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Saturday, June 9
 

2:45pm AEST

Jews' languages in Australia: Israeli, Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian ...
What is a Jewish language? What is the current situation of Yiddish, Hebrew and Israeli in Australia? How can we teach and maintain them? What language do Israelis speak with their children in Australia? What about Russian-speaking Jews?
Speakers
avatar for Emmanuel Gruzman

Emmanuel Gruzman

Emmanuel is a PhD candidate at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University. His research project is about the settlement experiences, adaptation patterns and identity formations of Jews from the former Soviet Union in Melbourne. He finds people and their multiple... Read More →
avatar for Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz, Yiddish instructor at the YIVO institute and the Workmen’s Circle, was a lecturer in Jewish culinary history at Living Traditions Klezkamp.  She worked for several years as a cook and baker in New York and received her PhD in performance studies from New York University... Read More →
avatar for Ran Porat

Ran Porat

Ran is a scholar of the Israeli emigration to Australia and Middle East affairs analyst. He teaches ME history, conflict and Israel studies at Monash and holds a Bachelor degree in Middle-East Studies and a Master's in American Studies. Co-founder of the Association of Israelis in... Read More →
avatar for Ghil'ad Zuckermann

Ghil'ad Zuckermann

Professor of Linguistics & Endangered Languages, The University of Adelaide
Professor Ghil‘ad Zuckermann (D.Phil. Oxford) is Chair of Linguistics and Endangered Languages at the University of Adelaide. He is President of the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (AAJS), chief Investigator on a large research project assessing language revival and mental... Read More →

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Saturday June 9, 2018 2:45pm - 3:35pm AEST
THC Room A 222 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC, Australia
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Israel at 70: Geostrategic Challenges
The IDF is by far the most powerful army in the region. Yet from Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula in the south, to Iran, Hezbollah and Shia militias in the north, Israel faces significant security challenges. This session will examine these challenges and present the current Israeli thinking on how to deal with them
Speakers
avatar for Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor is director of research at BICOM. Since making Aliyah from London in 2005, Calev has worked in the Reut Institute as well as in the policy planning department of Israel's Foreign Ministry. He teaches and lectures on Jewish and Zionist thought to a variety of audienc... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 2:45pm - 3:35pm AEST
THC Auditorium 222 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC, Australia
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Ezra established Torah reading: how does learning Torah create community?
Ezra established Torah reading for the Jewish people, and the Rabbis transformed the act of Torah reading into Torah study. Why? How does reading Torah transform us and turn us into Torah learners? And how does Torah study transform us into community builders? We will look at how Torah reading became a Halachic requirement, and attempt to understand how it can help us build strong Jewish communities, and strong ties to the Torah itself.
Speakers
avatar for Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa serves as the director of education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabbah Epstein has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and liturgy at Pardes... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 2:45pm - 3:35pm AEST
THC Marquee
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

3:40pm AEST

Addressing child sexual abuse in 2018: the good, the bad and the ugly
As a dedicated international victims' advocate, Manny will share his vast knowledge and experience of how Jewish communities around the world are addressing the issue of child sexual abuse. Manny will highlight the significant progress made in the past few years, some of the areas that require improvement, and some of the key challenges and setbacks. Manny will share concrete examples from Jewish communities around the world where he regularly visits. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.
Speakers
avatar for Manny Waks

Manny Waks

Manny is a consultant, advocate, author and public speaker, currently working on global consultancy projects addressing the issue of child sexual abuse.  Manny has presented internationally on his personal and professional journey, child protection, effecting change, public advocacy... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 3:40pm - 4:30pm AEST
THC Marquee
  Community and Activism

3:40pm AEST

“Clothing Moses”: how Australia made London’s shmatta business
For Jews, there has been no business like the shmatta business. In London, New York, and almost everywhere in between, immigrant Jews clustered in the clothing trade in outsized numbers in the late nineteenth century, and rode its coattails to economic success. Less well known is how the rise of the shmatta business in London was intimately connected with Australia. This talk will recover this early history of Jewish entrepreneurship in London and Melbourne.
Speakers
avatar for Adam Mendelsohn

Adam Mendelsohn

Adam is a historian of Jews in English-speaking lands and author of The Rag Race (an award-winning history of Jews and shmattes). Adam, who has a PhD from Brandeis University, directs the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town, which studies South African Jewry and its dias... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 3:40pm - 4:30pm AEST
THC Room A 222 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC, Australia
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

3:40pm AEST

Feminists vs Rabbis: the battle for the soul of the Israeli army
Is a woman’s place in the home or on the front lines? The conflict between Israel’s rabbinical establishment and military leaders over women in the army has inspired harsh rhetoric that has dominated the headlines. We’ll discuss what is each side is saying - and more importantly, what young Israeli women are thinking - and doing - about it.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist, Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012, hosts the Haaretz Weekend podcast and is a co-host of The Promised Podcast. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post, and has also written for the New Republic, Politico, and other publications. She won... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 3:40pm - 4:30pm AEST
THC Auditorium 222 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC, Australia
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

3:40pm AEST

Can we read like the rabbis? The meaning(s) of Jewish textual study
What does it mean to read Jewish texts like the traditional rabbinic interpreters - and how do these study practices compare to other interpretive traditions? Together we'll explore the distinctive character of classical rabbinic textual interpretation and consider the philosophical and ethical significance of these practices for readers past and present.
Speakers
avatar for Emily Filler

Emily Filler

Emily is chair and assistant professor of Jewish studies at Earlham College, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside the Jewish textual tradition. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is co-editor of the Journal of Jewish Ethics and directs the sacred texts... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 3:40pm - 4:30pm AEST
THC Room B
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

5:00pm AEST

Soros Jew, Adelson Jew: how Jews can learn to talk to each other even when they are worlds apart
In our increasingly polarised world, the Jewish community often feels irreparably fractured into mutually uncomprehending sects. Whether the subject is political, religious, or Israel, not only have we forgotten how to talk to one another, we often don’t even understand where the other is coming from. Can we frame a new, honest conversation that brings everyone back to the table? Come for one answer culled from years of covering our community’s most divisive conflicts.
Speakers
avatar for Yair Rosenberg

Yair Rosenberg

Yair is a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and his writings have received awards from the Religion... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 5:00pm - 5:50pm AEST
THC Auditorium 222 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC, Australia
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

5:00pm AEST

Would that I were gefilte fish: special connection of fish to time, place and Jewish imagination
in 1910 the Yiddish daily Forward warned of "The war between Chop Suey and Gefilte Fish" The Yiddish language and gefilte fish are the two threads connecting Ashkenazic Jewry worldwide, even as they divide the Jewish people into fiercely partisan camps. This presentation will examine classic and modern sources on the special Jewish connection to fish to time, fish to place, and fish to the Jewish imagination.
Speakers
avatar for Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz, Yiddish instructor at the YIVO institute and the Workmen’s Circle, was a lecturer in Jewish culinary history at Living Traditions Klezkamp.  She worked for several years as a cook and baker in New York and received her PhD in performance studies from New York University... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 5:00pm - 5:50pm AEST
THC Room B
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

5:00pm AEST

Contemporary Israeli Literature: can you avoid politics?
Award-winning Israeli author Assaf Gavron examines contemporary Israeli fiction and the role of politics within it. Does life in such a politically-charged environment influence the kind of fiction and other art forms created within it? Are authors expected to deal with it, have an obligation to do so? Or perhaps a burden that they are not allowed to escape from? As an author he explores these challenges.
Speakers
avatar for Assaf Gavron

Assaf Gavron

Assaf Gavron is an acclaimed Israeli writer. His fiction has been adapted for the stage in Israel’s national theatre, and optioned for movies. He is the recipient of several awards including the Bernstein Prize, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Creative Award for Authors, and the... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 5:00pm - 5:50pm AEST
THC Marquee
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

5:00pm AEST

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik: international leader or community architect
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (known as the Rav) is generally known as the intellectual leader of American Modern Orthodoxy. Through his doctoral research, Seth discovered another part of Rabbi Soloveitchik – a community architect. This session – using archival evidence – will explore this aspect of Rabbi Soloveitchik's life and consider its implications.
Speakers
avatar for Seth Farber

Seth Farber

Seth Farber is an American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi, historian, and social activist. In 2002, Seth founded ITIM. ITIM operates a free Assistance Center that helps 5,000 people each year navigate government bureaucracy on matters of Jewish life, particularly marriage and conversion... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 5:00pm - 5:50pm AEST
THC Room A 222 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC, Australia
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

7:45pm AEST

JIFF: much more than movies
A conversation between Eddie Tamir, artistic director of the Jewish International Film Festival, and his son Benji Tamir about the complexities of running a Jewish film festival. They will play some trailers to give you a glimpse of some of the cutting edge new Jewish and Israeli films.
Speakers
avatar for Eddie Tamir

Eddie Tamir

Eddie Tamir is the artistic director of the Jewish International Film Festival and with his family runs the Classic, Cameo and Lido Cinemas. Sixty films will play at JIFF this October. The films are all Australian premieres from Israel and around the world. Eddie will be in conversation... Read More →
avatar for Benji Tamir

Benji Tamir

Benji Tamir is the manager of the Classic Cinemas. He completed media communication at RMIT and was the manager of Lido Cinemas. He plays semi-professional basketball for McKinnon and has played professionally for a season in Israel. He is passionate about film and is also interested... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
HB32
  Arts

7:45pm AEST

Leaving orthodoxy: the risks and benefits.
Pathways Melbourne supports people who have decided to move away from orthodox jewish lifestyles. These journeys can open new opportunities and fulfillment, but can also be challenged by major obstacles with family issues, employment, education, and finding a new place in the community. This session will feature first hand accounts of these issues, and help educate our community on the help and support that is needed in these complex matters.
Speakers
avatar for Mira Benedikt

Mira Benedikt

Mira grew up in Jerusalem, in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic community. She moved to Australia when married, to take up a teaching position at Adass Israel School. In mid-life, she and her husband moved away from a religious lifestyle to secularism. This opened up the possibility for her... Read More →
avatar for Leah Boulton

Leah Boulton

Leah is president of Pathways Melbourne, providing counselling and support for formerly orthodox people who are in need of assistance in navigating a new, secular world. Her professional background is in advertising and marketing.
avatar for Ari Hershkowitz

Ari Hershkowitz

Raised in New York in an insular, ultra-orthodox hasidic community, Ari questioned that life from a young age. Now an atheist, he has built a life outside his insular beginnings and has publicly shared the joys and struggle of that journey via social media and in the acclaimed documentary... Read More →
avatar for Elly Sapper

Elly Sapper

Elly spent 19 years in the Adass community. She shares her experiences of leaving a closed community, starting a new life with little support, and the highs and lows of forming a new personal identity. Elly is also passionate about social justice. She hopes to pursue her interest... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H126
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

7:45pm AEST

The sidelined story of the destruction of Lithuanian Jewry: perpetration and resistance
The destruction of Lithuanian Jewry does not fit the dominant narratives of the Holocaust. The vast majority were killed near their homes and in existing sites such as the Ninth Fort of Kovno (Kaunas) and the pits of Ponar outside of Vilna (Vilnius). The resistance in both Kovno and Vilna also are unusual in the context of the Holocaust. Both ghettos gave rise to 'united' partisan movements—which happened nowhere else, and included many women.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz, a native of Rochester, NY, is professor of modern Jewish history at University College London (and a Limmud veteran).  His publications include The Crime of My Very Existence: Nazism and the Myth of Jewish Criminality and “We Are Here”:  New Approaches to... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
HB36
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

7:45pm AEST

Israel at 70 - transformative moments in Israel's story
Join six Israelis and Israel enthusiasts as they share their thoughts on a key moment that changed Israel in a  jam packed hour of history, story telling, political analysis, social commentary and personal reflection.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Baker

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is the author of two memoirs, Thirty Days: A Journey To the End of Love and The Fiftieth Gate: A Journey Through Memory which won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award. He is an Associate Professor in the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University.
avatar for Zachary Gomo

Zachary Gomo

Zachary was raised in Melbourne. After completing school at Mount Scopus Memorial College, he studied in the Gush Yeshiva in Israel. He later served in a combat unit in the Israeli Air Force before returning to Australia and undertaking two Master's Degrees in Education. Zachary is... Read More →
avatar for Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet of Yeminite descent, is the founder of the popular Ars Poetica, a project which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry for the masses in the form of readings combined with Middle Eastern music and dancing. Keissar received the Bernstein Literary Award... Read More →
avatar for Liora Miller

Liora Miller

From early beginnings as an Associate to a Supreme Court Judge and later a Legal Adviser to the Attorney General (Vic), Liora Miller saw the light, left the law, and is now a Program Manager at Mount Scopus College, a role which underpins her belief that a connection to Israel... Read More →
avatar for Robin Moss

Robin Moss

Robin is the Director of Strategy of UJIA, the UK’s largest Israel charity, sits on the Board of National Officers of Liberal Judaism and is the Co-Chair of Publications for Limmud. An Oxford graduate, Robin placed 16th in the “40 under 40” list of young British Jewish lead... Read More →
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist, Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012, hosts the Haaretz Weekend podcast and is a co-host of The Promised Podcast. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post, and has also written for the New Republic, Politico, and other publications. She won... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H125
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

