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Sessions for Wednesday, 11:00 - 12:10 (Morning Intensive)
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- 'The Wisdom of Love': Philosophy, Religion and the Talmud in the Thought of Emmanuel Levinas (3 of 4)
- A Bold View of Schooling: an Introduction to Beit Rabban
- Answering Back
- Be Part of Conference 2012!
- Bintel Brief (3 of 3)
- Boker Tov/Good Morning Eliyahu!
- Come and Listen: a Museum for Your Ears
- Cutting Edge: the Politics and Halacha (Jewish Law) of Recent Government Cuts
- Finkler's Question Over Time—Revisiting Hillel, Shammai and Herod
- From the Frontlines of the Arab Spring
- Half the Community - Blithe Spirit: New Spiritual Directions for Women (3 of 4)
- Have Fun with Hebrew (3 of 4)
- Introduction to Talmud (Shame 3 - How a Stove Causes Shaming) (3 of 3)
- Israel 101 - Israel's Geography and Borders (3 of 4)
- Israel Related Topics: Wadi Ara and Barta'a (3 of 4)
- Kavannah Yoga - the Inspiration of Breath
- LEADing From the Heart
- Making Time and Space for What REALLY Matters: Top Tips From a Declutter Coach
- Michael N Shimrit - Acoustic Living Room Concert
- Morning Has Broken - Shacharit in a New Light (3 of 3)
- Rediscovering the Divine Image in Dementia
- Scandals of the Talmud: the Stories They Wouldn't Teach You in Cheder (3 of 4)
- Scratch Production (6 of 8)
- Scriptural Reasoning - 'Religion and Peace' (3 of 4)
- Social Revolution in Israel
- The Assault on Israel's Legitimacy: Who's Behind It, Why It Matters and How to Combat It
- The Ethics of Asymmetrical War
- The Luckiest People in the World - a Run Through Jewish History (3 of 4)
- The Reduced Talmud Company
- The Tower of London and Its Secret Jewish History
- To Wear Is Human, to Live Divine: Cross Dressing and Drag in Jewish Texts
- Why There Is No Real Peace Process or Progress Toward Arab-Israeli Peace
- Windows to Israeli Society Through Literature (3 of 4)
'The Wisdom of Love': Philosophy, Religion and the Talmud in the Thought of Emmanuel Levinas (3 of 4)
Michael Harris,
Tamra Wright
Location: Ram 3
Tracks: Philosophy, Sexuality, Tanach/Text
Type: Lecture
Emmanuel Levinas, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, encouraged us to re-think the fundamentals of western thought and learn to see ethics as 'first philosophy'. What does that mean, and why is it important for Jews, philosophers, and students of Talmud? Today's session: an in-depth look at Levinas's Talmudic commentary 'And God Created Woman'. We all know Eve was created from Adam's rib... or was it a tail?
A Bold View of Schooling: an Introduction to Beit Rabban
Devora Steinmetz
Location: Soc 3
Tracks: Communities, Education, Leadership
Type: Lecture, Discussion
Bialik, in his poem about the yeshiva of his youth, asked an essential question that might be asked about any educational setting: 'Can this be the workshop of the nation's soul?' Come learn about the founding vision and educational practices of Beit Rabban, a day school in New York City that was founded to educated young children to be open, committed, learned, engaged, and thoughtful shapers of the Jewish communal experience.
Answering Back
Selwyn Dorfman
Location: Soc 6
Tracks: Current affairs, Israel, Politics
Type: Lecture, Discussion
Answering Back - killer facts, powerful arguments and hard questions about Israel/Palestine that will silence our enemies and win over the uncommitted. Irreverent but hard-hitting presentation aimed particularly at participants who feel they know little but want to know more so that they can reply to anti-Zionist attacks.
Be Part of Conference 2012!
Libby Burkeman,
Conference 2011 Volunteers' Team
Location: Soc 4
Tracks:
Type: Social / Informal
Did you know that Conference 2011 has been run almost entirely by volunteers? Do you want to play your part next year? Then come along to this session to hear about how you can be part of this incredible event. Conference 2012 needs enthusiastic volunteers for roles both large and small, so join us to have a chat about how you can make 2012 the best Conference yet - no previous experience required!
