This is the presenter list for Brighton & Hove Day Limmud 2009.
Brighton & Hove Limmud is now Sussex Limmud!
For this year's event, taking place on 22 May, click here.
Please note that the following list could be subject to change. We will update it regularly in the weeks up to the event.
Alex BRUMMER ~
Press Freedom and bias in the British media
A look at the way in which ownership structures and libel laws affect what we feel about Israel,The Middle East, and Jews in the press. How the new freedoms of the internet could threaten to change perceptions of the Middle East conflict worldwide.
Julie BURCHILL ~
Julie Burchill, author of ‘Not in my name’ will be interviewed by Winston Pickett.
Clive COLEMAN ~
Jews are like everyone else … only more so.
An exploration of the Jewish influence and Jewish character in situation comedy
… with ein bisel stand-up thrown in.
Dena COLEMAN ~
Jewish Schools: Desirable or divisive?
Do Jewish schools reinforce our children’s identity at the expense of providing them with the opportunity to learn about wider, non-Jewish, society? Does the existence of Jewish schools deprive non-Jewish children of the opportunity to get to know their Jewish peers? Are Jewish schools desirable or divisive?
Michael FLEXER ~
Funny because it’s true
Writing about the unbelievable true story of the last two Jews of Afghanistan.
During the hard years of the Taliban, one thing kept the Jewish community of Afghanistan together. They both hated each other. Michael will be talking about the bizarre true story of the last two Jews of Afghanistan and how he turned the material into his black comedy ‘My Brother’s Keeper.’
Dan FREEDMAN ~
‘The Kick Off !’
Dan will talk about his work with the England football team and his new series of children’s football novels. ‘The Kick Off and Shoot to Win’ are about Jamie Johnson.
He is a boy with the ultimate dream – making it as a professional footballer.
Gerry GABLE ~
Facing the enemies of Democracy
The Leader of the BNP will be standing for the European Parliament in June.
They have 55 local councillors and have now stopped increasing their presence on councils but their members are still engaged in violence and even terrorism.
How does Democracy resist them?
Jeremy GORDON ~
In Search of a Useable Revelation
What are we supposed to make of our most sacred text? Divine, human, or somewhere in-between? This session focuses on modern thinkers from across the denominations articulating their beliefs and, hopefully, provides a language for us to articulate our own.
Godfrey GOULD ~
Fifteen Jewish Buses
A feature of Brighton & Hove buses is the naming of them after people who have made some contribution, or were associated, to this locality. Fifteen of them were Jews (or of Jewish descent) in recognition of the exceptional contribution which our community has made for over 200 years.
Joachim HEMMERLE ~
Puppets which enchanted Chagall:
Simcha Schwarz’s ‘Hakl-Bakl’ theatre for the D.P. generation
In 1948 artist Simcha Schwarz created a Paris puppet theatre, ‘Haki-Baki’,to bring back the spirit of Eastern European Jewry to adults and children alike. Chagall encouraged him to create a show based on stories by Bella Chagall. This session includes photographs, tape-recordings and interviews by the speaker, with Simcha’s widow Ruth.
David HIRSH ~
The Relationship between Hostility to Israel and anti-Semitism.
Movements for Palestinian freedom – which make criticisms of Israel – are not necessarily anti-Semitic, but it would be surprising if anti-Israeli movements were never anti-Semitic. This session looks at the widely held belief that when people talk about anti-Semitism they are really concerned only to make criticism of Israel sound illegitimate.
Judy IRONSIDE ~
Brief Encounters with the UK Jewish Film Festival.
The UKJFF is proud of the short film fund which we have been running now for 5 years.
This ‘Brief Encounters’ programme offers a glimpse into the world of new young filmmakers who have benefited from this fund and have made some fascinating short films with Jewish themes.
‘The Holocaust Tourist: Whatever Happened to Never Again?’ Not another sad film about the Holocaust, but a wry animated documentary about Auschwitz hot-dogs and Krakow’s kitsch Judaica. How is dark tourism changing history?
