Ellen Flax directs the Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship and is a New York City-based consultant to nonprofits and foundations. For the past three years, she has been a member of Limmud's International Chavruta Project team.
www.srfellowship.org
David Ford is on the faculty of Divinity, Cambridge and Cambridge Interfaith Programme
Flora Frank is a married, grandmother and young great grandmother and (Adult) educator/lecturer. Flora taught at JFS, Hasmonean and Immanuel College. Is a Deputy for British Emunah - Board of Deputies, and is involved in Community and Environmental issues.
Stephen Franklin has a long family history of association with the Yishuv, including Sir Moses Montefiore, Herbert Samuel and more. He read Politics, Economics and International Relations at the Hebrew University from 1973-1976 and has had a career as investment banker.
Paul Freedman studied Physics at Bristol, Education at Cambridge and for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College. He is married to Vanessa, father of Katie and Joshua, and Rabbi of Radlett & Bushey Reform Synagogue and lectures in Biblical Hebrew at LBC.
Vanessa Freedman is the Hebrew and Jewish Studies Librarian at University College London. She studied Classics at Cambridge University, Library and Information Studies at UCL, and Judaism in various places, including the Liberal Yeshivah in Jerusalem.
Daniel Braune Friedman grew up in New York and received his BA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He attended Yeshivat Darchei Noam, Ohr Sameach, and later completed his rabbinical studies at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.
Richard Elliott Friedman is a world renowned biblical scholar and author of "Who Wrote the Bible?"
Wayne Firestone is President of Hillel, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world.
Lorna Fitzsimons is CEO of BICOM (Britain Israel Communication), former NUS president and Labour MP.
Rebecca Joy Fletcher is an International Jewish Cabaret performer, actress, playwirght and Cantor.
Matti Fruhman runs TAG ID which utilises unique Israeli knowledge in developing countries. Previously, Matti worked at the Department of Education and the Rothschild Foundation. He has an MSc in Operations Management from Manchester Business School.
Ian Gamse has been active in Jewish education since the 1980s when he became the first full-time UJS education worker, and taught at Limmud’s first beit midrash. He studied at Yeshivat Or Etzion before reading Mathematics and Hebrew at Cambridge.
Tova Garr is the Director of Youth at The Jewish Education Project in NY. Prior to moving to the US she worked for the Jewish Agency, Ramah, Young Judea and the Melton Center. She loves talking about anything that has to do with Teens, Creativity, Israel Education.
Joshua Garroway teaches Early Christianity and Second Commonwealth in LA. He was ordained by HUC-JIR in Cincinnati and earned a doctorate in Religious Studies from Yale.
Hannah Gaventa graduated from Kings College London and interned with the Three Faiths Forum before joining Tzedek in September.
Nick Gendler is a Counsellor, Career Coach, Cyclist and Contrabassist. Nick is also a lay leader at New North London Synagogue and a member of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues council.
Benjamin Gerber is an autodidactic educator who has been engaging adults in Jewish learning for over 13 years, works with Jewish communities all over Sweden. He is currently pursuing a degree in Religious Studies. Benjamin has humbly set his sights on rabbinic ordination.
Anna Gerrard was ordained as a rabbi by Leo Baeck College in July 2011, having spent half her studies in Jerusalem at the Conservative Yeshiva, Hebrew Union College and Schechter. Anna works for Liberal Judaism's Rabbinic Team with responsibility for Young Adults.
Zippi Gershon studied criminology and social policy at Loughborough University, Zippi joined Tzedek and is particularly interested in volunteering and Fundraising.
Andrew Gilbert is Chair of the Informal Education Committee of UJIA, Chair of the Programme Steering Group of THE JCC, Trustee of London Jewish Forum & Committee of "We Believe in Israel". Andrew chaired Limmud 1990-97 & Limmud International 2005-09.
Shiri Gilbert is Jewish Studies professor at Southampton University who specialises in musical history and the holocaust.
Talia Gillis studied law and economics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 2010 she clerked for Justice Hanan Melcer at the Israeli Supreme Court. Talia is currently reading for the BCL, a graduate law degree, at Oxford University.
Girls in Trouble bring music, poetry and Torah combine to explore dark stories of Biblical women.
Dan Glass is one of the network developers for Plane Stupid in the UK, and a key organiser to build a network of communities to take direct action against the impacts of the aviation industry and brings together anti-racism, anti-poverty and anti-climate change struggles across the UK together to take united action.
Claire Godley is the Education Coordinator at JWA presenting domestic violence prevention programmes in schools. She has worked extensively in the world of youth and education, in organisations including Maccabi GB, The Children’s Society and Solace Women’s Aid.
Trudy Gold is Executive Director of the London Jewish Cultural Centre and senior lecturer in Jewish history which she has taught for over 25 years. She is editor in chief of the teaching resource pack "Lessons of the Holocaust".
Zelig Golden is founding co-director of Wilderness Torah, which reconnects Judaism to the cycles of nature. As Maggid, wilderness guide and attorney, he brings over a decade of visionary leadership to the Jewish environmental movement.
Daniel Goldfarb is Director of the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and was an attourney fo Israel’s Ministries of Justive and Finance
Nicky Goldman is Director of LEAD: Jewish Leadership Excellence and Development. Nicky has worked in the Jewish community for over 25 years in leadership and community development, family education and HR. Nicky has an MA in Jewish Communal Service from the Hornstein Programme.
Aaron Goldstein is Senior Rabbi of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue. He is committed to developing an open and inclusive community and welcoming all Jews, their non-Jewish spouses or partners and children.
Mark Goldsmith is a rabbi at Alyth (North Western Reform Synagogue), teaches at West Hampstead Yeshivah and is also current Chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis UK. He loves studying and teaching Jewish Business Ethics.
Roy Graham is Director of Strategy at the JCC who is committed to engaging with the whole community, Jewish and otherwise, allowing all who are interested to experience and enjoy Jewish life through a 21st century lens.
Michael Grant has been fascinated by languages, Semitic or otherwise. Despite lacking any formal training in linguistics, he was once commissioned or at least asked to write a book of ancient Carthaginian baby names.
Natalie Grazin is thrilled to be at her 17th Conference, along with her partner Samantha and her two young children. A former Limmud Conference Chair, she is a founder member of Avot ve Imahot, the new network for same-sex Jewish parents.
Bianca Green first got involved with Limmud by working in the office back in 2008. She absolutely loved it and hasn't looked back since, going on to join both Fest and Conference teams and finally co-chairing Limmud Fest this summer.
Tzvia Greenfield was the first female Haredi Knesset member in Israel’s history.