9:00pm AEST

One Trick Pony: Paul Simon in the 1970s with special guests Deborah Conway, Troy McMillin, Janine Maunder and Paul Williamson
In 1980, on the back of his Grammy award winning album Still Crazy After All These Years, Paul Simon made a film about the touring musician’s life, using his studio band. At the peak of his explorations into jazz, funk and fusion, Simon crafted an album that has become a cult obsession for many musicians and music fans around the world, called One Trick Pony.
This all-star band has been put together to capture the sound of Paul Simon from 1975-1980, the vibe of this particular band and his unique marriages of evocative poetry with funk and jazz.  Featuring guest vocalists who all share a deep love of this period of Simon’s career, the concert will also include some other tunes from Still Crazy and the late 70s Paul Simon Songbook.
Band:
Simon Starr - bass, vocals,
Jonathan Skovron - guitar, vocals
Darren Farrugia - drums
Brett Rosenberg - keys
Haydn Meggitt - percussion, vocals
Paul Williamson - saxophone, vocals
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Skovron

Jonathan Skovron

Jonathan Skovron is a singer, composer, arranger, guitarist, pianist, violinist, musical director and music teacher who has worked extensively in various genres and in different musical capacities. His debut solo EP, "In the Land", was released in 2012. He has since been working on... Read More →

Saturday June 9, 2018 9:00pm - 10:00pm AEST
H116
  Arts
 
Sunday, June 10
 

9:30am AEST

Grief and The Compassionate Jewish Community
How do we respond individually and as a community to death and other losses? What are some of the reasons for this?What guidelines can we rely on to help us decide what to do or say to someone who is experiencing loss?
Speakers
SC

Sandra Cohen

Sandra is an accredited mental health social worker, currently working with older people in a government service. She is interested in moving into private practice. Sandra was born into a traditional Iraqi Jewish family. She quickly developed an interest in different customs and beliefs... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H238
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

The conversion crisis in Israel
More than 5% of Israel's Jewish population isn't halachically Jewish. This session will address how Israel got into this situation and what is being done to change it. A particular emphasis will be placed on the implications of the immigration of more than a million Jews to Israel from the Former Soviet Union.
Speakers
avatar for Seth Farber

Seth Farber

Seth Farber is an American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi, historian, and social activist. In 2002, Seth founded ITIM. ITIM operates a free Assistance Center that helps 5,000 people each year navigate government bureaucracy on matters of Jewish life, particularly marriage and conversion... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H126
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

Epidemics, pandemics and Holocaust: DataScience gives new insights
Modern DataScience techniques are used to gain new perspectives on the Holocaust. Learn how the best genocide scholars underestimate the Holocaust “murder-rate” by a whole factor of ten, even today. Learn how German obsession with disease was a key trigger of the Holocaust, and how simple mathematical models can reconstruct the epidemics that over-ran the 40,000 European concentration camps. Learn through DataScience how effective Jewish medical resistance teams brought exploding epidemics to an abrupt halt.
Speakers
avatar for Lewi Stone

Lewi Stone

Lewi Stone is a Professor of Mathematical Biology in the Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University where he has worked for 20 years, and Math Department at RMIT University.

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H237
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

The two Jewish brothers who nearly saved the Confederacy
Saul Isaac is remembered today as the first Jew elected to the House of Commons as a Conservative. Less well-remembered is his earlier career as an international arms dealer and blockade runner during the American Civil War. This session will explore the rise, fall, and rise again of two larger-than-life scoundrels who became the largest single suppliers to the Confederacy during the American Civil War, and systematically cheated it in the process.
Speakers
avatar for Adam Mendelsohn

Adam Mendelsohn

Adam is a historian of Jews in English-speaking lands and author of The Rag Race (an award-winning history of Jews and shmattes). Adam, who has a PhD from Brandeis University, directs the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town, which studies South African Jewry and its dias... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H125
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

The day I started talking about the occupation
As we enter the 51st year of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank we are joined by two Israelis fighting the status quo. Both served in the IDF and use their experiences to share the Occupation’s daily reality with Israeli society. Avner Gvaryahu, one of Israel’s leading human rights activists, and Assaf Gavron, the award-winning author and novelist, will share their expertise and analysis on the impact of the occupation on Israelis.
Speakers
avatar for Assaf Gavron

Assaf Gavron

Assaf Gavron is an acclaimed Israeli writer. His fiction has been adapted for the stage in Israel’s national theatre, and optioned for movies. He is the recipient of several awards including the Bernstein Prize, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Creative Award for Authors, and the... Read More →
avatar for Avner Gvaryahu

Avner Gvaryahu

Avner Gvaryahu was born in Rehovot, raised in the religious nationalist community, and served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces. He has been a member of Breaking the Silence since 2008, is now their executive director and holds an MA in human rights from Columbia Univ... Read More →
avatar for Kate Rosenberg

Kate Rosenberg

Kate is the development coordinator for the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence and a board member of the New Israel Fund Australia. Originally from Melbourne she lived in Israel for many years where she founded Tov Lada'at and Keren Baktana.

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

"Israel created ISIS" and "Jihad" against Israel
Out of sight, preachers, so called 'journalists' and radio broadcasters in Arabic are usurping Australia's freedom of speech to preach hatred against the West, Antisemitism and incite for terror. You may not understand what they are saying, but many Arabic speaking Australians are listening. Unlike the vast majority of law abiding Muslims in Australia, a few are badly influenced by these messages. This is what was uncovered in two separate studies I published on this.
Speakers
avatar for Ran Porat

Ran Porat

Ran is a scholar of the Israeli emigration to Australia and Middle East affairs analyst. He teaches ME history, conflict and Israel studies at Monash and holds a Bachelor degree in Middle-East Studies and a Master's in American Studies. Co-founder of the Association of Israelis in... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H235
  Jewish World, Lecture/Discussion

9:45am AEST

Beit Midrash at Limmud 1: Are you text curious? Introduction to the joy of text
We are the people of the book.  Tommy will introduce you to the foundational texts of Jewish life in a non-technical, fun and informative session.  Mishnah, Toseftah, Midrash, Talmud - who wrote them, when, why, what is in it and why is it relevant to you today.

This is a Limmud Oz Beit Midrash session and runs from  9.45 to 11.15am - This program is modelled on traditional Beit Midrash havruta (partner) style learning but with an open and pluralistic approach. No previous Talmud learning is necessary.  See page 3 for more information
Speakers
avatar for Thomas Sterling

Thomas Sterling

Tommy is a long time Limmudnik who loves to ask questions and explore the origin of all things Jewish. His passions span the traditional to the academic, presented with a humorous and irreverent approach. He is also married to Sydney's first female Orthodox Rabbi. You can call him... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 9:45am - 11:15am AEST
H241
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

Anarcho-Orthodoxy: the rabbinic power grab
Throughout Jewish literature the rabbis are disdainful of leadership and hint at their support for an anarchic system without leaders (but not without rules). Through the generations, this ideal has been lost to the point where the rabbinic leaders demand control over our lives. In Israel they control marriage, conversion and divorce and use these powers to ruin people’s lives, and Australia is not far behind. Only one truly Jewish solution exists: destruction of the rabbanut and upending of the leadership in our communities.
Speakers
avatar for Yaron Gottlieb

Yaron Gottlieb

Yaron is a rabbi, Zionist, anarchist, traditionalist, radical, pluralist and secularist. It makes sense to him. He is an avid comic book reader and sometimes writer, and hangs out with people who want to destroy the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H235
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

Bris: beautiful or barbaric?
Circumcision is the foundational covenant of the Jewish people and was unquestioned for millennia. In recent years, people both within and outside the Jewish community, have raised questions about its place as a ritual. What is happening with circumcision today?  
Speakers
avatar for Ellyse Borghi

Ellyse Borghi

Ellyse is a children's lawyer by day and a Torah learner and teacher by night. Ellyse is in her second year of studies for orthodox smicha (rabbinic ordination) through Yeshivat Har'El in Jerusalem. Some of the more distant places where Ellyse has taught Torah are Hong Kong, Ghana... Read More →
avatar for Michael Gordon

Michael Gordon

Michael is a surgeon, mohel, adventurer and Judaism teacher.
avatar for Jonathan Skovron

Jonathan Skovron

Jonathan Skovron is a singer, composer, arranger, guitarist, pianist, violinist, musical director and music teacher who has worked extensively in various genres and in different musical capacities. His debut solo EP, "In the Land", was released in 2012. He has since been working on... Read More →
avatar for Lionel Steinberg

Lionel Steinberg

Lionel is a Melbourne-based obstetrician and gynaecologist who originates from South Africa. He has proudly delivered more than 10,000 babies during his 25-year career. Beyond his career of choice, Lionel also performs medical circumcisions.

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H126
  Community and Activism

10:45am AEST

Between the Dome of the Rock and a hard place
While the overwhelming majority of the world's Muslims condemn extremism over and over again, their religion appears to be overwhelmed by it. While most Muslims say Islam is a religion of peace, much of the Muslim world appears wracked by war. In this discussion, I'll explain why that is--and how to go about changing things for the better.
Speakers
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Haroon is the Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He also teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H125
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

Israel - three big questions: for what, if anything, should Israel and Israelis apologise? (1 of 3)
Over three sessions, we'll explore three issues of existential importance to Israel in the 21st century. I'll frame the question, you bring the answers! First, we'll explore the role that remorse, regret and repentance have played in Israeli history. From Qibya in the 1950s to the disengagement in the 2000s, when could or should Israel say sorry?
Speakers
avatar for Robin Moss

Robin Moss

Robin is the Director of Strategy of UJIA, the UK’s largest Israel charity, sits on the Board of National Officers of Liberal Judaism and is the Co-Chair of Publications for Limmud. An Oxford graduate, Robin placed 16th in the “40 under 40” list of young British Jewish lead... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

JFK and the State of Israel
The relationship between Israel and the US developed strongly under the JFK administration. To what extent did Israel utilize the relationship to develop it’s nuclear program.
Speakers
avatar for Avi Cohen

Avi Cohen

Avi is deputy principal of Mount Scopus College and has lectured extensively on the history of modern Israel.

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H237
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

Judaism and Positive Psychology
A nice Jewish boy and esteemed psychologist, Martin Seligman, developed a new branch of psychology in the late 1990's called Positive Psychology. With a change in emphasis from what is not working well to what is working well, Seligman revolutionised both the field of psychology and education. Consciously, or unconsciously, influenced by his Jewish heritage, our sacred Jewish teachings have long been sharing the messages of positive psychology. Come and see for yourselves.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Conyer

Allison Conyer

Allison Conyer is the rabbi at Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue in Bentleigh. Born into a secular Jewish family in California, Rabbi Conyer has studied at Modern Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform institutions. Committed to Jewish pluralism, and with a background in theatre and psychology... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
HB36
  Jewish Ideas, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

UNSONG: The Great American Kabbalistic Novel
What if the structure of the universe was described not by astrophysics, but by Kabbalah? This is the world of UNSONG, a web novel where Names of God are copyrighted and the Statue of Liberty becomes a golem. Join Raphael Morris and Kochava Lilit in exploring how author Scott Alexander intertwines languages, histories and texts in a uniquely Jewish way while adding his own commentaries to those of poets, philosophers and rabbis.
Speakers
K
avatar for Raphael Morris

Raphael Morris

Raphael Morris (they/he) is a philosophy graduate and a board member of Kedem (Kehillat David haMelech), as well as a university tutor in mathematics and computer science. He finds the rabbis of the Talmud relatable due to their tangential discussions and their inability to stay on... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
HB39
  Jewish Ideas, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

What is the most important Jewish value to pass on to the next generation?
If you could just pass on one Jewish value to your children, what would it be? Our four panelists - Rabbi Shamir Caplan, Stand Up's Gary Samowitz, founder of Impact for Women Kathy Kaplan OAM, and award-winning journalist Deborah Stone - will each give their views on the Jewish value that they see as the most important one to pass on to future generations.
Speakers
avatar for Shamir Caplan

Shamir Caplan

Shamir works as chaplain and Talmud teacher at Mount Scopus Memorial College, and rabbi of Beit Aharon Congregation (modern orthodox) in Melbourne. He previously worked at Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania, and studied in New York, Jerusalem, and Texas. He enjoys exploring... Read More →
avatar for Evelyn Flitman

Evelyn Flitman

President, Jewish Ecological Coalition (JECO)
Educated at Mount Scopus more years ago than she cares to remember, Evelyn's Jewish involvement over the years has included MonJSS, B'nai B'rith, the Jewish Secular Humanist School, JNF and the Jewish Ecological Coalition (JECO) of which she is currently president. Evelyn is of mixed... Read More →
avatar for Kathy Kaplan

Kathy Kaplan

Formerly a maths/English teacher, Kathy also worked in the fields of educational management and fundraising. She now satiates her love of teaching by conducting interfaith school tours at TBI, JMA and the JCMA. Amongst other things, Kathy is the founder of Impact and doting Safti... Read More →
avatar for Gary Samowitz

Gary Samowitz

Hakoah
Gary has a long history of working in the non-profit industry and across many realms of the Australian Jewish community. He worked for ten years as the CEO of Stand Up and prior to that was the Hillel Director in Sydney where he mentored and trained Jewish university students, and... Read More →
avatar for Deborah Stone

Deborah Stone

Deborah is a writer, speaker and communications consultant. An award-winning journalist, she is a former feature writer on The Age, former Editor of ArtsHub, and former Editor of the Australian Jewish News. She has worked in communications and as an executive in the arts, community... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
HB32
  Jewish Ideas, Panel discussion

11:30am AEST

Beit Midrash at Limmud 2: Is the majority always right?
What happens when the Rabbis disagree with a Divine voice - and overrule it? What are the communal consequences when a dissenter is ostracised? Join us as we examine the famous story of an oven and a public shaming and discover the true meaning of the statement "The Torah is not in Heaven".