‘Veils’ is a story about a Jewish girl and a Palestinian guy on their wedding day. But this is not a standard Roemo & Juliet story of forbidden love – there is much more than meets the eye.
‘Sidney Turtlebaum’ is a bitter sweet comedy and cautionary tale set in present day Golders Green, the heart of London’s Jewish community. Sidney is an eccentric gay Jewish man in his eighties. To punish the world Sidney earns his living as a pickpocket and a con-man. When Sidney meets 26 year old Gabriel he cannot resist the opportunity to show off his skills to his new young friend.
Peter JAMES ~
Our Criminally Good City.
This lecture is on the background to his career as a novelist.
Why Brighton is a perfect place to set his crime novels, and his experiences of spending many days every year out with the Sussex Police.
Maureen KENDLER ~
Why are these four sons different from those other four sons?
The four sons are a much-loved, much-discussed and much-argued over part of the Seder. Using 100 years of illustrations from The Haggadah we will see how we have tried to understand what wise, wicked, simple and can’t ask, might mean.
This session will use a hands-on resource that can be part of the Seder for all.
Ivan LAWRENCE ~
Being a Jewish M.P.
The reflections of the activities of a Jewish M.P. by a former M.P of twenty-three years.
David LAWSON with Adrian LOCHER ~
Steel and Schnapps: Sausages and Soldiers:Scrolls and Survival: The Story of Ostrava.
We tell how the Jews came to Ostrava and why; who they were and what they did, and the remarkable stories of some of those who survived the Holocaust - and some who did not – together with the incredible way one Sefer Torah came from there to Kingston Shul.
Clive LAWTON ~
Seder Miracles – strange things you never thought about before.
While we are probably very familiar with the Seder, there are aspects of it which are still quite surprising to even the most seasoned veteran. For example, who answers ‘the four questions?’ Why are there five questions anyway? Why does the matza keep changing? What’s all that gabbly bit at the end about?
Clive will attempt to answer these and other questions and in the process rejuvenate even the most well informed Sedarim
Diana LIPTON ~
What’s in a Name? The Biblical Background of a Talmudic Martyrdom
Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon is one of the ten martyrs remembered on Yom Kippur.
The Babylonian Talmud recounts his death – burnt by the Romans while wrapped in a Torah scroll, as a punishment for public Torah study. But did the rabbis who wrote his story approve of martyrdom and resistance to Rome? In this interactive session we do some exciting textual excavation to find out.
Adrian LOCHER ~
Peace through the Performing Arts
In anticipation of our third ‘Peace Project’ working on a theatre performance with Jewish and Arab teenagers from Northern Israel, we will present the exciting and innovative work of the Asha Centre.
Tony MACAULAY ~
An hour with nine-times British Academy-award-winning songwriter, Tony Macaulay
David Seidel will interview Tony Macaulay who will talk about 38 top twenty hits he’s written. The people he’s worked with include, Elvis, Elton John, David Bowie and many others. His has written a book entitled ‘The Jewish Influence on the ‘Entertainment Culture’.
Brian NATHAN ~
The Jewish Contribution to Popular Music of the 20th Century
A brief survey of why, how and what Jews have contributed to one of the most important entertainment industries of the 20th century, with particular emphasis on the first half of the century.
Rochelle OBERMAN ~
Create your own fabulous Passover Seder Plate
Create a beautiful and unique Passover Seder Plate, using paper, card, paint and more, to thrill you and your family on Seder night.
Stephen POLLARD ~
The Jewish Chronicle – past, present and future.
Stephen Pollard, Editor of the JC, will outline his plans and take your questions.
Anna ROTH ~
Janusz Korczak – Champion of the Child
If you’ve never heard of Korczak this session is a must … hear a life story which will put your faith back in humanity …Explore the life and legacy of this incredible educator, writer, doctor and activist, whose influence shaped the rights of children and young people today.