Michael Greilsammer and Band are a unique Israeli based band which combines Irish fiddle with reggae beats.
Joel Grishaver has taught at a lot of Limmud conference in the UK and around the world. He is a writer, teacher, cartoonist, and storyteller, who specializes in making Talmud and other Jewish text accessible.
Mariette Groenenboom integrates a professional background in Social Work, Information Management and Youth Education with a passion for music, Kabbalah and other sources on human consciousness in ‘Zivaya Playshops’, educational projects with storytelling and music.
Gavin Gross is the former Director of Public Affairs at Britain's Zionist Federation (ZF). Originally from New York City, he made aliyah in 2008 and has lived in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Henry Grunwald is the former President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and previously chaired the Jewish Leadership Council. After the conclusion of his second term as President he was appointed the President of World Jewish Relief.
Caroline Hagard teaches Gan (kindergarten) at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue and Edgware and District Reform Synagogue religion schools. An accomplished Story Teller, writer of Jewish songs she also writes/runs children's services for the High Holy days/chagim.
Tanya Harris is responsible for ensuring that JAMI offers a high quality service which meets the mental health needs of the community. These range from education and training about mental health awareness, supporting carers and the most vulnerable people in our services.
Michael Harris is Rabbi of Hampstead United Synagogue since 1995, Michael is also a Research Fellow at LSJS and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Divinity Faculty at Cambridge University.
Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko is the Public Affairs Director at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. In her previous role as a Director within the New Israel Fund’s Jerusalem office, Elizabeth gained unique insights into all aspects of Israeli society.
Aaron Hartman has played in genre-bending musical groups on the K Records label in Olympia, Washington since 1995. He plays bass and spins records in Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York, where he lives with his wife, Alicia Jo Rabins.
Judith Hauptman is the Professor of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture at The Jewish Theological Seminary. She is widely published, including: "Women and Prayer: An Attempt to Dispel Some Fallacies”, "A Time to Mourn, A Time to Heal" "Judaism and a Just Economy.
David Hazony is writer and magazine editor who writes for CNN, Jerusalem Post and JC. Author of "The Ten Commandments: How Our Most Ancient Moral Text Can Renew Modern Life”.
Herzl Hefter is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Aspaklaria in Jerusalem, combines a passion for Talmudic analysis and Hassidut. He studied under Rabbi Yosef Soloveichik and Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein.
Ben Helfgott is a British Holocaust survivor, Olympic athlete, three times captain of the British Weightlifting Team and Commonwealth Games medallist, as well as currently being a JCLG Ambassador for the London Games.
Michael Hilton is Rabbi of Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community. He lectures at Leo Baeck College, and at Ammerdown Interfaith Summer Schools in deepest Somerset. Michael is writing the definitive history of b'nei mitzvot.
Anat Hoffman is a former Jerusalem City Councillor and campaigner for justice, equality and pluralism. She is Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center since 2002 and has dedicated her adult life to the Jewish principle of tikkun olam.
David Hoffman is a regular Limmud performer with his mix of Jewish rock and musical whimsy. He also supports Limmud programming and publications (Prophet Top Trumps, anyone?) and when not spending too much time on Limmud, is a barrister and author on human rights articles.
Robby Hoffman is a Canadian born comedienne who won The Jewish Comedy Festival 2011.
Yechiel Hoffman empowers Jews to enrich their Jewish journeys through meaningful experiences. As a high school educator, Yechiel created the Teens@LimmudLA presenters program, the Viral Judaism Project and the High School Jewish Futures Project.
Michelle Huberman is the Creative Director of Harif - an association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa. She writes a regular blog on the Jerusalem Post and a monthly op-ed for the Jewish News.
Dilwar Hussain is Head of the Policy Research Centre, based at the Islamic Foundation and a Senior Programme Advisor to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. He was a Commissioner at the Commission for Racial Equality (2006-2007).
Tal Ilan is a historian specialising in Jewish women’s history in antiquity who is currently Professor of Jewish Studies in Berlin.
Shoshi Ish-Horowicz is an incorrigible book lover who has been attending and enjoying Limmud for many years. This year she is delighted to bring these two passions together by co-hosting the Limmud Book Club.
Tamar Ish-Horowicz has been coming to Limmud since before she can remember and can't imagine any other way to spend December. This year she has had the pleasure of chairing the Shabbat Team. In her free time she works as a doctor in Luton and reads voraciously.
Judith Ish-Horowicz is Principal of Apples and Honey Nursery, Head Teacher of Wimbledon and District Synagogue Religion School and is now involved in the challenge of opening a Jewish Free Primary School in South London.
Alex Israel is a popular Tanakh teacher, at Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi, Jerusalem, and is Director of Community education at the Pardes Institute. His first book, "Kings I - Torn in Two," will be published in 2012.
Steve Israel is an independent informal Jewish educator. Lives in Jerusalem.
Yossi Ives is the founder and chairman of Tag International Development, sharing Israeli humanitarian expertise to developing countries, and Tag Institute for Jewish social values, a research centre focusing on contemporary social issues.
Summer Jaber-Massarwa is a Resource and Organizational Development Consultant at Shatil. She consults to Israeli Jewish and Palestinian organizations as well as to joint Israeli-Palestinian ventures.
Margaret Jacobi is Rabbi of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue. After a career in medicine and science, she studied for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College. Margaret has written and lectured on Jewish medical ethics and Talmud.
Richard Jacobi enjoys serving as rabbi of Woodford Liberal Synagogue and specialises in building community. He is looking at the longer-term and facilitated this year's Leo Baeck College Summer Institute for Jewish Leadership about "Thinking The Unthinkable".
Steven Jaffe is a consultant to the Board of Deputies to help encourage local Israel initiatives. Steven is co-chair of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel
Laura Janner-Klausner is the Movement for Reform Judaism’s first Movement Rabbi.
BBC Radio 2: Thought For The Day
Elie Jesner is training as an existential and psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the Philadelphia Association, and also writes and educates on Jewish topics. He is interested and stimulated by the interface between psychotherapy, philosophy and religion.
Daniel Johnson has been a leader writer for both The Times and the Telegraph, as well as literary editor and Associate Editor for The Times. In 2008 he launched Standpoint magazine.
Leah Jordan is a fourth-year student rabbi at the Leo Baeck College, London, and a Kansas City native, now serving Southgate Progressive Synagogue. She is a Yeshivat Hadar Fellow and recently worked for American Jewish World Service.
Lyn Julius co-founded Harif, a UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa to raise awareness of their lost history and culture. A blogger and journalist, she has written for the Guardian website, the Middle East in London and the Jewish Chronicle.