Bintel Brief (3 of 3)
Liana Finck
Location: Soc 10 (YLC Art)
Tracks: Arts and Crafts, Literature, Midrash
Type: Creative
In this workshop, you will make a page of a graphic narrative based on one of the letters from the Bintel Brief, a popular Yiddish advice column that ran in New York's Forward Newspaper in 1906. Each participant in the workshop will be given a part of one of the letters to illustrate. The illustrations will be combined at the end of the workshop to create a continuous narrative, and the art will be displayed online as part of a larger project. Each workshop will be inspired by a different letter from the original Bintel Brief.
Boker Tov/Good Morning Eliyahu!
Jacky Levy
Location: Sci 3
Tracks:
Type: Lecture, Discussion
Eliyahu the prophet is know to us in two different ways; as a raging prohpet, a violent man and a very lonley person; but we also have in mind Eliyahu the prophet from the Jewish folklore who is pleasant, very agreeable and likes to pop over at Pesach and bring gifts - is this the case of a split personality or is it the Tikun Eliyahu?
Come and Listen: a Museum for Your Ears
Alyssa Kapnik,
Hannah Kapnik
Location: Soc 7
Tracks: Philosophy
Type: Discussion, Film
This session will include audio segments from the first season of the podcast, Come and Listen: Jewish Food for Thought. The show's hosts will facilitate a talk-back after listening and discuss the project of Jewish engagement through this new media.
Cutting Edge: the Politics and Halacha (Jewish Law) of Recent Government Cuts
Laura Janner-Klausner,
Ben Rich
Location: Ram 4
Tracks: Current affairs, Halacha, Politics
Type: Discussion, Text Study
Where is the meeting place between politics and halacha? Can halacha inform attitudes to government cuts? We'll debate if and how halacha influences our attitudes to the budget and government fiscal policy.
Finkler's Question Over Time—Revisiting Hillel, Shammai and Herod
Wayne L Firestone
Location: Soc 1
Tracks: History
Type: Lecture, Discussion
What is it possible to learn today from the great debates of two competing Jewish schools and the complicity of Jews during the destruction of the Second Temple?
From the Frontlines of the Arab Spring
Anshel Pfeffer
Location: Sci 5
Tracks: Current affairs
Type: Lecture, Panel Debate
Reporting from the frontlines of the Arab Spring. Who are revolting? Why did this happen now? Where are the Arabs headed and can it possibly be good for Israel and the West?
Half the Community - Blithe Spirit: New Spiritual Directions for Women (3 of 4)
Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz
Location: Lib 2
Tracks: Age/Gender Issue, Communities, Spirituality
Type: Lecture, Text Study
In this intensive, we'll explore what the halachah says about women's performance of ritual commandments, and investigate how this plays out in practice, plus find out what is happening in the amazingly creative field of women's spirituality. Today we'll look at traditional women's spirituality and discover the huge range of activities, rituals, writings, and projects that have burst on to the scene in the last forty years, creating a 'Jewish women's renaissance'.
Have Fun with Hebrew (3 of 4)
Nurith Cohen
Location: Ram 5
Tracks: Israel
Type: Workshop / Practical
Starter course for beginners, refreshers welcome! Four sessions of practical Hebrew in which to build a foundation of a beautiful and fascinating language. Learn useful words and phrases. Share this fun experience with friends and make new ones.
Introduction to Talmud (Shame 3 - How a Stove Causes Shaming) (3 of 3)
Joel Grishaver
Location: Rootes Chancellors 1
Tracks: Halacha, Leadership, Tanach/Text
Type: Creative, Text Study
Wanna understand and study Talmud? This session will look at two stories Kamza and Bar Kamza (Gittin 55b) and Akhnai's Stove (with the real ending) Bava Metzia 59a-59b. This session will stand alone and will be the third part of our introduction to Talmud.
Israel 101 - Israel's Geography and Borders (3 of 4)
Avigail Shapira
Location: Lib 1
Tracks: Israel
Type: Lecture
Want to refresh your basic knowledge about Israel? Missed a class or two at Cheder? Israel 101 will teach you about the cornerstones of the State of Israel. Presented by the Jewish Agency for Israel Shlichim, get the facts about Israel like never before. Today we will examine Israel's Geography and Borders - Where is the Green Line? What is land swapping? What does the Hermon have to do with peace? Come find out.