Miri RUBIN ~
Church and Synagogue: the history of a medieval image
Church and Synagogue, ecclesia and synagoga, emerged in the Middle Ages as the quintessential representation of the relations between Christianity and Judaism. Each was depicted as a lovely maiden, one upright and triumphant, and the other blind and misguided. So familiar from the facades of Gothic Cathedrals, Church and Synagogue were transformed beyond recognition in the later middle ages. This lecture will trace the tortuous story of this meaningful representation.
Sylvie SCHAPIRA ~
Working for peaceful co- existence with Israeli & Palestinian teenagers.
A narrative of how Israeli and Palestinian teenage participants experienced being together during intensive 2-week conflict transformation training summer camps in England. The consequences since their return home, and the future vision of Peace Insight, the training organisation.
Danny SCHEINMANN ~
Random Acts of Heroic Love from inspiration to publication
Danny Scheinmann talks about why he wrote the novel Random Acts of Heroic Love and the extraordinary story of how, after so many rejections, it became an international bestseller. This will be followed by a question and answer session – your opportunity to ask any questions about writing or the publishing industry
Merlin SHEPHERD ~
Identity through Music. Klezmer as a ‘way back in’ for secular Jews.
In this session we will discuss how the Klezmer revival has brought many secular Jews back into Judaism and how it has attracted many non-Jews into a deeper understanding of Jewish culture and history.
Polina SHEPHERD ~
The Phoenix of Jewish music.
Polina Shepherd watched the Klezmer revival in the FSU from a musician’s perspective starting with joining Russia’s first Klezmer band after Perestroika ‘Simcha’ in 1991.
She will talk about the phoenix of Jewish music that rose from the ashes of Communism and how it is developing throughout the FSU today.
Eva SCHLOSS ~
Living with the aftermath of the Holocaust.
Drawing on her personal experience Eva Schloss will describe how she was able to cope with her losses and how she returned from hopelessness to a positive approach to life,
(with the help of Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father).
David SEIDEL ~
The Future of Jewish Education in Small Communities
Together with Winston Pickett, David Seidel will hold a workshop on the educational needs of small communities.
Vivian SILVERMAN ~
The Parting of The Ways: Nazarene Christianity: Rabbini Judaism
The war against Rome (which led to the destruction of the second temple) contributed to the separation of early Christianity from Judaism. The latter part of the first century saw the formation of two separate religions – Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism.
Rob STEEN ~
My life as a Yiddisher Hack
How an overly sensitive, Woody Allen-quoting, socialist North London Jew found his mojo in the grimy boy’s-own world of sports journalism. Featuring close encounters with George Best, Ian Botham, Michael Jordan and Sonny Liston.
Elizabeth TIKVAH SARAH ~
Judaism: A recipe for tribalism or univeralism – or both?
Focusing on key daily prayers from Jewish liturgy, in this session, participants will have an opportunity to explore the extent to which these texts teach tribalism, universalism – or both – and to discuss the implications for our actions.
Charles WALLACH ~
Ma Nishtana – Creative Insights to add to your Seder
Based on his own studies Charles Wallach will offer additional material and commentary to the traditional Haggadah from ancient and modern sources.
Lindsay WITTENBERG ~
How high is your EQ? Raise your Emotional Intelligence Quotient in 60 minutes.
We all know that emotions can destabilise relationships, business, family life and social situations. On the other hand, applying emotional intelligence (awareness of emotions and managing them) can create significant improvements.
Come along to this practical and fun workshop and raise your EQ even higher than it already is.
Jess WOOD SARAH ~
Jewish Painting – a contradiction in terms ?
In this session we will look at the work of three great Jewish painters, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Marc Chagall. We will use traditional methods of textual interpretation to explore the ideas expressed in their paintings.
Willy WOOLFF ~
Can you revive a Jewish culture, once it has been destroyed or abandoned?
A discussion about the tragic example of Russian Jewry.
Big Blue Stories
Interactive storytelling for 0 – 5’s ………… sail away on the big blue sea to a land of puppets, stories and song.