Sharman Kadish is project director of the Survey of the Jewish Built Heritage in the UK and Ireland.
Michael Kagan is from Jerusalem and has been a teacher of Jewish spirituality for 20 years. He is the author of Holistic Haggadah, God's Prayer, and All Breathing Life, and featured in the film Seasons of our Soul. He is now producing two documentaries.
Ruth Gan Kagan is the spiritual leader of Nava Tehila, a Jewish Renewal community in Jerusalem, where she mentors young musicians in creating original melodies for innovative prayer. Ruth teaches Kabbala and Hassidut and works as a spiritual director.
Deborah Kahn-Harris is Prinicipal of Leo Baeck College, London. Her rabinical interests include modern literary criticism and its relationship to Midrash, Jewish feminist Biblical interpretation and classical rabbinic hermeneutics.
Keith Kahn-Harris is a peripatetic sociologist, writer and Jewish communal activist. He is co-author of 'Turbulent Times: The British Jewish Community Today'. He is currently writing a book about divisions over Israel in the Jewish community.
Lior Kaminetsky is an internationally acclaimed Israeli violinist and journalist. He has been featured in concerts throughout Israel, Europe, Africa, Canada and the USA.
Alyssa Kapnik publishes a podcast called Come & Listen: Jewish Food for Thought which explores what it means for a Jew to love, differences in challah around the world, the implications of Jewish criminal law and more.
Hannah Kapnik is a birth doula, Jewish community organizer and educator. She majored in Jewish Studies at Wellesley College, was a fellow at Yeshivat Hadar in New York City, and studied at the Pardes Institute in Israel.
Debbie Katcho Gray is a fourth generation cantor. She is the second woman to serve a Conservative congregation and founded the Women Cantors' Network, a national group of 325 women.
Devra Kay is the author of Seyder Tkhines, Elementary Yiddish, and The Brontës and A Guide to Haworth.
Charles Keidan is Director of Pears Foundation, a British based foundation, rooted in Jewish values. With expertise on UK-Israel relations and the role of philanthropy in addressing social issues, Charles advises numerous non profit organisations.
Maureen Kendler is Head of Education at the London School of Jewish Studies and is a UJIA Ashdown Fellow. Her background and foreground combines teaching literature and Jewish texts. She is proud to have been involved in Limmud from the beginning.
Matt Keston is the UJIA Masa UK Rep and works with the Union of Jewish Students to inform Jewish students about opportunities in Israel. Matt studied at Birmingham University and after his first trip to Israel with Birthright, was inspired to go back with Masa for a longer period of time.
Yuval Keren was born in Israel in 1967 and moved to the UK in 1993. He was ordained at the Leo Baeck College in 2007 and is serving as Rabbi at Hendon Reform Synagogue. He has special interest in early rabbinic writings.
Judy Klitsner is master teacher of bible at Pardes Institute, Jerusalem, and author of "Subversive Sequels in the Bible".
Shmuel Klitsner has taught Jewish studies for 25 years at Jerusalem's Midreshet Lindenbaum (Brovender's), Pardes Institute and LSJS. He has been scholar in residence at synagogues in the US and UK, guest lectured at college campuses including Harvard and Princeton.
Vincent Knowles is an analyst in sustainable technology innovation and finance, worked in organic farming, was an Adamah fellow and grew up as a madrich in Habonim Dror.
William Kolbrener is a professor of English Literature at Bar Ilan University in Israel. An internationally renowned authority on Renaissance England, Kolbrener also publishes and lectures widely on Jewish life and learning.
Daniella Kolodny is the only female Masorti rabbi in the UK. She is the Community Development Coordinator for the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues working with small communities and recruiting the next generation of Masorti rabbis.
Rachel Korazim is an internationally renowned Jewish educator, a Board Member of Melitz, and the Director of the 'Nufim' Israel Education curriculum at the Milken School (Los Angeles). She works with Jewish educators from communities throughout the world writing educational materials, training and teaching, specialising in Israeli culture and the Shoah.
Boaz Kramer is an Israeli Paralympic Silver medallist, CEO of Israel's Sports Centre for the Disabled, and a member of Israel's London 2012 Games team.
Halima Krausen is a Muslim theologian teaching in Muslim study circles and at the university and is involved in interfaith activities in various countries. Her great love is studying religious source texts.
Elliot Kukla is a rabbi at the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center in San Francisco providing spiritual care to those struggling with illness, grieving or dying. He is also a writer, activist, lecturer and adjunct faculty member on issues of gender diversity.
Esther D. Kustanowitz is a writer specialising in social media, pop culture, and Jewish innovation. She also consults for the ROI Community - a global network for young Jewish innovators - and runs the NextGen Engagement Initiative at the L.A. Jewish Federation.
Juliet Landau-Pope is a declutter coach who also teaches social sciences and study skills at the Open University. She is a certified coach and member of the Association for Professional Declutterers and Organisers.
Benay Lappe is Executive Director and Rosh Yeshiva of SVARA a traditionally radical yeshiva dedicated to the serious study of Talmud.
Amichai Lau-Lavie is Founding Director of Storahtelling, a radical fusion of storytelling, Torah and contemporary performance.
Clive Lawton is Limmud's Senior Consultant, having been one of its Co-founders. Clive is the London Jewish Cultural Centre's Scholar-in-Residence, on the London School of Jewish Studies faculty, on the Metropolitan Police Authority and is a magistrate.
Samuel Lebens holds a PhD in metaphysics and logic from the University of London, and has spent 5 years learning in yeshivot. He is a modern-orthodox educator, philosopher, political commentator and playwright.
Daphni Leef became the face of the recent protests in Tel Aviv when she was the first to pitch her tent in Rothschild Boulevard, inspiring similar demonstrations around the country demanding the return to the welfare state model.
Sarah Lefton is the Founder/Director of G-dcast, raising basic Jewish literacy by animating Torah. Based in San Francisco on the Diaspora's fringes, Sarah was named to the 2009 Forward 50 most influential Jews in the "religion" category.
Tirza Leibowitz is an Israeli attourney with a background in advocacy for people with disabilities. She participated in the negotiations at the United Nations on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and contributed to the drafting of the articles on access to justice and the right to live in the community.
Jeremy Leigh is a lecturer at Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem. Jewish travel writer and guides Jewish Journeys all over Europe and beyond.
Jemma Lerner is a Reiki healer, trained in massage and is currently enjoying her foundation year of a soul based psychotherapy training.
Barbara Lerner Spectre is founder of Paideia, The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.
Nikki Levitan is head of social Justice at Alyth synagogue. Nikki has worked in International development and genocide prevention. She coordinated the first International conference in Israel on Genocide Prevention and works with the Darfur refugee community.