This is a Limmud Oz Beit Midrash session and runs from 11.30am to 1.00pm. This program is modelled on traditional Beit Midrash havruta (partner) style learning but with an open and pluralistic approach. No previous Talmud learning is necessary. See page 3 for more information

Speakers
avatar for Sarah Charak

Sarah Charak

Sarah studied Tanach, Talmud and Jewish philosophy at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, and then history and law at the University of Sydney. Her Honours thesis analysed the impact of the White Australia policy on Australian Jewish identity and community in the 1880s-1920s. She has... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 11:30am - 1:00pm AEST
H241
  Text Tradition and Faith

12:00pm AEST

Just Like You
Through dance, music and photography Eli will explore disability and her experience of Judaism and Jewish community. Her aim is to show that people with disabilities are just like anyone else. They simply need not to be defined by their disability, to be given room to flourish and a willingness on the part of others to be accommodating.
Speakers
avatar for Elisheva J-R

Elisheva J-R

Eli J-R has a rare Jewish genetic disorder and complex disabilities. She enjoys theatre and dance and has toured Victoria with Rag Theatre Group and participated in the Fringe Festival with Rollercoaster Theatre. She is also an emerging photographic artist who held her first solo... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
HB39
  Arts, Performance

12:00pm AEST

Music in the Camps
Music was an integral part of camp life in almost all Nazi concentration camps prior to and during World War II. Yiddish songs were sung in Eastern European camps, classical and Jewish music was performed at Theresienstadt and specific orchestras, like the ‘ Girls Orchestra’ in Auschwitz and the Jazz Big Band in Buchenwald, were established. This talk looks at why music was so important in the Camps for both the victims and the perpetrators.
Speakers
avatar for Andy Bromberger

Andy Bromberger

Andy Bromberger ASCM, BMus performed professionally and taught clarinet for many years. Eight years ago she started 'Coffee Cake and Culture' which explores the social history of classical music. She regularly talks at the NSW Art Gallery and Eastside Radio, lectures at WEA and her... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H237
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Seasoned with song: sacred music of the Ashkenazic Sabbath meals
The Sabbath meals and their songs are among the chief pleasures and obligations of the Sabbath, codified with the Talmudic injunction that on the Sabbath Jews should eat, drink, discuss Torah, and sing songs. Two traditions connect the Sabbath zmires with Sabbath foods: the belief that the songs alone are nourishment and the mystical tradition that food is itself a form of worship. This presentation examines some of the surprising cultural phenomena of zmires.
Speakers
avatar for Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz, Yiddish instructor at the YIVO institute and the Workmen’s Circle, was a lecturer in Jewish culinary history at Living Traditions Klezkamp.  She worked for several years as a cook and baker in New York and received her PhD in performance studies from New York University... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
HB32
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Best of times, worst of times: Being Jewish in the age of Trump and Corbyn
In many places there has never been a better time to be Jewish but Jewish communities around the world are facing challenges that seemed unthinkable ten years ago.  A vocal neo right has emerged in Trump's America, and English Jews are divided, angry and not staying shtum about a Jewish problem in the Labour party.  Across the spectrum - from  the Women's March to David Duke  - what's the deal with Jewishness in our time? 
Speakers
avatar for Robin Moss

Robin Moss

Robin is the Director of Strategy of UJIA, the UK’s largest Israel charity, sits on the Board of National Officers of Liberal Judaism and is the Co-Chair of Publications for Limmud. An Oxford graduate, Robin placed 16th in the “40 under 40” list of young British Jewish lead... Read More →
avatar for Yair Rosenberg

Yair Rosenberg

Yair is a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and his writings have received awards from the Religion... Read More →
avatar for Adam Slonim

Adam Slonim

Adam Slonim works professionally with the Australian Institute for Machine Learning at Adelaide University - number 3 in the world in Artificial Intelligence research. Adam has authored a policy paper on “AI and the Future of Work” and is a director of VorAI Systems, an AI start... Read More →
avatar for Julie Szego

Julie Szego

Julie Szego, writer and Fairfax columnist, worked at The Age for 12 years and wrote columns for The Australian Jewish News for seven years. She teaches creative non-fiction at Melbourne University and journalism at Monash University. Her book The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama was shortlisted... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H126
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

FAMILY SESSION: Realising your imagination
Ever thought about creating your own book? Popular author-illustrator Anna Ciddor will share her professional secrets, demonstrate how to improve and make the most of your writing and drawing talents, and reveal what goes into the making of a book. A fun, interactive and informative session for the whole family.
Speakers
avatar for Anna Ciddor

Anna Ciddor

Anna Ciddor has made her name as a versatile writer-illustrator over the past thirty years. The Family with Two Front doors, based on her grandmother’s childhood in Poland, won a Notable Award, Children’s Book Council, Australia, and Junior Library Guild Selection, America. It... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H220
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Long lost mishpoche
Ricki Mainzer and Susie Beville were each adopted by loving Jewish families as infants, and came to learn about their birth families as adults. Join them in conversation with Ann Wollner as they talk about the journey of discovering these family connections, and their stories which reflect both universal and particularly Jewish concerns.
Speakers
avatar for Susie Beville

Susie Beville

A food and wellness coach, food educator and cooking class facilitator, Susie’s passion lies in the beauty and intricacies of human relationships. Susie, a single mother of two young adults, grew up with the knowledge that she had been adopted through the Jewish welfare system... Read More →
avatar for Ricki Mainzer

Ricki Mainzer

Ricki Mainzer was adopted at nine months to a most wonderful Jewish couple who had resigned themselves to a childless life. For nineteen years, she thrived in a nurturing home happily oblivious to the fact. Inspired by her parents’ strong Jewish Identity she teaches History, Shoah... Read More →
avatar for Ann Wollner

Ann Wollner

Ann is a mother, grandmother, family lawyer and child psychologist. She has a passion for promoting children’s wellbeing and development. She is a specialist in the law relating to International Parental Child Abduction and has interests in family violence, international child protection... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H125
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Nazism, the Holocaust, and the myth of Jewish criminality
This illustrated presentation investigates a rarely considered but critical aspect of antisemitism that proved extremely effective in the imagination and perpetration of the Holocaust—the association of Jews with criminality. Drawing from a trove of documentary evidence, including photographs, Berkowitz traces the myths and realities interwoven in the idea that Jews were a "criminal" menace. This dimension of Nazi policy became increasingly important as they sought to rationalize organized brutality and genocide.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz, a native of Rochester, NY, is professor of modern Jewish history at University College London (and a Limmud veteran).  His publications include The Crime of My Very Existence: Nazism and the Myth of Jewish Criminality and “We Are Here”:  New Approaches to... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H235
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Diversity in Progressive Judaism
Many people think that "Progressive Judaism" is a single entity. The aim of this panel is to explore the diversity within Progressive Judaism. All of the speakers believe there is more than one way to be Jewish. The speakers represent the Masorti, Liberal and Reconstructionist expressions of Judaism. At the same time, they are all active members of the Council of Progressive Rabbis in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Speakers
KE

Kim Ettlinger

Kim Ettlinger has South African roots and was raised in Perth. She attended Hebrew Union College in LA and is currently associate rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in St Kilda. She coordinates the Melton program in Melbourne and serves as chair of the Council of Progressive Rabbis in A... Read More →
SK

Shoshana Kaminsky

Shoshana Kaminsky has served as a rabbi at Beit Shalom since 2006. She is constantly seeking ways to make all aspects of Jewish life more relevant and exciting for Jews living in the modern world. Shoshana has worked with the Indonesian community for the past three years
avatar for David Kunin

David Kunin

David Kunin is rabbi of the Jewish community of Japan and has served congregations in Scotland and Canada. He is active in interfaith relations, and is author of Beyond the Golden Rule: A Jewish Perspective on Dialogue and Diversity. He has been working with the Indonesian Jewish... Read More →
FM

Fred Morgan

Fred is a popular presenter at Limmud Oz, Melton Adult Jewish Education, the Jewish Museum of Australia and elsewhere. He was formerly Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in Melbourne, Movement Rabbi for the Union for Progressive Judaism and a fellow in Jewish-Christian relations at... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
HB36
  Jewish Ideas, panel

12:00pm AEST

Laughing at Adversity - How to embrace a positive mindset to enhance resilience and wellbeing during life’s prickly moments
Drawing on Ros’s professional background in health promotion, mindfulness and laughter wellness, and her critically acclaimed book, “Laughing at cancer – How to Heal with Love, Laughter and Mindfulness” this session will reveal how to create a joy mindset. Ros will share how this enhances wellbeing, empowers healing and promotes positivity boosts all aspects of wellbeing and life satisfaction. Her messages will resonate with anyone who has undergone a life challenge.
Speakers
avatar for Ros Ben-Moshe

Ros Ben-Moshe

Ros Ben-Moshe is a leading laughter wellness expert and Director of LaughLife Wellbeing Programs, http://laughlife.com.au. She is also Adjunct lecturer at the School of Public Health at La Trobe University and author of the critically acclaimed “Laughing at cancer – How to Heal... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H238
  Spirituality and wellbeing, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

Could you walk a mile in their shoes?
In Gen17 19% of people indicated they are financially “Just getting along”, and 6% “at times they’re unable to afford basic necessities such as food or medicine”! Meanwhile the Australian poverty line is $426 a week. How many of us could manage? As members of the Jewish community what can we do if we identify such a situation? What practical support can we personally give in addition to referring people to community organisations?
Speakers
avatar for Andrea Cooper

Andrea Cooper

Andrea is a communications professional and consumer advocate. Passionate about social justice she is a thought leader in the field of inclusive communications and information access. She is has a strong commitment to the Jewish community as well as an interest in the links between... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H235
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

Why I sued Israel's Chief Rabbinate and other strange stories
Being on the front lines of activism in Jewish life in Israel, Seth – as an orthodox rabbi – has sued Israel's Chief Rabbinate multiple times. This session will address some of the backdrop to these episodes, and talk about both the "why's" and "Why nots" of using the courts in Israel to improve Jewish life.
Speakers
avatar for Seth Farber

Seth Farber

Seth Farber is an American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi, historian, and social activist. In 2002, Seth founded ITIM. ITIM operates a free Assistance Center that helps 5,000 people each year navigate government bureaucracy on matters of Jewish life, particularly marriage and conversion... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H125
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

When bigotry slapped me in the face: stories from the front line
A panel of  young adults from various walks of life will discuss their experience confronting bigotry in Australia.  Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, will moderate and take questions from the audience. The ADC works to combat anti-Semitism and racism in all its forms and to promote positive relationships between ethnic and religious communities and to further develop multicultural Australia.  
Speakers
avatar for Dvir Abramovich

Dvir Abramovich

Dvir is Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission and the Israel Kipen Director of the Program in Jewish Culture and Society at the University of Melbourne. The author of six books, his latest publications are A Touch of Genius: Portraits and Literary Masterpieces and the forthcoming... Read More →
avatar for Nivy Balachandran

Nivy Balachandran

An Australian-born Hindu and long-time interfaith organiser, Nivy has lived in Qatar, Switzerland, Venezuela and India. Passionate about fostering intercultural understanding, Nivy co-founded Australia’s first youth-led interfaith organisation InterAction. She is the Australia-Pacific... Read More →
avatar for Zachary Gomo

Zachary Gomo

Zachary was raised in Melbourne. After completing school at Mount Scopus Memorial College, he studied in the Gush Yeshiva in Israel. He later served in a combat unit in the Israeli Air Force before returning to Australia and undertaking two Master's Degrees in Education. Zachary is... Read More →
avatar for Ariella Woolf

Ariella Woolf

Ariella Woolf is an 18-year-old student. She attended Beth Rivkah Ladies College from 2010 until the end of 2017. She is very community-minded, enjoys volunteering and was a recipient of the 2015-2016 Victorian Volunteer Award.
avatar for Nevo Zisin

Nevo Zisin

Nevo is a 22-year-old activist, public speaker and author of Finding Nevo, a memoir on gender transition and sexuality. Assigned female at birth, Nevo transitioned to present as male at the age of 17 and now identifies outside a female/male gender binary. Nevo is a contact point in... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H116
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

Sibling rivalry in the Bible: Leah and Rachel: God help the mister who comes between me and my sister
Tension between siblings is a universal phenomenon, and can be traced back to the beginning of Jewish history. Perhaps no sibling struggle is as poignant and drama-filled as that of two sisters falling in love with the same man! Why does the Bible tell us this story? What lessons can we learn from it? We will explore this story in depth and see what it can teach us about sisterhood, love, and our own lives.
Speakers
avatar for Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa serves as the director of education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabbah Epstein has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and liturgy at Pardes... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H126
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