Israel Related Topics: Wadi Ara and Barta'a (3 of 4)
Lydia Aisenberg
Location: Sci 7
Tracks: Current affairs, Israel, Politics
Type: Lecture, Workshop / Practical
The fascinating story of the Palestinian village of Barta’a, a village divided by the 1949 Armistice Line (also known as the Green Line). Part of one extended family lives in the State of Israel and the other part under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Lydia Aisenberg has been visiting and writing about this village since the mid-1980s.
Kavannah Yoga - the Inspiration of Breath
Mark Goldsmith,
Maxine Levy
Location: Arts - Mead Gallery 2
Tracks: Meditation, Spirituality, Tanach/Text
Type: Workshop / Practical, Text Study
This practical seated yoga session will focus on our breath and how it can enable us to access our nefesh (soul). Be ready to become deeply aware of your breath, God's gift of life, and leave feeling literally inspired with a fusion of Yoga and Jewish texts.
LEADing From the Heart
Sam Clifford,
Nicky Goldman
Location: Arts - Ensemble
Tracks: Leadership
Type: Workshop / Practical
There are many wonderful people who lead within Jewish organisations for a multiplicity of motivations, with multiple leadership styles and with infinite impact. In this workshop we will explore each of those areas, to share experiences and think together about how to make it work even better.
Making Time and Space for What REALLY Matters: Top Tips From a Declutter Coach
Juliet Landau-Pope
Location: Sci 1
Tracks: Education, Environment, Psychology
Type: Workshop / Practical, Discussion
Are you overwhelmed by material stuff in your home or workplace? Is your diary packed with too many commitments? Juliet Landau-Pope explores the link between decluttering and Jewish values and outlines her approach to mindful consumerism. She also shares top coaching tips on how to manage your space and your time more effectively. Open to all - procrastinators and hoarders particularly welcome!
Michael N Shimrit - Acoustic Living Room Concert
Michael and Shimrit Greilsammer
Location: SU Copper Rooms 1
Tracks: Music
Type: Performance
You are invited into the Greilsammer 'living room' to experience an intimate acoustic performance between husband and wife. With Shimrit on the guitar and Michael on the violin, singing unique folk music in unison, this session may prove just a little too romantically intense for a Limmud afternoon!
Morning Has Broken - Shacharit in a New Light (3 of 3)
Ruth Gan Kagan
Location: Soc 2
Tracks:
Type: Training, Workshop / Practical
Sh'ma and Amida - Focusing Your Mind and Heart on the Divine. Explore the underlying structure of the morning service and deepen your understanding of the inner process that prayer is offering us at the dawn of each day. We will use writing exercises, chanting, movement and discussions to enliven the davvening practice. For clergy, prayer leaders and those who wish to take their own prayer practice to a deeper level. A siddur is recommended.
Rediscovering the Divine Image in Dementia
Margaret Jacobi
Location: Sci 4
Tracks: Age/Gender Issue, Medical Ethics, Tanach/Text
Type: Discussion, Text Study
Dementia is a shattering illness. A person changes and much of what they are is lost. Yet something of them remains and can help us through our loss and even give us continued joy in their presence. I will present some biblical and rabbinic texts which have helped me wrestle with my experience of dementia in a parent, and there will be time to for participants to share and discuss personal experiences if they wish.
Scandals of the Talmud: the Stories They Wouldn't Teach You in Cheder (3 of 4)
Yaffa Epstein
Location: Soc 8
Tracks: Age/Gender Issue, Sexuality, Tanach/Text
Type: Discussion, Text Study
The Rabbis and Rebetzins: Torah Study vs Sex. It's the age old battle - work vs a happy marriage. The Rabbis faced it too - and wrote about it! We'll examine the stories of how the Rabbis attempted to balance home life, and Torah study.
Scratch Production (6 of 8)
Elena Markham
Location: Arts - Studio
Tracks: Drama, Literature
Type: Workshop / Practical, Performance
Session 6: The Rehearsal. Following on from our successful Scratch Productions of past years this year we are preparing and performing a rehearsed play reading of a new script. Come and see the performance on Wednesday evening.
Scriptural Reasoning - 'Religion and Peace' (3 of 4)
Muhammad Al-Hussaini,
Mohamed Elsharkawy
Location: Rootes Chancellors 3
Tracks: Communities, Interfaith, Tanach/Text
Type: Workshop / Practical, Text Study
Shalom, salaam, pax - the Abrahamic faiths hold out sacred visions of peace everlasting. What do the scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam understand in these assertions about being religions of peace, and how truthful are they? Scriptural Reasoning is the fascinating practice of Jews, Christians and Muslims meeting to study their sacred texts in order to understand religious differences. This exciting interactive seminar gives you a chance to explore and try it for yourself.