Judith Levitt is Head of Education at Westminster Synagogue. She had diverse interesting experiences studying at Leo Baeck College where she is now Rabbinic Admissions Advisor to find the next generation of rabbis. She has a passion for social action.
Rachel Levmore is a Rabbinical Court Advocate, is Coordinator of the Get-Refusal Prevention Project of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel and of the Jewish Agency, is the only woman in the 'Agunot Unit' of the Directorate of the Israeli Rabbinical Courts and is a composer of 'The Agreement for Mutual Respect'.
Daniel Levy is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and the Century Foundation, and directs their respective Middle East Peace policy initiatives. He formerly worked as an adviser in Israeli Prime Minister Barak's office and as an official negotiator and as lead Israeli drafter of the informal Geneva Initiative peace plan.
Jacky Levy is a radio personality, social commentator and regular panellist on issues of Israeli society and religion-society-state issues.
Joel Levy teaches at Ta Shma and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and is Rabbi of Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue (Edgware).
Natan Levy received his ordination from Yeshivat Hamivtar. He has a BA in comparative religion from Pomona College, and an MA in Jewish Studies from King's College. Natan is the environmental liaison to the Chief Rabbi.
Leigh Lewis was a Permanent Secretary and worked with Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and to some extent Mrs Thatcher. He was recently appointed to be a Human Rights Commissioner.
Daniel Lichman is currently Youth and Education Co-Manager at Alyth synagogue. He has previously worked for the Three Faiths Forum and RSY-Netzer and lived in the Moishe House. He was inspired spiritually and as a social activist by spending summer 2010 Avoda in New York.
Deborah Lipstadt is Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University whose latest book 'The Eichmann Trial' was published this year.
Reuben Livingstone Reuben is Jewish Chaplain to HM Armed Forces, Chair of Children of Abraham (a Rabbis/Imams charity), lecturer, regulatory adjudicator and accredited mediator.
Miriam Lorie works at the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme. She has been involved in inter-faith work for several years, particularly Scriptural Reasoning, a kind of inter-faith Chavruta. Miriam has a Theology degree from Cambridge.
John Lotherington is Vice-President for Program Operations at Salzburg Global Seminar. Prior to that he was director of the 21st Century Trust in London. He began his career in history education, teaching at the Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree.
Aryeh Luz is UK born and educated. He qualified as a lawyer and has practiced in England and Israel. He emigrated to Israel over fifty years ago and served in the Prime Minister's office for over thirty years.
Naomi Magnus is director of Marom, the young adult department of Masorti Judaism. She spent many years volunteering and working for Noam, the Masorti youth movement. Naomi lived in Israel until two years ago when she returned to the UK to pursue a doctorate.
Elliott Malamet is the founder of Torah in Motion and leading authority on spiritual education.
Leah Malamet has been a practicing psychotherapist for twenty years, treating children, adolescents and adults in various psychiatric institutions and in private practice.
Abdul-Rehman Malik is a journalist, educator and is Programmes Manager at Radical Middle Way; an organisation that works for social change by creatively connecting Muslims with their spiritual identity, spearheading projects in Pakistan, Indonesia and Sudan.
Daniel Marcus is the Chief Executive of UJS. He was formerly the Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins University Hillel in the US. For the past three years he has been engaged in exploring and researching the interests and motivations of Jewish students.
Elena Markham teaches Performing Arts at an Academy near Brighton. She has performed in and directed shows for many years. She is delighted to be returning to Limmud Conference with another Scratch Show.
Joshua Marks is currently Mazkir of FZY and co-chairs the Zionist Youth Council. A Bateman Scholar, Josh was President of Cambridge Jewish Society and has a keen interest in Zionist education, Israel advocacy and youth empowerment.
Shelley Marsh is the Informal Director at UJIA. She has taught in both the UK and Israel. Her work on self esteem in young people has been published internationally.
Cindy Rivka Marshall is an international Storyteller and recipient of a Parents’ Choice Recommended Award.
Adam Martin is co-Manager Alyth Synagogues Education and Youth Department, which provides activities for 900 young members. He was previously Manager of the Youth and Young Adults department at the Movement for Reform Judaism and is currently studying for a Masters in Community and Voluntary Sector Studies. Adam is also co-chair of the Limmud Conference Marketing and Communications Team.
Peter Mason is the Director of the London Jewish Forum, Peter helps ensure that the Jewish community is represented at City Halls and Town Halls across London. Peter is also co-chair of the Limmud Conference Marketing and Communications Team.
Shimrit Matzliach is from moshav Ranen in the south of Israel, is the shicha for the Israeli Scouts in west Europe, and a social worker by profession. She grew up in the Israeli scouts, was involved with the Federation of Zionist Youth and Young Judea.
Dafna Michaelson is all about changing the mirror we use that reflects who we are as a society. She traveled all 50 US States to collect stories, launches Women as Social Entrepreneurs and propels ordinary people to super community problem solvers.
Helena Miller is the Director of Research, Evaluation and Living Bridge programmes at UJIA, London. She is currently co-chair of Limmud International. Helena has a PhD in Jewish Education, teaches and writes widely on many aspects of Jewish education.
Steve Miller is a social entrepreneur, community activist and visionary. Founder of many organisations including Tzedek, Restore Community Projects, and Faiths Forum for London. Steve is Co-Chair of the Jubilee Debt Campaign. Letakeyn, Steve's latest project focuses on integrating personal, social and political transformation.
Naomi Minsky is the Informal Jewish Education and Social Action Coordinator for JCOSS. She has been working with a group of students preparing them for their role as school delegates at Limmud conference.
Zeb Mirza is a paramedic first aid trainer and lecturer at Chesterfields College providing medical cover for all types of events around the country.
Lorna Mitchell is a 65 year old single lesbian, and long time convert to Progressive Judaism. She has a passion for all Tanach.
Shlomo Molla is an Ethiopian born Member of the Knesset.
Rachel Montagu teaches Biblical Hebrew and Jewish Studies. She studied at Leo Baeck College, London, Machon Pardes, Jerusalem and Heythrop College, London and teaches at BSAC as well as to private students. She lives in NW London with her husband.
Joshua Moritz grew up in RSY-Netzer since the age of 10, and first picked up a guitar at age 13 and never looked back! A philosopher at heart, he has worked for UJS last year, and currently works for RSY-Netzer as the mazkir.
Abigail Morris is Director of ResponseAbility, a cross communal organisation which examines current ethical issues from a contemporary Jewish perspective. Together with Jewish Care, she is just about to publish a major report investigating ageing in the Jewish Community.