The politics of Tikun Olam - repairing the world? It isn’t easy being green... or is it?
Tikun Olam in modern Jewish circles, has become synonymous with pursuit of social justice. Please join Steph, Abe, Tim and Sivan in conversation about their experiences of grassroots activism and advocacy - through media, national climate change campaigns, local government projects and personal responsibility. In the words of Rabbi Hillel “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?”
Speakers
avatar for Sivan Barak

Sivan Barak

Sivan is a lifetime social worker and ally, who collaborates for the means and ends. She believes in passing the microphone, working across groups and walking gently on stolen land. Sivan energetically advocates for social justice while repairing our earth.
avatar for Tim Baxter

Tim Baxter

Tim is a seasoned community organiser, campaigning for grassroots and community-driven responses to climate change. Tim believes that the community has the power to drive change where government leadership has failed. Since being elected to Port Phillip Council in 2016, he has continued... Read More →
avatar for Stephanie Hodgins-May

Stephanie Hodgins-May

Steph is the Greens candidate for Melbourne Ports. A former environmental lawyer, adviser to the Australian Mission to the United Nations and advocate at Environmental Justice Australia, Steph believes that electing more Greens to federal parliament is necessary to defend communities... Read More →
avatar for Avraham Schwarz

Avraham Schwarz

Abe has devoted 18 years to discovering the untold legacy of William Cooper & the Aboriginal:Jewish connection, whilst advocating for inclusion of marginalised voices in the community and on radio. Abe remains passionate that only through interfaith and grassroots dialogue can lasting... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
HB32
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Farhud: the massacre of the Jewish people of Iraq
When we speak of the Six Million, the numbers need to include not only European Jews but the number of Jews murdered through the direct influence of Nazism in the Middle East. While Nazism had taken hold throughout the Middle East, its greatest stronghold was in Iraq. This culminated in the massive slaughter of the Jewish population of Iraq in June 1941. That event became known as The Farhud, The Anarchy.
Speakers
avatar for Nita Tiffaha Jawary

Nita Tiffaha Jawary

Nita Tiffaha Jawary is a Melbourne artist and writer. The daughter of Iraqi-Jewish parents, Nita was raised in a strongly Judeo-Babylonian cultural atmosphere. Her writing, art and cuisine are all infused with its aromas.

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
HB36
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Trash or treasure: How do we decide what we value?
What should we retain and value? As witnesses to our history pass away, what should we attempt to preserve? What should we let go? Using a case study of the Helen Synman Archive at Mount Scopus Memorial College, join us to explore what the future will learn from our past. What’s a Jewish school doing with a ceremonial sword? Who can you spot from our early records? Would we want your 1976 batmitzvah siddur?
Speakers
avatar for Marlo Newton

Marlo Newton

Executive Director of the Mount Scopus College Foundation, Marlo has spent the past 29 years working for the Jewish community, usually in a role combining education and development. She is passionate about history in general and Jewish history in particular.
avatar for Frankie Pinch

Frankie Pinch

Passionate about exploring and sharing untold history, Frankie has been the Project Manager of the MSMC Helen Synman Archive since 2012. Co-author of the book Pillars of St Kilda Hebrew Congregation: Celebrating our History and Families, her background is in marketing and communications... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
HB39
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Chess and the Jewish Question
This session will provide an overview of the relationship between Jews and chess - how chess fits into Jewish history, the halokhes of playing chess; the similarities between chess and Talmud study; an overview of the great Jewish chess players and world champions; a review of anti-semitism in the chess world and finally a discussion as to why Jews are no longer as dominant at chess as they were.
Speakers
avatar for Doodie Ringelblum

Doodie Ringelblum

Doodie is a communal activist whose goal in life is to continue to contribute to a diverse range of communal organisations whilst avoiding any more committee meetings. He raises his three children in Yiddish and eats more chocolate than you do.

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
H237
  Jewish World, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Angels and Kabbalah
We explore the topic of angels in the Jewish tradition, with Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff, looking at ancient sources and experiencing meditation based on these Kabbalistic texts such as the Zohar. With beautiful musical accompaniment of Emanuel Lieberfreund: flute and percussion. This session will be intellectually fascinating as well as relaxing for the soul. You will come away with tools for de-stressing, from a Jewish perspective. Be inspired, relaxed and rejuvenated.
Speakers
avatar for Emanuel Lieberfreund

Emanuel Lieberfreund

Emanuel Lieberfreund is passionate about the power of music to open the heart to a sense of the sacred. He studied jazz and classical flute at the Sydney Conservatorium. Emanuel currently plays flutes, saxophones and percussion. Author of world music ambience CD "Atma's Sphere", he... Read More →
avatar for Orna Triguboff

Orna Triguboff

A Kabbalah scholar specialising in Jewish meditation, Orna received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi of the Jewish Renewal movement. She's a hatha yoga teacher trained by Acharya Upendra Roy, serves at Emanuel Synagogue Sydney, and is spiritual director of Neshama... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
H241
  Spirituality and wellbeing, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Massaging Himmler Concert: storytelling, piano and images*
Kersten secured the release of thousands. Accused of collaboration at the end of the war, he was cleared and received high honours. Combining the immediacy of live story-telling and the impact of historical video imagery, with Rachmaninoff’s potent piano (prerecorded soundtrack), these preludes mirror the mythic quality of the Dr Kersten story. Both works are heroes’ journeys through struggle and conflict into light. Often darkly passionate, the music is threaded through & finishes with passages of sublime transcendence.
* This session runs for 2 hours
Speakers
avatar for Julian Bailey

Julian Bailey

Julian Bailey is a financial planner and concert pianist, and developed a unique teaching method 'Singing Logic'. Anne M Carson is an essayist, visual artist, published/awarded poet. She works as creative writing therapist, serves as Director Arts on the Ondru Board. Together they... Read More →
avatar for Anne M Carson

Anne M Carson

Director, Muse Poetica
Anne M Carson’s poetry has been published internationally and widely in Australia. She has been awarded in many poetry prizes. 'Writing on the Wall' was published in 2017 in support of Anti Slavery Australia and 'Massaging Himmler: a Poetic Biography of Dr Felix Kersten' is ready... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 1:30pm - 3:30pm AEST
H238
  History and Memory, Performance

2:45pm AEST

Bookclub: All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan
All the Rivers by Israeli writer Dorit Rabinyan became the centre of a political scandal in 2016. It is a love story but the relationship is tested by virtue of the fact that the protagonists are an Israeli and a Palestinian. Subsequent to receiving the book of the year prize awarded by Ha'aretz, it was banned from Israeli high schools which caused much controversy and ensured that the book was widely read and discussed. This book club discussion will explore both the story and Rabinyan's craftsmanship, but let's also examine a little of the history of book banning in the western world and the morality (or otherwise ?) of the practice.
Speakers
avatar for Michelle Prawer

Michelle Prawer

Michelle is an academic teaching scholar in the First Year College at Victoria University. She is a past Victorian judge of the CBCA book Awards, the Eve Powell Information Book Award and the Crichton Award and she has many years of experience both teaching and assessing VCE English... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H237
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Peace, Salaam, Shalom: hope through harmony
Join Noah as he shares and teaches powerful songs of peace, love and understanding. Music has always been force for change; we sing together to create harmony in our world, and as we do so, we share a common language that builds trust and understanding. Learn new songs in a small corner of Melbourne, then take them home and change the world!
Speakers
avatar for Noah Aronson

Noah Aronson

Noah Aronson is an energetic and soulful composer/performer whose unique musical style propels his music into communities across North America, Israel, and Europe. Noah is currently the creative director of Sacred Music NY, a non-profit organisation he helped to create, which organises... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
HB32
  Arts, Performance

2:45pm AEST

Jewish journeys and journeying with Judaism
How we define ourselves and, more specifically, how we define ourselves Jewishly are rarely fixed. For many of us, this involves a journey of questioning, exploration and discovery over many years. Hear from five people whose journeys with Judaism have taken them on very different routes: into and away from Judaism; awakening to or finding themselves at odds with their Judaism. Each person’s story is rich with the change that their journey has wrought. Come to listen and be moved.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Conyer

Allison Conyer

Allison Conyer is the rabbi at Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue in Bentleigh. Born into a secular Jewish family in California, Rabbi Conyer has studied at Modern Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform institutions. Committed to Jewish pluralism, and with a background in theatre and psychology... Read More →
avatar for Hunter Gurevich

Hunter Gurevich

Hunter is studying a Bachelor of Medical Research in Hobart, in addition to bachelors and master degrees in Arts. He has lived in Melbourne, London and Bangkok, and travelled extensively in those regions. He transitioned recently, and wants to contribute to the Jewish conversation... Read More →
avatar for Dassi Herszberg

Dassi Herszberg

Dassi, the fifth of eight children, was born into a Ger hasidic family in Melbourne’s Adass community. With her questioning, inquisitive, inquiring mind, she didn't fit the mould and didn’t stay in that world. Mother to a delightful, questioning, inquisitive and inquiring 20-year-old... Read More →
avatar for Sidra Moshinsky

Sidra Moshinsky

Sidra Kranz Moshinsky is head of Jewish Studies (Secondary) at Bialik College. She has curated several exhibitions at the Jewish Museum of Australia and is a freelance writer. She is a committee member of Limmud Oz and a board member of Stand Up.
avatar for Adrienne O'Dell

Adrienne O'Dell

Adrienne O’Dell is a humanitarian with nine years in not-for-profit organisations and volunteering to improve the world we live in.  Adrienne is currently focused on her passion for systems change. She is chief of staff at MiVote, a global democratic movement that provides everyone... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H126
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Oy vey! A vegan at the Shabbes table
No meat? No worries! For some people, the idea of a Shabbat dinner without chicken soup, fish or egg dip is unthinkable. Join Shari on a journey through a traditional Friday night meal with a plant-based twist. No longer do your vegan and vegetarian guests have to settle for roast potatoes and side salads; see how easy it can be to make a few simple substitutes that will make everyone welcome at your table.
Speakers
avatar for Shari Cohen

Shari Cohen

Shari is a born and bred foodie whose love of cooking (and feeding other people) is ingrained in her DNA. When she’s not working, she enjoys baking (copiously), taking photos of her puppy (frequently), and championing the correct use of the apostrophe (religiously). Follow her foodie... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
HB39
  Community and Activism, Food demonstration

2:45pm AEST

Conversations on Israel: The Essence of Decision & Debates over Foreign Policy (1 of 3)
This Shiur focuses on two key events in Jewish history that took place within 65 years of each other: the destruction of the temple by the Romans, and the defeat of the Bar Kochba rebellion, which led to the full loss of sovereignty over the land of Israel for 1800 years. We'll look at different traditional and contemporary sources - from the Talmud to Jared Diamond - to try and understand their significance.
Speakers
avatar for Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor is director of research at BICOM. Since making Aliyah from London in 2005, Calev has worked in the Reut Institute as well as in the policy planning department of Israel's Foreign Ministry. He teaches and lectures on Jewish and Zionist thought to a variety of audienc... Read More →

Calev Ben Dor 2018 Limmud Conversations Essence of Decision ppt
Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Journey to Hospital Land: bringing Israelis and Palestinians/Arabs together at their most vulnerable time
Israeli hospitals are unique cross cultural environments where religious and secular Jews, Moslem and Christian Israeli Arabs and Palestinians spend time together as fellow patients, staff. I’ve seen first hand how this changes relationships. There's a real window to reduce fear and mistrust, and change stereotypes as children and their families meet each other face to face. The "Journey to Hospital Land" program includes a therapeutic story for kids, a parents guide and a website.
Speakers
avatar for Esther Takac

Esther Takac

Esther is a child and adult psychologist who delivers training on trauma. She’s also the author of “Genesis the Book with Seventy Faces” (National Jewish Book Award), a novella and a picture book. An experienced “genre crosser”, she's currently working on a documentary about... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H241
  Israel and the Middle East, workshop

2:45pm AEST

The AFL international peace team 10 years on
In 2008 a disparate group of Palestinian and Israeli Jewish men united in the name of peace, friendship and Australian Rules football. Together they overcame cultural and barriers to compete at the AFL's International Cup competition. A decade on the International Peace Team founder Tanya Oziel and team coach Robert DiPierdomenico talk through the challenges they surmounted and the friendships forged. And why in 2018, the team’s vision remains unrealised.
Speakers
avatar for Ashley Browne

Ashley Browne

Ashley Browne is a senior writer at AFL Media who also appears on SEN 1116 and on the Four Hoarsemen Podcast. He is the co-editor of ‘People Of The Boot - The Triumphs & Tragedy of Jews and Sport in Australia, published in May 2018.
avatar for Robert DiPierdomenico

Robert DiPierdomenico

Known to all as Dipper, he played 240 games for Hawthorn between 1975 and 1991, including five premierships. He won the Brownlow Medal in 1986. He was coach of the Peace Team at both the 2008 and 2011 AFL International Cups.
TO

Tanya Oziel

Tanya Oziel is the chief executive of the Trans-Tasman Business Circle, the Singapore Business Circle, and the founder and managing director of SportsConnect, which advances best practice and knowledge transfer between business and sport. She is the former executive director of the... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
HB36
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Reimagining a Jewish wedding: shutafut vs kiddushin (partnership vs acquisition)
For almost 2,000 years, Jewish weddings have taken place with rituals that we are all comfortable and familiar with. What if there is a slightly different ritual but completely different understanding of how two Jews can get married? A look at shutafut, a partnership model of marriage.
Speakers
avatar for Rafi Kaiserblueth

Rafi Kaiserblueth

Rafi was born in Puerto Rico and has spent time in Jewish communities across the spectrum and the globe, from Reform, Masorti, and Chabad, to the United States, South America, Europe, and Australia. Currently a member of the clergy team of Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney, Rafi previously... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H235
  Text Tradition and Faith

2:45pm AEST

The new pharaoh: ignorance or revisionism
This shiur will examine the rabbinic sources that examine why Pharoah "did not know Joseph". Did he really have a memory lapse, or was it a politician's "forgetting"? And what light does it shed on subsequent persecution of Jews? Texts will be provided in original Hebrew and in translation.
Speakers
avatar for James Kennard

James Kennard

Rabbi James Kennard has been Principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College in Melbourne since 2007, and was previously Head of two schools in the UK. He has a passion for textual Torah learning (and maths) and is a sought-after speaker and giver of shiurim.