Social Revolution in Israel
Daphni Leef,
Roee Neuman,
Barak Segel
Location: Ram 1
Tracks: Israel, Social Justice
Type: Discussion
This summer has been an outstanding summer in Israel. For the first time in 63 years, the people have spoken! This session will introduce the turmoil in Israel in the past few months.
The Assault on Israel's Legitimacy: Who's Behind It, Why It Matters and How to Combat It
Lorna Fitzsimons,
Joshua Marks,
Jeremy Newmark,
Jonathan Rynhold
Location: Sci 2
Tracks: Anglo Jewish Politics, Current affairs, Israel
Type: Lecture, Discussion
There is a global campaign afoot to demonise and delegitimise the State of Israel that goes beyond legitimate criticism of Israeli policy. A major hub of this campaign is Britain, where unions and NGOs advocate boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israelis. This session will explore the ideological and political roots of the campaign, assess the nature of the threat it poses, and suggest ways of combating it.
The Ethics of Asymmetrical War
Uri Dromi
Location: Hum 2
Tracks: Israel
Type: Lecture, Discussion
Israel and the IDF are spearheading the asymmetrical warfare against an elusive enemy - the terrorists. International laws of war were crafted after WW2 where armies fought armies. Now, when the enemy is hiding among civilians, commanders are facing difficult dilemmas. The careful way by which the IDF walks the thin line between hitting the terrorists and sparing the uninvolved will be discussed.
The Luckiest People in the World - a Run Through Jewish History (3 of 4)
Clive Lawton
Location: Hum 1
Tracks: Diaspora, History, Politics
Type: Lecture, Discussion
Over four sessions, Clive will look at different periods in Jewish history and seek to support his thesis that the Jews are the luckiest people in history. Enough of whinging. Time to be grateful!
The Reduced Talmud Company
Natan Levy,
Joel Stanley
Location: Arts - Cinema
Tracks: Drama, Halacha, Tanach/Text
Type: Text Study, Performance
Jewish learning on stage. Actors perform three contemporary scenes, each illustrating an ethical dilemma or issue encapsulated in a section of Talmud. You, the audience, discuss the implications and hear from our expert panel. Ancient texts made relevant, accessible and meaningful.
The Tower of London and Its Secret Jewish History
Marcus Roberts
Location: Soc 5
Tracks: Archeology, History
Type: Lecture
This well illustrated session will show how this world heritage icon is one of the most important, but unknown, Jewish heritage sites in England. Discover Jewish builders, residents, staff, prisoners and martyrs of the Tower. What was Hagin's Tower? Discover the link between the elephants and the Jews of the Tower. We will ask, what is the significance of this heritage and how is Jewish heritage presented nationally and internationally?
To Wear Is Human, to Live Divine: Cross Dressing and Drag in Jewish Texts
Elliot Kukla
Location: Ram 6
Tracks: Age/Gender Issue, Social Justice, Tanach/Text
Type: Discussion, Text Study
Deuteronomy 22:5 apparently outlaws wearing the clothing of the opposite sex and yet this seemingly simple prohibition has been interpreted with layers of complexity by classical Jewish commentators from the Babylonian Talmud to Rashi to Moses Isserles. In this session we will explore commentaries on cross dressing and also explore their implications for modern times and what our clothing says about our gender and our souls.
Why There Is No Real Peace Process or Progress Toward Arab-Israeli Peace
Barry Rubin
Location: Arts - Conference
Tracks: Current affairs, Israel, Politics
Type: Lecture
A detailed analysis of Palestinian and Israeli politics, regional and international developments to show that the idea of a peace process is a mirage and, in fact, is being destroyed by Palestinian policies, regional upheavals, and international mistakes.
Windows to Israeli Society Through Literature (3 of 4)
Rachel Korazim
Location: Sci 8
Tracks: Israel, Literature, Poetry
Type: Discussion, Text Study
The Pain of Two Homelands. This session presents a sensitive yet very real theme in Israeli literature: The fact that even the most ardent Zionist immigrants had difficulties adjusting to the new land. Through prose and poetry of Rachel, Lea Goldberg, Agi, Mishol, Balfour Hakak, Amos Oz and more, we shall read and listen to homesickness to the old country and hope for a better future in Israel.