Naftali Moses holds a doctorate in medical history from Bar-Ilan University. He made aliyah nearly thirty years ago, first arriving in Jerusalem to study at Pardes. He teaches medical ethics and has published on that subject as well as philosophy in the Mishnah and on aggadah. His most recent publication is Mourning Under Glass: Reflections on a Son’s Murder written in the wake of the 2008 terror attack in Mercaz HaRav Yeshivah in which his 16-year-old son, Avraham David, was killed.
Robin Moss is the UJIA JAMS Fieldworker, helping run and develop Jewish activities in non-Jewish schools. Previously, he worked for two years as a movement worker for LJY-Netzer, the youth movement of Liberal Judaism.
Naomi Mushinhas has a learning disability and lives in Hendon with four other people including my friend Rachelle Adler. My football team is Arsenal. I have tickets for all the home matches. I have two jobs. I like going to work, cooking and being Jewish.
Jonathan Myers is an industrial psychologist, former visiting research fellow at Columbia University, author, and has worked on Wall Street. His interests include behaviourally-based computer applications for market trading and Jewish financial history.
Nir Nadav has given up his successful career as a systems engineer to become Rabbi of the Manchester Spanish & Portugese Congregation. A graduate of the London Semicha Programme, Montefiore College, he also studied at Keren BeYavne Yeshiva.
Daniel Needlestone is a technology, e-learning and education evangelist. He has an MA in technology in education and was a school teacher specialising in e-learning and computing. Daniel will be presenting virtually from Norway where he moved this year.
Joshua Nelson is the Prince of Jewish Gospel blending Judaism and gospel music.
Julia Neuberger was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge and Leo Baeck College, London and was ordained a rabbi in 1977. She was created a Life Peer in June 2004 (as a Liberal Democrat but is now a Crossbencher) and was Bloomberg Professor of Divinity at Harvard University. Baroness Neuberger is currently Senior Rabbi at West London Synagogue.
Roee Neuman was born in Ness-Ziona in 1984. He served in the Israeli Army for as an aircraft technician. Roee studied Media and PR in Tel-Aviv and graduated top of his class. Neuman is one of the founders of the Israeli Social Movement.
Daniel Newman is the director of HaMakom: A Centre for Jewish Spirituality and Wellbeing, which aims to explore, develop and promote spiritual development and independence and pathways to wellbeing. He also practises corporate law in the city of London.
Jeremy Newmark is the Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council. He was an advisor to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the growth of antisemitism and advised the previous government on its engagement with faith communities.
Anthony Nicholls is a retired GP who has recently completed an MA in Jewish Studies at King's College London. He is a member of Pinner Synagogue and is the chairman of the local Chevra Kadisha.
Jacqueline Nicholls is a visual artist and Jewish educator. She uses her art to explore traditional Jewish ideas in untraditional ways. She also teaches Tanach at the London School of Jewish Studies.
Alisa Olmert is a celebrated artist, painter and photographer in Israel. A campaigner for foreign workers rights in Israel, and issues surrounding children at risk. She is the wife of former Jerusalem Mayor and Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert.
Rachel Olstein Kaplan has a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Hebrew University. She taught Jewish environmental education at the Teva Learning Center and now serves on their board.
Adam Overlander-Kaye was a Bnei Akiva boy and was profoundly affected by Yitzchak Rabin's murder, moved by Dar Williams' lyrics, enthused after Limmud '97, inspired by UJIA's youth leadership training, blown-away by the Reform Chavurah and enlightened by Yehuda Amichai's poetry to become a passionately progressive and traditional Reform Jew working as Director of Fundraising for the Movement for Reform Judaism.
Dan Patterson after years in Habonim Dan secured a job doing roughly the same thing - in TV. He is responsible for Whose Line is it Anyway, Mock the Week, Clive Anderson Talks Back, Room 101 and most recently, for ABC America, Trust us with your Life. He also likes to sing.
Simon Phillips is Project Officer at the Drugs and Offender Management Unit at West Yorkshire Police. He is involved in the local implementation of the Home Office's Drug Interventions Programme and Integrated Offender Management strategies.
Michael Picardie has taught on the Jewish poetry of medieval Spain and Yoga / Kabbalah meditation at Limmud Conference in previous years and performed his own plays ‘Shaloma’ and ‘The Zulu and the Zeide’ as well as stage adaptations of the writing of Amos Oz.
Roanne Pitluk was raised in Miami, Florida in the United States. She is a Certified Public Accountant having worked at Pricewaterhouse Coopers for the past 30 years and has extensive presentation and public speaking experience.
Matt Plen is the Director of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues and Lishma - Jewish Study Centres. Matt has taught and trained educators in diverse institutions in Israel, the UK and the USA, and is currently researching his doctorate on Critical Pedagogy.
Michael Pollak was educated at Yeshivat Chevron and the London School of Economics, Michael is on the teaching faculty of the London School of Jewish Studies and part of the Informal Education Department at the UJIA.
Tirtsa Poskalinski-Shchori has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering. She was one of the first women aircraft technicians in Israel's Air force. While teaching at the University of Arizona she wrote "In between Grandpa and a Dreidel".
Rose Prevezer recently gave up her career to become a yeshiva bocheret at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem. She volunteers with Limmud and works with ATZUM and their Task Force on Human Trafficking.
Psik Theatre Group creates original art stemming from current themes in Israeli culture. They also engage in community-based activities, including projects aimed at under-privileged youth communities.
Eetta Prince-Gibson is former Washington Post journalist, current Editor in Chief of the Jerusalem Report.
Alicia Jo Rabins is a Brooklyn, NY-based poet, musician, songwriter, and Torah teacher. She tours internationally with Girls in Trouble, her indie-folk song cycle about the complicated lives of women of Jewish texts, and holds a MA in Jewish Women’s Studies.
Karen Radkowsky is a member of the Limmud International Steering Group. Over the past decade, she has participated in 30+ Limmud events on three continents and advised Limmud teams around the globe. She was the founder and past president of Limmud NY.
Chris Rees is Hon. Secretary of Westminster Synagogue, and also a partner in Principled Business, a firm providing business ethics training with a particular emphasis on The Bribery Act 2010. He has been teaching courses on principles and ethics in business.
Berit Reisel was born in a refugee camp in 1945 after her parents fled Nazi-occupied Norway. After the war, she returned to Norway, qualified as a psychologist and built a thriving psychotherapy practice. Recently retired as founding chairwoman of the Norwegian Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities.
Daniel Reisel is a junior doctor working in London. A past programming co-chair of Limmud Conference and Limmud Fest, he currently chairs the board of Yachad.