Sunday June 10, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H125
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Hatch, match and dispatch: Jewish life through Yiddish song
Listen, learn and sing along to Yiddish songs in the (minor) key of life from cradle to grave ... and every krekhts in between.
Speakers
avatar for Tomi Kalinski

Tomi Kalinski

From the start for Tomi it has always been about love of life, Yiddish, music, joy, laughter, curiosity, learning and teaching. Also about chocolate and coffee and growing old gracefully.
avatar for Freydi Mrocki

Freydi Mrocki

Freydi is a performer and teacher and the lead singer of the band Klezmania. Her passions are Yiddish and Yiddish culture and eating potatoes in all forms.

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
HB32
  Arts, Performance and workshop/sing along

4:00pm AEST

The top 10 things we should do as a community but probably won't
GEN 17, like GEN08 before it, provides us with rich data. But as with GEN08, we do not have the organisational and leadership vision and structures to take that data and plan for the future needs of our community. We continue to follow outmoded 20th century models when the world around us is rapidly changing. Some of the steps which should be taken are clear; do we have the leadership that will embrace these changes?
Speakers
avatar for Mark Joel

Mark Joel

Mark Joel is the General Manager, Community at Jewish Care Victoria. He has been involved in the community since he was a lad.

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H237
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Trolling the trolls: turning the tables on online anti-Semitism
The rise of vitriolic bigotry on social media can often leave those targeted by it feeling helpless, forever waiting on capricious corporations to clean up their platforms and protect minority voices like Jews. Rather than holding out for a top-down solution to online abuse that may never arrive, come to this crash course on bottom-up strategies for countering anti-Semites and other racist trolls on the internet—and take the fight to the Twitter Nazis.
Speakers
avatar for Yair Rosenberg

Yair Rosenberg

Yair is a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and his writings have received awards from the Religion... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H126
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

A networked community: Jews and the establishment of Melbourne
Melbourne was settled by Anglo -Jewry versed in the experiences of an unusually emancipated society, while those non-British settlers showed fortitude in making the long journey. A new society without restrictions, Jews readily took up the opportunities offered. Through a detailed study utilising the University of Melbourne’s Online Heritage Resource Manager, the influence of active Jewish participation in the development of Melbourne is now beginning to emerge with a new clarity.
Speakers
avatar for Sue Silberberg

Sue Silberberg

University of Melbourne
Dr Sue Silberberg is an academic historian and heritage consultant with a doctorate from the University of Melbourne. She was also educated at Monash University, Deakin University and the International Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Material (ICCROM). Previously she worked... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H235
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Meet the Rome Community
In 167 BCE a diplomatic delegation sent by Mattattias Maccabee went to Rome to seek support to drive the Greeks from Jerusalem. Some of the delegation stayed, and soon they were joined by traders who recognised the strategic importance of Rome. From this time Rome has had a strong Jewish community. Predating the Ashkenaz and the Sephardim, Rome has it's own minhag dating from Second Temple times and plays by it's own rules.
Speakers
avatar for Karen Prior

Karen Prior

Karen is a member of the Demartini-Scacheri family and over the past four years has developed a close association with the Italian Jewish community (Italkim) and the Rome community in particular. She has just returned from five weeks in Rome and Milan, including Pesach in Rome.

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H241
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

The 70-year itch: how healthy is the relationship between diaspora Jews and Israel?
When Israel wins Eurovision, Jews all over the world celebrate. But how healthy is the relationship?  Are Diaspora Jews less engaged with Israel than in previous generations?  Or are they equally engaged but more critical? How useful are diaspora communal conversations about Israel? And how do Israelis see Diaspora Jews, if at all?  Join Mark Baker, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Shahar Burla in discussion on these and other questions about contemporary Jewish identification with Israel.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Baker

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is the author of two memoirs, Thirty Days: A Journey To the End of Love and The Fiftieth Gate: A Journey Through Memory which won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award. He is an Associate Professor in the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University.
avatar for Shahar Burla

Shahar Burla

Shahar Burla is a Sydney-based researcher and lecturer and a contributing editor for Plus61JMedia. Shahar holds a Master’s degree in political science from the Hebrew University and a PhD from Bar-Ilan University. He is the co-editor of “Australia and Israel: A Diasporic, Cultural... Read More →
avatar for Mandi Katz

Mandi Katz

Mandi Katz is a governance professional in the financial services sector and when she is not working is immersed in Jewish community. She is the  president of Shira Hadasha, an orthodox egalitarian synagogue. She was co-chair of Limmud Oz Melbourne from 2013 to 2017 and is co-chair... Read More →
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist, Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012, hosts the Haaretz Weekend podcast and is a co-host of The Promised Podcast. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post, and has also written for the New Republic, Politico, and other publications. She won... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H125
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

You Want a Peace of Me?
Have you ever slept over at a family's home in Bethlehem or attended a joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial day ceremony? This session will focus on the stories we don’t often hear about in our Jewish community. Stories of hope and unity between Israelis and Palestinians striving for each other’s safety. I will share my personal experiences from Achvat Amim – Solidarity of Nations, a five-month program in Jerusalem working with inspiring Israeli and Palestinian peace activists.
Speakers
avatar for Carly Rosenthal

Carly Rosenthal

Carly graduated from Mount Scopus College and spent a year in Israel with Hashomer Hatzair (Hashy). She has a Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics & Arabic) from the University of Melbourne and currently works at The Big Issue. A passionate advocate for social justice, Carly recently participated... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H238
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

What do Black South Africans think of Jews?
The future of Jewish life in South Africa will likely be determined by the attitudes of black South Africans toward this community. Yet until recently we knew almost nothing about their views of Jews. Drawing on a new national study, we will discuss what the average black South African thinks about Jews, Israel and other matters of concern.
Speakers
avatar for Adam Mendelsohn

Adam Mendelsohn

Adam is a historian of Jews in English-speaking lands and author of The Rag Race (an award-winning history of Jews and shmattes). Adam, who has a PhD from Brandeis University, directs the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town, which studies South African Jewry and its dias... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H116
  Jewish World, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Kabbalah Meditation and Music
The Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, has a rich history of meditation techniques. We will explore traditional Jewish meditation with Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff, a Kabbalah scholar, together with musical accompaniment by Emanuel Lieberfreund, an accomplished flutist and percussionist. We will look at original sources about Kabbalah and practice the meditations of Rabbis Yitschak D’Min’Acco and Avraham Abulafia of the Thirteenth Century as well as those from Isaac Luria of Sixteenth Century Galilee. Relax and be inspired.
Speakers
avatar for Emanuel Lieberfreund

Emanuel Lieberfreund

Emanuel Lieberfreund is passionate about the power of music to open the heart to a sense of the sacred. He studied jazz and classical flute at the Sydney Conservatorium. Emanuel currently plays flutes, saxophones and percussion. Author of world music ambience CD "Atma's Sphere", he... Read More →
avatar for Orna Triguboff

Orna Triguboff

A Kabbalah scholar specialising in Jewish meditation, Orna received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi of the Jewish Renewal movement. She's a hatha yoga teacher trained by Acharya Upendra Roy, serves at Emanuel Synagogue Sydney, and is spiritual director of Neshama... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H220
  Spirituality and wellbeing, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Orthodoxy & Transgender
At first blush, it would seem that Orthodox Judaism would have great difficulty assimilating transgender people into the traditional, binary community, but is this indeed possible? What does halakha (Jewish law) say about sex-change surgery? Orthodoxy strives to embrace people as they are, but practically speaking, how does this work in a shule context? what is the legal status of transgender people? In an open and respectful atmosphere, we will explore this important issue together.
Speakers
avatar for Shamir Caplan

Shamir Caplan

Shamir works as chaplain and Talmud teacher at Mount Scopus Memorial College, and rabbi of Beit Aharon Congregation (modern orthodox) in Melbourne. He previously worked at Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania, and studied in New York, Jerusalem, and Texas. He enjoys exploring... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
HB36
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

The Yeshivah and the University: two approaches to Talmudic texts
This session will analyse texts from the Haggadah to better understand traditional and academic approaches to Talmudic and Midrashic sources. The Talmud and the Midrash are foundations of Jewish belief and practice and for over a thousand years, commentators have sought to explain and codify these texts. In recent decades, this Yeshivah-based work has expanded into the universities where different academic approaches have shed new light on traditional texts. The Haggadah is a contemporary of the Talmud and Midrash making it an ideal starting point to explore the traditional and modern insights.
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Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Shaw

Jonathan Shaw

Jonathan’s interests in Talmud and other early Rabbinic works has focused on trying to synthesize the traditional and academic worlds.

Sunday June 10, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
HB39
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

American Songbook and the Jews
Extraordinarily, the American songbook was written almost exclusively by Jews.  Hear Alma Zygier, with her voice from another era, sing some of these timeless numbers that became jazz standards, iconic love songs, and sound tracks to famous movies, and learn about the remarkable Jewish contribution
Speakers
avatar for Annette Charak

Annette Charak

Limmud Oz
Annette Charak is on the committee of Limmud Oz Melbourne.
avatar for Alma Zygier

Alma Zygier

Alma is fascinated by the pre-war era of jazz: the singers Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Memphis Minnie, and the Broadway composers who largely provided the repertoire: Gershwin, Kern, Porter, Rodgers. She has a voice from another era and brings... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
HB32
  Arts, Performance

5:15pm AEST

New philanthropy: why partnerships and collaborations are key
New philanthropy is about collaborations and relationships, the partnerships between funders, not for profits and change-makers sharing a passion and vision for impact. It can be as big as a group of funders working with a group of innovators or between an individual donor and like-minded organization or activist. Presenters will share their diverse experiences, learnings and outcomes through successful case studies showcasing different philanthropic local and global partnerships.
Speakers
avatar for Belinda Bardas

Belinda Bardas

Belinda is committed to rethinking giving strategies to change with the times and encourage meaningful connection with the current three generations of her family. She actively works in this space as the head of philanthropy and a trustee at the Victor Smorgon Charitable Fund, as... Read More →
avatar for Dean Cohen

Dean Cohen

Dean is passionate about disability, youth leadership and the Jewish community. He is the founder and CEO of Flying Fox, an innovative organisation providing social opportunities to young people with a disability and a member of the JCCV Executive. Dean has a Bachelor of Commerce... Read More →
avatar for Tracie Olcha

Tracie Olcha

Tracie Olcha is CEO at Australian Jewish Funders (AJF), the network of Jewish funders that inspire strategic philanthropy and strengthen community. Tracie works closely with global and local philanthropic organisations to support impactful giving. She has spearheaded initiatives that... Read More →
avatar for Natalie Rathner

Natalie Rathner

Natalie is passionate about growing social impact and philanthropy. She is the director of philanthropic programs at the Australian Jewish Funders. Natalie works in enhancing strategic and impactful philanthropy and community building, specialising in next gen engagement. She manages... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H237
  Community and Activism, Panel discussion

5:15pm AEST

Single & gay in Melbourne’s Jewish community: navigating a couples world
About ¼ of households in the bagel belt are single person households. How does being single and gay affect one’s relationship with Judaism?
Doron is a culturally Jewish Zionist Professional and Financially Independent man who lived ¼ of his life hidden from his community, family and friends.  Now, at the age  36, he reflects on his adversity growing up, issues that continue today and how he has become more connected with Judaism and the Victorian Jewish Community since coming out. 


Speakers
avatar for Doron Abramovici

Doron Abramovici

Born in Melbourne, Doron is a product of two hard-working parents who instilled the following values in their son: family, empathy, gratitude, education and resilience.  These values are the foundations for everything Doron does and says in his personal relationships with family... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H222
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Today I am a man: a conversation about Jewish and Muslim masculinities
Join Gary Samowitz and Haroon Moghul in discussion with Elissa Goldstein about the good, the bad, the myth, and the macho in Jewish, Muslim, American and Australian masculinities.
Speakers
avatar for Elissa Goldstein

Elissa Goldstein

Elissa Goldstein was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. In 2010, she moved to New York to complete an MFA in Creative Writing at Brooklyn College. From 2013 to February 2018, she worked at Tablet Magazine, where she was the Director of Audience Development and producer of the... Read More →
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Haroon is the Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He also teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.
avatar for Gary Samowitz

Gary Samowitz

Hakoah
Gary has a long history of working in the non-profit industry and across many realms of the Australian Jewish community. He worked for ten years as the CEO of Stand Up and prior to that was the Hillel Director in Sydney where he mentored and trained Jewish university students, and... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H125
  Community and Activism

5:15pm AEST

You Can Ask Me Anything!
You’re invited to a unique opportunity to meet members of our community who live with a permanent or temporary disability, their family members and the people who support them. Inspired by the successful 2017 breakfast event marking International Day of People with a Disability, this event is aiming to make an impact on the wider Jewish community by starting conversations between those in the disability space and those who are not.
Speakers
avatar for Jewish Disability Network

Jewish Disability Network

The Jewish Disability Network comprises Access Inc, Flying Fox, Friendship Circle, Jewish Care Victoria, the Jewish Schools Integration Program and Maccabi All Abilities and is supported by David Southwick MP. Its focus is on collaboration in the disability sector to improve community... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H220
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Ten moments in Jewish her-story
A session which highlights the diversity, vitality, achievements and milestones in Jewish her-Story, shedding light on the oft-overlooked women who make up our past, from Queen Salome Alexandra who ruled Judea 2,000 years ago to more contemporary figures whose stories are worthy of telling. The focus will be on a key moment in each woman's life which embodies her unique contribution to Jewish Her-Story.
Speakers
avatar for Sidra Moshinsky

Sidra Moshinsky

Sidra Kranz Moshinsky is head of Jewish Studies (Secondary) at Bialik College. She has curated several exhibitions at the Jewish Museum of Australia and is a freelance writer. She is a committee member of Limmud Oz and a board member of Stand Up.
avatar for Deborah Rechter

Deborah Rechter

Convergence Design Australia
Dr Deborah Rechter is a museum professional with experience as a curator of social history exhibitions specialising in diverse Australian history, including at the Jewish Museum of Australia for many years. She is currently working on projects about the Ned Kelly Gang and colonial... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H238
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

The best and most rational diet: Jewish vegetarianism between the wars
Fania Lewando's Vegetarian Cookbook, published in Vilna in 1937, is filled with vivid and sometimes astonishing recipes for vegetables, drawn from Jewish tradition, from European cuisine, from the nascent health food movement, and some entirely new inventions. The book was part of a culturally relevant wave of works in the Yiddish language on vegetarianism. This presentation will look at Fania Lewando's extraordinary book in the context of the Jewish vegetarianism of her own time.
Speakers
avatar for Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz, Yiddish instructor at the YIVO institute and the Workmen’s Circle, was a lecturer in Jewish culinary history at Living Traditions Klezkamp.  She worked for several years as a cook and baker in New York and received her PhD in performance studies from New York University... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H235
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

How recognising Jerusalem trapped Trump, Abbas & Netanyahu
In Dec 2017 US President Trump announced that formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Netanyahu and Israel, and Jewish communities the world over, hailed the decision. Abbas, the Palestinians and the United nations General Assembly rejected the decision. Trump wanted to use Jerusalem as a transactional piece of a larger regional negotiation, and in so doing may have trapped Bibi into a weak negotiating position that suits the US.
Speakers
avatar for Adam Slonim

Adam Slonim

Adam Slonim works professionally with the Australian Institute for Machine Learning at Adelaide University - number 3 in the world in Artificial Intelligence research. Adam has authored a policy paper on “AI and the Future of Work” and is a director of VorAI Systems, an AI start... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H241
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Israel - three big questions: is the Palestinian refugee problem soluble? (2 of 3)
Over three sessions, we'll explore three issues of existential importance to Israel in the 21st century. I'll frame the question, you bring the answers! In this session, we'll journey to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The refugee problem is where competing narratives, claims of "justice" and political realities collide. Is there a way out?
Speakers
avatar for Robin Moss

Robin Moss

Robin is the Director of Strategy of UJIA, the UK’s largest Israel charity, sits on the Board of National Officers of Liberal Judaism and is the Co-Chair of Publications for Limmud. An Oxford graduate, Robin placed 16th in the “40 under 40” list of young British Jewish lead... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H126
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

The Meaning of Biblical Violence: Wrestling with the Bible's Worst Texts
The Jewish Bible is literarily complex, poetic, profound - and frequently violent. This session explores some of the Bible's most famously bloody passages and their significance for readers past and present. How have classical interpreters and modern philosophers tried to understand, re-interpret, or ignore the deeply troubling character of some biblical passages? And what virtues, if any, could there be in having a frequently violent Bible?
Speakers
avatar for Emily Filler

Emily Filler

Emily is chair and assistant professor of Jewish studies at Earlham College, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside the Jewish textual tradition. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is co-editor of the Journal of Jewish Ethics and directs the sacred texts... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
HB39
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Prayer: what were they thinking?!
The daily Amida is a cornerstone of Jewish prayer, presenting a regular opportunity for an intimate connection with God. Its language is carefully crafted to encapsulate the core of Jewish beliefs, values and ambitions. Where? How? In this session, we will explore the passages, themes and ideas that are being covertly referenced in the Amida.
Speakers
avatar for Avi Bart

Avi Bart

After receiving his Rabbinical ordination in Israel, Avi recently returned home to begin his rabbinical career and to continue studying medicine at the University of Melbourne. Avi has held leadership roles in a range of community organisations, including Bnei Akiva and the Friendship... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
HB36
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Ahavat Hinam live concert: love songs for the world
Join supergroup Ahavat Hinam (Max Jared and shannyn.art) for an engaging musical performance that feels like a party with your best friends! Ahavat Hinam have created music that is inspired by Judaism and social action - see what happens when you combine folk rock and live looping with a dash of Torah.
Speakers
avatar for Max Jared Einsohn

Max Jared Einsohn

Max is a passionate lover of Judaism, music and the human experience. After completing his Masters in Religious Education at HUC-JIR in New York City, he moved to Melbourne to continue his creative endeavours. Max is launching a crowd-funding campaign for his new album and music project... Read More →
avatar for Shannyn Gelbart

Shannyn Gelbart

Shannyn Gelbart is an Australian singer/songwriter, service leader and Jewish educator. She has spent the last five years working within the Australasian Jewish community running educational programming, musical prayer services, and connect people of all ages with Judaism. Shannyn... Read More →
avatar for Ahavat Hinam

Ahavat Hinam

Ahavat Hinam is a supergroup of Jewish musicians, Max Jared (USA) and shannyn.art (Melbourne). Both Jewish educators, Shannyn and Max are strong believers in the power of music to bring people together. Ahavat Hinam has performed all over the world connecting communities to their... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H116
  Arts, Performance

6:30pm AEST

In conversation with Ari Hershkowitz
Leah Boulton, the founder of Pathways, Melbourne, will interview Ari Hershkowitz who is now well-known internationally as one of the central characters in the Netflix film One of Us, which describes his journey away from ultra-orthodox hasidic Jew. Ari’s vibrant personality and his passionate quest for knowledge and constructive direction in life will make this a compelling and fascinating window into some of the most challenging and important contemporary issues in Jewish life.

Speakers
avatar for Leah Boulton

Leah Boulton

Leah is president of Pathways Melbourne, providing counselling and support for formerly orthodox people who are in need of assistance in navigating a new, secular world. Her professional background is in advertising and marketing.
avatar for Ari Hershkowitz

Ari Hershkowitz

Raised in New York in an insular, ultra-orthodox hasidic community, Ari questioned that life from a young age. Now an atheist, he has built a life outside his insular beginnings and has publicly shared the joys and struggle of that journey via social media and in the acclaimed documentary... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H125
  Community and Activism

6:30pm AEST

Who are the Australian Jewish Opsimaths?
While researching material for my PhD that focuses on older people learning new skills, I came across an interesting phenomenon. I encountered many Jewish Holocaust survivors in Melbourne who, while being denied opportunities for formal education in their youth, returned to study in their retirement and pursued higher degrees after their obligations to their families were fulfilled.
Speakers
avatar for Ellina Zipman

Ellina Zipman

Ellina is a PhD candidate at Monash University Education Faculty researching the benefits of learning on older adults. She is a musicologist, an educator, poet, published author and therapist. Her work appeared in The Victorian Writer, 28 People Write, The Centre News and The AJN... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H237
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Remote Jewish communities worldwide
This session is about the development of Jewish life on the periphery, with some of the societies dating back to ancient times and others having only developed in modernity. Despite what some people think, the exiles from the Babylonian and Assyrian conquests can be found in some of the strangest places.
Speakers
avatar for Lorna Hopf

Lorna Hopf

Lorna’s specialist topic is rural and remote Jewish communities, including the House of Israel in Ghana, Jews in the Amazon and the Abayudaya Jews of Nabugoya Hill in rural Uganda. Lorna is a member of Kulanu, a non-denominational organisation that works with remote Jewish communities... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
HB32
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

“And Now The Latest from Israel ... “
There’s never a dull moment for reporters in Israel: Gaza protests, worries over the Syrian border, Iran's nuclear ambitions the legal woes of Benjamin Netanyahu, the African asylum-seekers deportation crisis, Donald Trump and the status of Jerusalem. A freewheeling conversation with a journalist from Haaretz on the hottest headlines and how the media covers one of the most news-intensive places in the world.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist, Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012, hosts the Haaretz Weekend podcast and is a co-host of The Promised Podcast. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post, and has also written for the New Republic, Politico, and other publications. She won... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H126
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

The Kabbalah of Yiddish: Exploring the Mystical Poetry of Aaron Zeitlin
Described by his best friend Bashevis Singer as "the greatest Yiddish poet" the writings of the Warsaw/New York poet Aaron Zeitlin (1898-1973) are largely unknown in the Jewish world. Yet, they are masterpieces--playful, original, daring, and above all theologically profound. In this session we will read some of his mystical Yiddish poems in translation.
Speakers
avatar for Nathan Wolski

Nathan Wolski

Nathan Wolski is the Liberman Family Lecturer in Jewish Studies at the ACJC. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the Zohar, and more recently, the poetry of Aaron Zeitlin.

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
HB36
  Jewish Ideas, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

How living Jewish adds value to your life and the world around you
In a modern fast paced turbulent world we seek balance, health and happiness. How can living Jewish achieve this? Ancient wisdom passed down from father to son for thousands of years has served the Jewish people well. The keys to mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health are found in Jewish living. Living Jewish obliges a person to take care of the environment and waste not. Friends, family, faith: these things are essential to a wholesome life and living Jewish pursues these values.
Speakers
WR

Warwick Rothschild

Warwick is a podiatrist, wood whisperer, youth worker, chef, and explorer. He studied at Bialik College and then Yavneh College. After school Warwick spent a year in Israel and then studied podiatry at Latrobe University. He enjoys and sees meaning in his Jewishness.

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H222
  Spirituality and wellbeing, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

The Great Principle of Judaism
Christianity has established "Love your neighbour as yourself" from Leviticus 19:18 as the essence of Torah. Jewish texts are more nuanced, suggesting other texts which capture the essence of Torah. This session will examine the various choices presented in the Talmud and Midrash. It will also examine the weaknesses and strengths of the choices thus presented especially in the context of modernity.
Speakers
avatar for David Kunin

David Kunin

David Kunin is rabbi of the Jewish community of Japan and has served congregations in Scotland and Canada. He is active in interfaith relations, and is author of Beyond the Golden Rule: A Jewish Perspective on Dialogue and Diversity. He has been working with the Indonesian Jewish... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H235
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

7:45pm AEST

Cath-Jew
How a "nice Jewish boy" from Jerusalem ended up with a communion-taking-Italian-Catholic. Mishy Harman grew up in the Conservative movement. For years he read the Torah portion at shul and put on tfillin every morning. and even today he still feels extremely connected to Judaism and proud of it. But later this month, he will be marrying - to his great surprise - a devout Italian Catholic. Mishy will talk about his feelings about entering an interfaith marriage, and explain why he isn't nearly as concerned about it all as his mother is.
Sunday June 10, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H126
  Arts

7:45pm AEST

Poetry in motion: poetry and music jam with Adi Keissar
Adi Keissar and Shahar Burla join musicians Simon Starr and Yuval Ashkar for a session of poetry, stories and Mizrachi style jamming
Speakers
avatar for Yuval Ashkar

Yuval Ashkar

Yuval Ashkar is a composer, oud (’ud) player, percussionist and internationally-acclaimed Middle Eastern musician. His music is an inspiration to audiences, belly dancers and other musicians. Yuval is also a teacher of oud playing and Middle Eastern percussion. With his band "Camoon... Read More →
avatar for Shahar Burla

Shahar Burla

Shahar Burla is a Sydney-based researcher and lecturer and a contributing editor for Plus61JMedia. Shahar holds a Master’s degree in political science from the Hebrew University and a PhD from Bar-Ilan University. He is the co-editor of “Australia and Israel: A Diasporic, Cultural... Read More →
avatar for Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet of Yeminite descent, is the founder of the popular Ars Poetica, a project which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry for the masses in the form of readings combined with Middle Eastern music and dancing. Keissar received the Bernstein Literary Award... Read More →
avatar for Simon Starr

Simon Starr

One part sound adventurer, two parts musical monk, Simon Starr has compulsively taken the road less travelled. After a childhood immersed in his parent's record collection, Starr graduated from the VCA in 1993, and since then has performed, recorded, produced, arranged and composed... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H116
  Arts, Performance