David Reuben met his wife Samantha at Essex Limmud many years ago. He devotes much of his reducing spare time to explaining football, chess and criminal law procedure to his children. Although they are all under 6, he is confident they have Yekke potential!
Ben Rich is the Chief Executive of the Movement for Reform Judaism, a former Deputy Director of Policy for the Liberal Democrats and an expert in political and media campaigns.
Albert Ringer is the Rabbi of the Reform community of Rotterdam, the Netherlands and chaplain in the Dutch army. He studied architectural history and published on synagogue architecture.
Marcus Roberts is the founder and director of the National Anglo-Jewish Heritage Trail.
Nina Robinson obtained her undergraduate degree in Physiology and Psychology at Oxford University and then went on to complete a Masters in Medical Ethics and Law at King's College, University of London. She has completed the Schlesinger Institute Summer Medical Ethics course.
Jonathan Romain is a rabbi, writer and broadcaster. He has a PhD in the history of British Jewry. He writes for The Times, The Guardian and The Jewish Chronicle and appears on radio and television.
Michael Romain is a Governor of the Leo Baeck College and a member and former Chair of the Bristol and West Progressive Congregation. He spends much of his leisure time walking long distances particularly in Spain and Portugal.
Elliott Rose Kukla is a Rabbi who teaches on sexual and gender diversity in Judaism.
Or Rose is Associate Dean and Director of Informal Education at the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College.
Chananel Rosen is Rabbi and associate director of Yakar, Jerusalem. He has a BA in Psychology and English Literature from Hebrew University and Semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
Steven Rosen is an Archeologist at Ben-Gurion University.
Michael Rosenfeld was originally from the US, is Rabbi of at Kingston, Surbiton & District Synagogue in South-west London. He has a BA in History and Hebrew from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received smicha from Yeshivat Hamivtar.
Alon Roth-Snir joined the Israeli Foreign Ministry 1986 and has worked in Cameroon, Brussels and Amman. He is currently Deputy Ambassador to Britain.
Barry Rubin is a professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Israel, the director of the Israel-based Global Research in International Affairs Center (GLORIA) of the IDC, and a senior fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center's International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
Naomi Russell is the Education and Welfare Manager at the UJIA Informal Education Department. She is studying for an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Previously she was Mazkira (National Director) of Noam Masorti Youth.
Jonathan Rynhold is director of the Argov Centre for Israel and the Jewish People and is a senior lecturer in Politics at Bar-Ilan University. His research focuses on Israel, the peace process and US-Israeli relations.
Daniella Saffer is the Informal Educator for GIFT. Having graduated with a First Honours degree in Media and Performing Arts, she uses film, text and discussion to inspire, educate and encorouge young people from schools, cheders and youth movements around the country.
Gary Sakol is Deputy Director of the Zionist Federation, former Mazkir (Director) of Habonim Dror, on the steering committee for Mitzvah Day - and is Scottish!
Tony Samuel has recently joined World Jewish Relief to lead their fundraising programme from individual donors. Tony has just returned from Ukraine, seeing WJR’s extraordinary work in detail.
Simone Samuels is a wife, mother, mentor and artist. She got into reiki about 2 years ago and think it's so great that she wishes to share it with others. Simone is into positive thinking, meditation and channeling energy.
Tracey Schueler is currently Marketing Campaigns Manager at The Barbican, Tracey has worked for a variety of flagship arts organisations. She studied leadership and history in Israel and is driven by the additional meaning and depth that Judaism provides for our everyday life.
Shuly Rubin Schwartz is Professor of American Jewish History and Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies at The Jewish Theological Seminary.
Brian Sacks retired from a career in Information Technology to contribute athletics news and features to the Jewish Chronicle for several years. Brian has also set up the Daniel Sacks Memorial Award for Young Athletic Achievement
Marc Saperstein is former Principle of Leo Beck College and is an academic historian specialising in Anglo Jewish preachers.
Gavin Schaffer is a lecturer in British History at the University of Birmingham, where he specialises in racial science and immigration policy in twentieth century Britain. He is the author of new book on history of racial science.
Janet Schatten has had 25 years in Jewish education including consultation and supervision in informal educational settings, afternoon schools and day schools. She leads school initiatives and has extensive experience at a Day School.
Simcha Schwartz is Co-Founder of the Jewish Farm School (JFS). Since 2007, he has built the organization while leading the Alternative Break department and JFS's educational programs at the new Eden Village Camp. He is an organizer and a farmer!
Glyn Secker is involved in Jews For Justice For Palestinians EC; Captain, Jewish Boat To Gaza 2010. He lives in London with Vanessa - who lost her family in the Holocaust. He is a lifetime justice/human rights campaigner.
Barak Segel was born in 1983 and lives in Holon. During his time in the army he was in Military Intelligence, he has a degree in sociology and also studied cinema. Recently Barak worked as a teacher for underprivileged children. Has been a part of the Israeli Tent movement.
Hagai Segal is an academic and commentator on the Middle East, terrorism and the Far-Right. A lecturer in Middle-Eastern Politics at New York University in London.
Simon Selmon is an award winning dancer, teacher, judge and choreographer, specialising in dances from the 1900s to the 1960s, particularly Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa and Jive. Founded the London Swing Dance Society, the UK's longest running Swing Dance club since 1986.
James Sevitt is an activist, educator and academic who has been involved in Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution for over 10 years. For five weeks this past summer James filmed the Israeli social protest movement that swept the country.
Peter Sevitt is a brummie who emigrated with his wife Lesley to Canada several years ago. Peter founded Limmud Toronto in 2004 and is presenting this year on Jewish marriage ceremonies in honour of Emmas wedding.
Marc Shapiro is Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton.
Stephen Shashoua is Director of The Three Faiths Forum.
Gil Shefler is a reporter for The Jerusalem Post covering foreign news and Diaspora affairs. His writing has also appeared in Haaretz, Yedioth Aharonoth, Forward and others.
Daniel Sheldon is Campaigns Director for the Union of Jewish Students. Former Vice-President Communications at LSE Students' Union, and Governor of the London School of Economics.
Polina Sheperd was born in Siberia and learned music in a Russian Jewish home. Whilst living in Kazan (capital of Tatarstan) and studying at the State Academy, she joined the first klezmer band in new Russia, Simcha and soon became the principal Yiddish performer.
Sybil Sheridan is rabbi at Wimbledon and District Synagogue, a tutor at Leo Baeck College and Jewish Chaplain at Roehampton University.
Danny Shine loves Limmud. As he gets older, he is being rudely awakened to the idea that he knows very little about anything. Some of his presentations are intentionally unprepared so be prepared for the unknown! His main intention is to make a real difference.