7:45pm AEST

No lighter burden, but broader shoulders
Having recently transitioned to male at 27, Hunter reflects on his experience: what it means to transition in self and society, what it means to inhabit a trans body within the Jewish community and ritual after having been steeped in Judaism from a feminine perspective, and what it means to become male in a male privileged culture.
Speakers
avatar for Hunter Gurevich

Hunter Gurevich

Hunter is studying a Bachelor of Medical Research in Hobart, in addition to bachelors and master degrees in Arts. He has lived in Melbourne, London and Bangkok, and travelled extensively in those regions. He transitioned recently, and wants to contribute to the Jewish conversation... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H222
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

7:45pm AEST

From insecure shepherd to inspiring leader: Moses' journey
Moses, considered the greatest leader of the Jewish people, and the one who brings them from slavery to freedom, undergoes many personal transformations. From Prince of Egypt to simple shepard to savior of the Jewish people - Moses’ journey to leader is a long and complicated one. This session will explore how Moses learns to trust in himself and his leadership style, and what we can learn from his transformation.
Speakers
avatar for Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa serves as the director of education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabbah Epstein has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and liturgy at Pardes... Read More →

Sunday June 10, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H220
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion
 
Monday, June 11
 

9:30am AEST

The unbroken Jews of Broken Hill and Outer Woop-woop
Inspired by stories of family arrival in Australia - as a stowaway from Petach Tikvah - as a Sefer Torah smuggler from Takmak; as a pearl diver in Broome - the Goldenberg boys have collected stories of Jewish wanderings - Jewish ghosts in Broken Hill, TWO shules of Ballarat, the lonely shule in the windswept town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa. The stories are odd, unexpected, poignant, inspiring. What do they tell us?
Speakers
avatar for Howard Goldenberg

Howard Goldenberg

Howard writes, runs marathons, reads, eats, doctors and fathers. He husbands and he grandfathers; he travels to far forgotten Jewish places to collect stories and he doctors in wilderness corners of indigenous Australia. Howard is a storyteller. He prays for a Collingwood premiership... Read More →
avatar for Raphael Goldenberg

Raphael Goldenberg

Raphael Goldenberg is a lawyer and a Collingwood supporter. His father, his wife, his parents and his children maintain he is a fine human being.

Monday June 11, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
HB32
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

Trotskyism, anti-semitism, and why the Australian left is so focussed on Palestine
Why does what left of the Australian left concentrate on Palestine to the exclusion of any other national struggle? The answer might be found in the make-up of the remnants of the Left, and the obscure beginnings of Trotskyism as an alternative to Zionism. Yaakov will look at the beginnings of Trotskyism in Australia and trace it and its failings to the current day.
Speakers
avatar for Jon Yaakov Gorr

Jon Yaakov Gorr

Jon Yaakov first encountered Mohammed Asad when supervising one of his PhD students. Jon Yaakov presented a much shorter version of this talk, in Hebrew, when building bridges between Arab and other students at his ulpan in 2018. He’s 60, a retired lawyer, and he likes dangerous... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H235
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

Conversations on Israel: the search for authentic peace (2 of 3)
Throughout Jewish history, neither war nor peace really stood as concrete option for the Jewish people. The Jew, lacking political sovereignty, had no status in the international debate and the question of war or peace did not press him for an immediate response or decision. The reestablishment of the State, and the questions over potential peace with our neighbors requires us to reevaluate this situation. What can traditional texts add to these questions?
Speakers
avatar for Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor is director of research at BICOM. Since making Aliyah from London in 2005, Calev has worked in the Reut Institute as well as in the policy planning department of Israel's Foreign Ministry. He teaches and lectures on Jewish and Zionist thought to a variety of audienc... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H125
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

Israel China Relations in the light of the One Belt One Road Initiative
One Belt One Road Initiative is China's most ambitious foreign policy initiative. Israel, along with many countries in the Middle East, has signed on to this initiative. What are the possible benefits and challenges for both Israel and China? What might be the geopolitical implications for both? Could it lead to deeper engagement by China in the Israel and Palestine conflict?
Speakers
avatar for Aston Kwok

Aston Kwok

Aston is a legal studies teacher at Moriah College. He has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Chinese History from Sydney University and a Graduate Diploma in Education and Master in International Relations from UNSW. Aston’s master research was on Putin's role during the negotiation... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H238
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

New and “radical” decisions from Israel’s rabbinical courts
Seth often represents families seeking to be married according to Jewish law in Israel’s rabbinical courts. Hundreds of families are prevented from marrying each year in Israel because of questions about their personal status. Come learn about some of the most interesting decisions issued by the rabbinical courts in the past few years. This session will study three recent decisions of the Israeli rabbinical courts and provide the background to the decisions.
Speakers
avatar for Seth Farber

Seth Farber

Seth Farber is an American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi, historian, and social activist. In 2002, Seth founded ITIM. ITIM operates a free Assistance Center that helps 5,000 people each year navigate government bureaucracy on matters of Jewish life, particularly marriage and conversion... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H116
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

9:30am AEST

The interplay of Australian family law and Jewish law
Elisa Rothschild is a Chabad adherent who specialises in family law. She will speak about the interplay of Jewish law, custom and social norms in the arena of the Australian Family Court system.
Speakers
avatar for Elisa Rothschild

Elisa Rothschild

Elisa was born in Melbourne and runs a busy family law practice, specialising in complex parenting and financial disputes. She is married to Yeshaya Brown of Toronto and has six children kah ages 0-10. She is deeply committed to Judaism and the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
H237
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

9:45am AEST

Beit Midrash at Limmud 3: the evolution of Halacha - from Torah to Talmud to today
This session will consider the evolution of halacha from written to oral law and what application it has for us today. Using Jewish marriage as an example we will explore a basic talmudic passage and dissect the text as if we were sages of old, determining Jewish law for future generations. We will challenge each other to understand the fundamentals of Jewish marriage and the mechanics behind the evolution of halacha.
 
This is a Limmud Oz Beit Midrash session and runs from 9.45am  to 11.15am. This program is modelled on traditional Beit Midrash havruta (partner) style learning but with an open and pluralistic approach. No previous Talmud learning is necessary. See page 3 for more information

Speakers
avatar for Motti Blum

Motti Blum

After completing high school at Yavneh College Motti spent a year in Israel studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion. He studied Commerce at Monash University and was a Madrich and Merakez at Bnei Akiva. In 2017, after ten years of working in informal education at Mount Scopus College Motti... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 9:45am - 11:15am AEST
H241
  Text Tradition and Faith   Tradition and Faith

10:45am AEST

Disability Pride: Removing Stumbling Blocks
From Moses to Leslie Gordon disabled Jews have always been part of our community, but we face too many individual and systemic barriers. Let's talk about why and how to fix it! Join three disabled Jewish activists to talk about what Jewish and disability rights texts have to say about accessibility and how we create truly inclusive communities.
Speakers
avatar for Zoe Feigen

Zoe Feigen

Zoe (they/them) is an autistic rabbit vet whose hobbies are drawing various animals, taking photos of their bunnies and, being very queer
K
avatar for Emma Leslie

Emma Leslie

Emma Leslie (she/her) has been an actual cyborg since she had two brain surgeries and a stroke as a baby. She is a uni student studying Modern Hebrew and History, and is enthusiastically and unrepentantly Jewish, nerdy, and disabled.

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H235
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

People on the move? The future of the Bagel Belt
Drawing on results from the 2016 Census data, this session considers both recent and longer term shifts in Melbourne's Jewish population. In particular it addresses the dispersal of Jewish households away from the post-war centres of St Kilda and Elwood to new frontiers. What is driving these movements and what might be the consequence for the future of Jewish communal life in Melbourne?
Speakers
DL

Dashiel Lawrence

Dashiel Lawrence (PhD) has written about the history, politics and sport of the Australian Jewish diaspora for over a decade. He is co-editor of Australia and Israel: A diasporic, political and cultural relationship and the forthcoming collection People of the Boot. He works as a... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H238
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

The Future of Jewish Media
What do people want to  read? What will people pay to read? Does anyone under 70 buy a paper?  A panel of Jewish media professional writers and editors - including Tablet Magazine's Yair Rosenberg - discuss the past, present and future of Jewish media in Australia and more broadly. 
Speakers
JL

Joshua Levi

Joshua Levi is the CEO of the Australian Jewish News. In his previous role as National Deputy Editor of the paper, he covered elections, child abuse, travelled to Israel with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and received several awards from the NSW Government for investigative journalism... Read More →
NL

Naomi Levin

Naomi Levin has worked on the light and dark side of the media. She was at the forefront of digital media at Sportal, national news editor at the Australian Jewish News by age 25, press secretary to a federal minister for six years and now a policy analyst at AIJAC.
avatar for Yair Rosenberg

Yair Rosenberg

Yair is a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and his writings have received awards from the Religion... Read More →
avatar for Michael Visontay

Michael Visontay

Michael Visontay is the Editor of +61J and has worked for over 30 years as a journalist, author and lecturer across Australian media. A former assistant editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, and columnist with The Australian Jewish News, he has co-authored four books of memoir, the... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H125
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

The intersection of religion, history and Kristallnacht: how William Cooper’s legacy inspired us all
In 2017 Uncle Boydie, grandson of Aboriginal Christian activist William Cooper, travelled to Germany to formally hand over William Cooper’s letter that was rejected by the German consulate in Melbourne in 1938 to protest against Kristallnacht. Finally delivering the letter was the end of a long chapter of Uncle Boydie’s life. But getting him to Germany took a lot of effort by a lot of people, including many Jews and equally many Christians.
Speakers
LD

Leonie Drummond

Leonie is the proud great granddaughter of Uncle William Cooper and has been privileged to grow up in a family with the values and legacies of this Aboriginal human rights activist. Leonie works with her father, Uncle Boydie, to help him complete some of William Cooper's unfinished... Read More →
avatar for Sophie Hoffman

Sophie Hoffman

Sophie is the community service coordinator at Mt Scopus Memorial College. She leads the "Yorta Yorta Beyachad" study tour in partnership with Stand Up, and also teaches history and English and takes the leading role in organising the College's annual "Reconciliation Week" secondary... Read More →
avatar for Alex Kats

Alex Kats

Alex has worked in all three tiers of government in Australia. In the Jewish community, he has been an active volunteer for many years, including at Limmud. He is currently a board member of the Council of Christians and Jews, and Impact (for women), and on the committee of the William... Read More →
avatar for Michael Pearce

Michael Pearce

Michael is the Honorary Consul General of Germany in Melbourne, and a member of the Victorian Bar where he practises in most areas of commercial law, especially contract, property, trade practices, equity and company law. He also practises in administrative law and constitutional... Read More →
avatar for Avraham Schwarz

Avraham Schwarz

Abe has devoted 18 years to discovering the untold legacy of William Cooper & the Aboriginal:Jewish connection, whilst advocating for inclusion of marginalised voices in the community and on radio. Abe remains passionate that only through interfaith and grassroots dialogue can lasting... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
HB32
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

A strategic overview of the Middle East: competing blocs, emergent processes
This session will focus on the geo-strategic situation in the Middle East.  We will look at the fragmentation of a number of Middle East states in recent years, and the conflicts taking place between regional powers and power alliances over the 'ruins' of these collapsed countries (Syria, Iraq, Yemen).  We will seek also to locate Israel within this regional contest, and will look at the role of global powers (US, Russia) in the region.  
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Spyer

Jonathan Spyer

Jonathan Spyer is an analyst, writer and journalist of Mid-East affairs. He is executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis, a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, and a fellow at the Middle East Forum. A freelance security analyst... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East

10:45am AEST

Israeli National Service and Israeli Arabs
Learn about the place of Israeli National Service ["Sherut Leumi"] in Israeli society, and especially about the extraordinary growth in numbers of Arab-Israelis taking part. What is causing this phenomenon? What are its long-term consequences for Israeli society? And what is the place of Israeli Zionist youth movements in encouraging this trend?
Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H237
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

The Israeli Left: readying the country for the post-Bibi era
Should he complete a full term Netanyahu will become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. However he faces a lingering cloud of corruption, with Israel’s police recently recommending indictments. Featuring Avner Gvaryahu, executive director of human rights organisation Breaking the Silence and Michelle Lesh, a visiting fellow at Melbourne Law School, join us to discuss where Israelis are moving, what’s being done by progressive Israelis, and when the centre-left will be back in government.
Speakers
avatar for Liam Getreu

Liam Getreu

Liam is executive director of the New Israel Fund in Australia, a former national chair of the Australian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC) and the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), and a graduate of Bialik College and Habonim Dror.
avatar for Avner Gvaryahu

Avner Gvaryahu

Avner Gvaryahu was born in Rehovot, raised in the religious nationalist community, and served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces. He has been a member of Breaking the Silence since 2008, is now their executive director and holds an MA in human rights from Columbia Univ... Read More →
avatar for Michelle Lesh

Michelle Lesh

Michelle Lesh holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and is a Visiting Fellow at the Melbourne Law School where she is writing a book on targeted killing. She has lived in Israel where she worked in international law and human rights including at the Supreme Court, B’Tselem... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
HB39
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

10:45am AEST

What’s in store for South African Jews?
South Africa is coming out of a prolonged political and economic crisis. Long gone is any talk of the “Rainbow Nation”: South Africans have been sobered by seemingly never-ending scandal. Drawing on new data from an ongoing national study of the South African community, we will assess the impact of the last decade on the South African Jewish community, and ask: do Jews have a future in South Africa?
Speakers
avatar for Adam Mendelsohn

Adam Mendelsohn

Adam is a historian of Jews in English-speaking lands and author of The Rag Race (an award-winning history of Jews and shmattes). Adam, who has a PhD from Brandeis University, directs the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town, which studies South African Jewry and its dias... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
H126
  Jewish World, Lecture/Discussion

11:30am AEST

Beit Midrash at Limmud 4: the rebellious rabbi
What happens when a Rabbi loses their faith? Join us for the curious case of the heretical Rabbi Elisha Ben Abuya. Whether you are a talmud novice or a seasoned student this session has texts that will challenge and delight you.