Corinne Shmuel is from Leicester and has been in London for a few years, she plans to move to Israel. She completed her Masters in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, specialising in photography by German women exiles. She plans to work in gallery education.
David Shneer is Director of the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Colorado; known as a “taboo-breaking scholar”.
Marc Shoffren is the Director of Studies at North London Collegiate school. He is an Ashdown MBA graduate and survived the Senior Educators Programme, Jerusalem. He writes stories and plays for children and created the Kivunim Curriculum.
www.kivunim.org.uk
Eliezer Shore is a teacher and writer on topics of Jewish thought and spirituality. He studied under various Kabbalistic and Hasidic masters, and has an M.A. in Jewish education (Yeshiva U.), and a Ph.D. in Jewish Philosophy (Bar-Ilan).
Michael Shudrich is the Chief Rabbi of Poland and has a special interest in Jewish revival.
Gershon Silins is cantor at Liberal Judaism and Adjunct Professor of Cantorial Arts at the Abraham Geiger College. He served as cantor of Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto.
Lindsay Simmonds has an MSc in Gender Studies and is working towards her PhD at the London School of Economics. She studied at Nishmat and Midreshet Lindenbaum, and is a Bradfield graduate.
Raymond Simonson has a BA in Jewish History and Hebrew, a Masters in Applied Anthropology and Community & Youth Work, over 20 years experience in the field of informal Jewish education, and an enviable collection of vinyl. He is the Executive Director of Limmud and the resident Bubbelehs Love to Boogie DJ.
Jamie Slavin is Public Affairs Officer at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Previously he was National Director at the Federation of Zionist Youth. In his spare time he enjoys theatre, following Arsenal home and away and managing Norstar FC.
Laura Smallman is a London based independent film maker who makes short documentaries on themes such as climate change and social justice. She made the 'Five Minutes with...' films for Big Green Jewish and is currently working with The Missing Millenium Development Goal Campaign and Voices of the Future.
Amnon Daniel Smith is Rabbi and Senior Minister of Edgware Reform Synagogue, trained in Counselling and Psychotherapy, was founding chair of the “Raphael Centre - a Jewish Counselling Service". Studied prayer with leading rabbis, Catholic priests and Buddhist monks.
Chani Smith teaches Biblical Cantillation at Leo Baeck College. She is a musician and the author of “Tuning the Soul: Music as a Spiritual Process in the Teachings of Rabbi Nahman of Bratzlav”. She also published "Learn to Leyn".
Sarah Snyder works with the Cambridge Interfaith Programme and co-ordinates scriptural reasoning groups around the UK. She lectures in Abrahamic faiths and Biblical hermeneutics, and is currently producing an 'Understanding Faiths' multimedia series.
David Soetendorp was born in Amsterdam and is married with two grown up children. Over 30 years in the fulltime non-orthodox rabbinate from which he retired to concentrate on a career in psychotherapy and freelance rabbinics.
Naomi Soetendorp is a social worker, sometime “wandering Jew” and creative writer. Naomi is currently undertaking her PhD in Social Work at the Tavistock Institute one day a week and continues to work with Looked After Children in West London.
Ruth Soetendorp is Harrow Day limmud co-chair. (Semi) retired academic, still involved with intellectual property education.
Shira Solomons has been a Jewish educator and events organiser in England since 2000. She runs the exciting new cheder at Reading Hebrew Congregation, where she works as Rebbetzin. She is passionate about practical spirituality and Jewish education.
Zvi Solomons gained smicha from Jews College. He trained as a surveyor at Reading 23 years ago. Now Rabbi of that town, married to Shira with three fine squeakers, he can be found sampling whisky and admiring fountain pens.
Etty Someck has been teaching Hebrew for the past 18 years at the Jewish Agency. She taught diplomats from the Ministry of Defence: Military, Air and Naval Attaches. She also taught at Spiro Ark. Etty currently teaches groups of lawyers in London.
Barbara Lerner Spectre is the Founding Director of Paideia Institute that serves to reinvigorate European Jewish culture. She taught at the Hartman Institute, and with Noam Zion authored ‘A Different Light: The Hanukkah Book of Celebration’.
Benji Stanley is training to be a Rabbi at the Leo Baeck College. He has also studied at New York's Yeshivat Hadar, and Jerusalem's Conservative Yeshivah. He read English Literature at Oxford University.
Joel Stanley is a Jewish community organiser, educator and theatre practitioner, who shares his current professional life between Moishe House and Streetwise GB. He is also a passionate 5Rhythms dancer and is slowly working his way towards full teacher training.
Alan Stein is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Oxford University and Honorary Professor in the School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand, SA. His main research is in child health and development in the face of adversity.
Avra Stein chairs the Jewish Teachers' Association which works with Jewish teachers in all educational settings, providing opportunities for support, networking and professional development for teachers and educators. It was founded at Limmud Conference five years ago.
Natasha Steinberg trained at The International School of Corporeal Mime, London and is a Pilates Method and Gyrokinesis Instructor.
Sebastian Steinfeld has a Masters in Physics and a Masters in Financial Mathematics. Sebastian is a great believer in the scientific method and therefore objective reason over irrational belief.
Rebecca Steinfeld is a Teaching Fellow and Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham. She recently completed her doctoral thesis on the history and politics of fertility policies.
Devora Steinmetz is a senior faculty member at Yeshivat Hadar where she teaches Talmud and Midrash. She is the author of From Father to Son: Kinship, Conflict, and Continuity in Genesis and Punishment and Freedom: The Rabbinic Construction of Criminal Law.
Michael Sternberg founded Shatil’s Conflict Transformation and Management Center (CTMC) for which he currently acts as Director. The CTMC functions as a think and do tank on issues of societal conflict in Israel, it's focus is on conflict transformation.
Maurice Stone is Chairman of the Israeli Dance Institute (IDI) and works for UJIA. He has been teaching dance for many years at Limmud events in the UK, Russia and Ukraine. He believes that Israeli dance is a fundamental educational tool promoting Jewish identity.
Jeremy Stowe-Lindner is Headteacher of JCoSS. A History teacher by training and temperament, Jeremy has an MBA and has held leadership positions in three London schools. Jeremy has held lay positions in Jewish charities, UJIA and a primary school.
Alla Stremovskaya has been working for Lomonosov Moscow State University as a Researcher (Sociologist) for 15 years now. Among research interests are ethnic studies, ethnic tolerance, negotiation culture and conflict resolution.
Judith Suissa is a senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education. Her research is mainly in the area of political philosophy, with a focus on liberal theory, critiques of liberalism, libertarian and anarchist educational thought and practice, and the role of the state in education.
Raphael Sylvester has a degree in Hebrew Studies, studied at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and has finally got round to training to teach History.
Joseph Symons-Smyth has been involved in Irish music and generally folk music for about ten years, and Limmud for about two, and thinks the time is now right to stop keeping them separate!
Ilai Szpiezak studied ballet and taught Israeli dance in Buenos Aires before coming to the UK where he is the IDI Dance Shaliach. He is a young, gifted and talented dancer and teacher who also does stage choreography.
Caylee Talpert grew up in South Africa and made Aliyah in 2008. She is a currently an MSc student in International Development at London School of Economics. Caylee’s most recent adventure involved spending four months in a village in Nepal.
Ramon Tasat is the Cantor of Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul), an emerging Jewish congregation in southern Montgomery County, MD. He is also the president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.
Adam Taylor is a poet. Amongst other things, he writes and broadcasts topical poems on BBC World Service as resident poet for 'The World Today'. Performances include Edinburgh Fringe, Jewish Book Week, South Bank, and various arts/literary/poetry festivals.
Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz studied archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge and the Hebrew University, and lived in Israel for 17 years. She teaches at London School of Jewish Studies, is active in interfaith, and is studying for a PhD at University College London.
Ned Temko edited the Jewish Chronicle for 15 years, before joining The Observer. As a foreign correspondent, he was based in Lisbon, Brussels, Beirut, Jerusalem, Moscow and Johannesburg. He is author of a biography of Menachem Begin, has helped write several political memoirs, and is currently working on a novel.
Francis Treuherz has been in private and NHS practice since 1984. He is the honorary secretary of the Society of Homeopaths, a journal editor, teaches, writes, and works on the homeopathic helpline.
Jonathan B Tucker is a performance slam poet, youth worker, and coach of the DC Youth Slam Team.
YouTube of Jonathon
Eli Valley is a New York based cartoonist, writer and artist in residence at The Forward newspaper.
Barend Velleman is a New North London Synagogue Council member, Governor of two non-Jewish schools, a cricket coach and Arsenal supporter. A Hebrew University graduate and Israeli army officer, he fought in Lebanon and helped to found Peace Now.
Richard Verber is in his 4th year working for UJS and studied French and Russian at Oxford University. He works with Jewish Societies challenging students to think about religious diversity, Jewish identity and attitudes towards Israel.
Fabienne Viner-Luzzato was born and educated in Paris. After working in HR for several years, she undertook cooking courses in London. Her family originates from Tunisia and from Italy. Fabienne is an established chef, cooking teacher and caterer.
Peter Walters aka Shimon Yaakov ben Avraham, lives in Bristol, and works as a psychotherapist in Bristol and for the Chassidic community in Stamford Hill.
Lewis Warshauer teaches topics in Judaism to adult study groups. His special interest is Bible-inspired art as a form of interpretation, and has presented at Limmud on Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and David. Lewis was ordained at Jewish Theological Seminary.
Jennifer Weiner is the Project Worker for Streetwise GB,
Hannah Weisfeld is the director, and one of the founders of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement Yachad. She previously chaired the Jewish Social Action Forum, has studied at LSE, University of Sussex and has lived and worked in Malawi and Israel.
Jake Welford is a self-taught Breakdancer who has ten years of dance experience. He has taught for several years both in schools and privately and has also performed in shows internationally.
Michael Whine is Government and International Affairs Director of the Community Security Trust and the Defence Director of The Board of Deputies. He also represents the European Jewish Congress in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Jude Williams is currently Director of Youth, Students and Young Adults at the Reform Movement. She has spent many years passionately working with groups of young people in various contexts; strengthening identity and connection to the Jewish tradition.
Atira Winchester is programme manager at the JCC for London. She has worked as an editor for the Jerusalem Post and taught in America, Israel and the U.K. She holds a MA in English Literature from The Hebrew University.
Vivian Wineman is President of the Board of Deputies, Chair of the JLC, Vice Chair of UK Inter Faith Network and EJC. He was educated at Yavneh Yeshivah and Caius College Cambridge. Vivian is practised as a Solicitor with his own firm in the city before merging it.
Irene Wise is an artist, designer and educator. Irene teaches at the Imperial War Museum, London and is IWM Fellow in Holocaust Education. At Roehampton University, she is Senior Lecturer in Media and Culture, running a course in Holocaust Representation.
Jonathan Wittenberg is rabbi of the New North London Synagogue and Senior Rabbi of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues. He studied English and trained as a teacher and cares deeply about people, nature, Judaism, literature and inter-faith relations.
Jonathan Wolfson is a programmer by profession but historian by training and inclination, Jonathan gives popular lectures and talks on Jewish History at numerous adult education venues and Synagogues including Limmud (now his 4th Conference) and LSJS.
Joe Wolfson studied at Hasmonean, Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush), Cambridge and UCL. He has taught in Israel, Australia and New York, and teaches regularly at London School of Jewish Studies. He has just started studying for the rabbinate at Bet Morasha in Jerusalem.
Alice Wood is Director of the UK Task Force, a coalition committed to learning about Arab citizens of Israel. Prior to this, she was Deputy Director at Labour Friends of Israel. Alice has a Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies and published her first book ‘Of Wings and Wheels in 2008.
Tamra Wright is Director of Academic Studies at LSJS and a visiting lecturer at King's College London in Jewish Ethics.
Michie Yana-Berger was born in Japan with family roots in the Sino-Russian town of Harbin, Michie grew up eating ‘latkes with chopsticks'. She is passionate about food from different cultures and is renowned for hosting sushi shabbat dinners.
Muhammad Yusuf is an imam and Research Fellow of Interfaith Alliance UK. Muhammad's research interests are in medieval Islamic and Jewish literary discourse on the Doctrine of the Trinity and Incarnation, and classical Islamic commentarian readings of Quranic texts relating to coexistence with Jewish and Christian people. He is a leading member of the Scriptural Reasoning Society and teaches at Leo Baeck College.
Maxwell Zachs is transgender, a member of Alyth Synagogue and a Peace Worker for QuakerUK.
Andrea Zanardo founded the first Italian Progressive Congregation whilst studying his PhD. After some years working on Jewish past, he opted for the future, and now is a fifth year Rabbinical student at Leo Baeck College.
Raphael Zarum is Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies, the UK centre of moderon orthodox teaching and learning. A graduate of the Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem and author of the Torah L'Am crash course.
David J Zucker retired after eighteen years as Rabbi/Chaplain at Shalom Cares, in Aurora, Colorado. A popular Limmud Colorado speaker and author, his latest book is ‘The Torah: An Introduction for Christians and Jews’.