This is a Limmud Oz Beit Midrash session and runs from  11.30am to 1.00pm -  This program is modelled on traditional Beit Midrash havruta (partner) style learning but with an open and pluralistic approach. No previous Talmud learning is necessary. See page 3 for more information
Speakers
avatar for Ellyse Borghi

Ellyse Borghi

Ellyse is a children's lawyer by day and a Torah learner and teacher by night. Ellyse is in her second year of studies for orthodox smicha (rabbinic ordination) through Yeshivat Har'El in Jerusalem. Some of the more distant places where Ellyse has taught Torah are Hong Kong, Ghana... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 11:30am - 1:00pm AEST
H241
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Queen of The Scullery: a Jewish woman's struggle with adversity
Pauline brings you the heart-warming story of Bella, a heroic character - loosely based on the life of her late mother- who is constantly challenged by poverty,family violence and tragedy. She overcomes her husband’s dominating and controlling personality with tenacity, courage and her own brand of humour. These issues are real now as they were then. Bella and her daughters ultimately find a new life in 1954 Melbourne under the Migrant ('10 Pound Pom') Scheme.
Speakers
avatar for Pauline Rothberg

Pauline Rothberg

Pauline Rothberg was born in England and emigrated to Australia in 1954. Publications include Meanjin, Melbourne Chronicle, Jewish News and NCJW anthologies. Pauline published her first novel Queen of the Scullery in February 2018. She has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in professional... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H238
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Wanderings: Slam poetry encounters Jewish Identity
Weaving Talmudic story telling traditions with slam poetry, Yoram Symons presents a spoken word journey into the heart of the Jewish soul. A suite of poems including Make Religion Vaginal Again, The Reforged Oven and No Fear At All, come and explore experiences of sex, love, social justice, the Israel Palestine conflict and the role of Torah in contemporary politics. Intense, emotional and utterly engaging, this is Jewish storytelling on speed.
Speakers
HS

Hanna Silver

Hanna is a classically trained pianist, synthesist and Suzuki piano teacher and most recently made the music for Niv Novak's slow motion ballet photography. Wanderings is Hanna and Yoram's first collaboration.
avatar for Yoram Symons

Yoram Symons

Yoram Symons is a slam poet from Melbourne, Australia. He is an Australian Poetry Slam State Finalist, Melbourne Spoken Word Prize Finalist, and winner of the 2017 Grounded Battle of the Arts Spoken Word Competition. Yoram’s poetry weaves his Jewish identity into issues of politics... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H235
  Arts, Performance

12:00pm AEST

What I Learned From the Salvos
As part of my Masters in Social Work I undertake placement with a range of organisations working in the area. When on placement with the Salvation Army over Summer 2017/18 I was exposed not just to a range of hardships and issues that people face every day but also the way in which the Salvos are working to assist and support those people. What I learned has influenced my work and myself as a person
Speakers
avatar for Gabi Kaltmann

Gabi Kaltmann

Gabi Kaltmann is the rabbi for programs and engagement at ARK Centre. He is also completing his Master of Social Work. Gabi has experience working in a range of communities in Australia, Israel and America. He is a passionate young rabbi who focuses on people, connection and rele... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
HB39
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Jewish memory in Poland and Lithuania: confronting and denying history
A wide-ranging discussion about current events underpinning battles of historical narratives in Poland and Lithuania: intense nationalism, efforts to criminalise attributions of Nazi atrocities to Poles and Poland, Lithuanian political activism to equate communism with Nazism and among all this, recent work of Polish and Lithuanian historians and journalists to confront and uncover historical truth.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Baker

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is the author of two memoirs, Thirty Days: A Journey To the End of Love and The Fiftieth Gate: A Journey Through Memory which won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award. He is an Associate Professor in the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University.
avatar for Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz, a native of Rochester, NY, is professor of modern Jewish history at University College London (and a Limmud veteran).  His publications include The Crime of My Very Existence: Nazism and the Myth of Jewish Criminality and “We Are Here”:  New Approaches to... Read More →
avatar for Krystyna Duszniak

Krystyna Duszniak

Krystyna Duszniak is Director of Lost Histories Research bureau, which specialises in Polish-Jewish history. Krystyna is a professional historian, with a Masters Degree in History from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She has written academically and lectured in the history... Read More →
avatar for Bernard Korbman

Bernard Korbman

In 2004 Bernard was appointed as the Executive Director of the Jewish Holocaust Centre. He has lectured at universities and conferences nationally and internationally, and written articles about Holocaust education and history. Bernard recently founded the Advocacy Consulting Group... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H125
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Why do stories matter?
For more than two-and-a-half millenia, Jews have been congregating three times a week to listen to someone chant a story. They are, in a way, the original podcast listeners. So what can we learn from listening to stories? From telling them? And how, moving to our own time, does this relate to cherry tomatoes, hasbara and the BDS movement? Mishy Harman, the host of Israel Story, will share his thoughts on podcasting and tell us some of his favourite tales from the show
Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East

12:00pm AEST

Judaism and the Postcolonial Challenge: Surprising Resources from Traditional Texts
What do Judaism and postcolonial theory have to say to one another? In this session, we'll consider the disturbing history of Jewish texts, particularly the Bible, in colonial expansion; the political aims of postcolonial movements; and the unexpected ways that classical Jewish texts can contribute to postcolonial philosophies and practices.
Speakers
avatar for Emily Filler

Emily Filler

Emily is chair and assistant professor of Jewish studies at Earlham College, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside the Jewish textual tradition. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is co-editor of the Journal of Jewish Ethics and directs the sacred texts... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H126
  Jewish Ideas, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Sherwin Wine: The Atheist Rabbi
This presentation introduces one of the 20th centuries most unusual Jewish leaders, and using some archival audiovisual material reviews his biography, literary and institutional legacy, and the growing role his philosophy is playing for the large numbers of Australian jews who are looking for alternative ways to meaningfully build spirited, inclusive , meaningful Jewish congregations, amongst non believing Jews of all ages.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Cherny

Mark Cherny

Mark Cherny is an ophthalmic surgeon who has worked in an array of Jewish communal organisations since his school days, including Bnei Akiva, Mt Scopus and Maccabi.  He is active in the Kehilat Kolenu humanistic Judaism congregation, and is also board member of both Pathways Melbourne... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
H237
  Jewish Ideas, Lecture/Discussion

12:00pm AEST

Recipes on tombstones: Jewish culinary resistance to mortality
Food, cooking, and recipes are inextricably linked with life and vitality; the dead do not praise the Lord, said the psalmist, and they certainly do not eat or cook, but traditional and improvised Jewish practices related to eating and cooking bring a special awareness and immediacy to the rituals and processes associated with the end of life.
Speakers
avatar for Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz

Eve Jochnowitz, Yiddish instructor at the YIVO institute and the Workmen’s Circle, was a lecturer in Jewish culinary history at Living Traditions Klezkamp.  She worked for several years as a cook and baker in New York and received her PhD in performance studies from New York University... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
HB32
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

My journey Into Jewish-Muslim dialogue
Relationships between Jews and Muslims are far from where they could be -- or should be. In North America, I'm privileged to work on a project that works to correct that. We bring Jews and Muslims from the mainstreams of their communities into conversation with each other, with a unique approach. We don't expect you to agree. In fact, it's not just okay if you disagree. It might be a very good thing.
Speakers
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Haroon is the Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He also teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.
avatar for Michael Visontay

Michael Visontay

Michael Visontay is the Editor of +61J and has worked for over 30 years as a journalist, author and lecturer across Australian media. A former assistant editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, and columnist with The Australian Jewish News, he has co-authored four books of memoir, the... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H116
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

Jews of the Silk Route: the Bukhari experience
Jews first came to Central Asia in the Second Temple period as merchants began to follow the Silk Road. By the 12th century, there were as many Jews in Samarkand as in Melbourne today, with others in Bukhara and Tashkent. We will see how the community reinvented itself every hundred years, while oscillating between isolation and integration with the global Jewish world. What lessons can today’s far flung Jewish communities draw from this amazing story?
Speakers
avatar for Mark Ellison

Mark Ellison

Originally from Manchester, UK, Mark has lived and worked there and in New York, London, Monaco, Paris, Almaty, Hong Kong and now Australia.  Mark is the treasurer of the Kehilat Nitzan community in Melbourne. Mark enjoys travel, and Samarkand and Bukhara were among the most remarkable... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H235
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

Conversations on Israel: Dealing with Imperfection (3 of 3)
Israeli novelist Amos Oz writes that we will inevitably be disappointed by Israel because it was created from different contradictory dreams, noting that the only way to keep a dream rosy and intact and unsullied is actually never to live it out. But how should we respond when our dreams hit a different reality? How should we approach the imperfection of the State of Israel.
Speakers
avatar for Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor

Calev Ben-Dor is director of research at BICOM. Since making Aliyah from London in 2005, Calev has worked in the Reut Institute as well as in the policy planning department of Israel's Foreign Ministry. He teaches and lectures on Jewish and Zionist thought to a variety of audienc... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H125
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

1:15pm AEST

Because I said so: exploring power and authority in rabbinic thought
In today's world, the issue of power, and the abuse of power, is of critical importance. Interestingly, this was something the Rabbis of the Talmud also wrestled with. We will explore some of the rabbinic perspectives on this question, and examine how they can inform our thinking around power and authority in 2018.
Speakers
avatar for Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa serves as the director of education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabbah Epstein has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and liturgy at Pardes... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
H126
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Music of Hallel
The Hallel service has within it a treasure trove of musical gems from various Psalms of praise. Hallel is typically sung on holidays and on Rosh Chodesh (the new month) but it's songs can be extracted and used in countless other settings. Come to this elective if you're interested in learning lots of great Hebrew songs that may be unfamiliar to one who may not have grown up in a traditional prayer community. The goal of this workshop will be breadth not depth, so we will sing through as many melodies as time will allow!
Be sure to bring your recorders, as sheet music may not be provided for all the melodies we will be singing.
Speakers
avatar for Noah Aronson

Noah Aronson

Noah Aronson is an energetic and soulful composer/performer whose unique musical style propels his music into communities across North America, Israel, and Europe. Noah is currently the creative director of Sacred Music NY, a non-profit organisation he helped to create, which organises... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
HB32
  Arts, Performance and workshop/sing along

1:30pm AEST

Accidentally single? Thoughts on the (global) Jewish 'Singles' Crisis
While this is clearly not just a Jewish problem, as a global community we have a genuine 'singles crisis' and it's growing. It is becoming increasingly difficulty for many individuals, particularly those 35+, to find their life partners. Suggested reasons include: fear of commitment; societal narcissistic trends; social media; demographics. Outlining some new initiatives being trialed globally, both online and face to face, we ask how could our communities collaboratively ameliorate this issue?
Speakers
avatar for Jacki Bloustien
avatar for Geraldine Bloustien

Geraldine Bloustien

Associate Professor Geraldine Bloustien, an anthropologist, is currently an adjunct at the School of Creative Industries , University of South Australia. Her work more recently focuses on how new technologies and new forms of media affect individuals sense of self and communities... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
HB39
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

What's a maideleh doing in the boardroom?
A good Jewish woman is an Eshet Chayil, right? A a devoted wife and mother, the heart and soul of the Jewish home. So what becomes of her when she actively pursues her career and - chas ve shalom - her ambition? Come and share in an honest and meaningful conversation about modern Jewish womanhood, and the power of being what you cannot always see.
Speakers
avatar for Gabi Crafti

Gabi Crafti

Gabi is a Melbourne barrister, a mother and the founder of the Jewish Professional Women's Network. The JPWN challenges the traditional perception of what a Jewish woman "does" and "is", and seeks to normalise the notion that Jewish women are driven, ambitious and career-focussed... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
H238
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

1:30pm AEST

Lenny Bruce and me: the dark side of Jewish humour or "what to do when it does lead to dancing"
Join storyteller Tal Spinrad as we visit the darker elements of Jewish humour. Tal combines the story of Ezekiel with the delivery of Mel Brooks to articulate how Jews have shed "light" on some very controversial subjects such as anti-semitism, politics, sex and the Shoah. Examine how, in many cases, the goal of Jewish humour is not the punch line laugh, but rather to reveal a troubling truth.
Speakers
avatar for Tal Spinrad

Tal Spinrad

Tal Spinrad is the KULANU Project Manager at UJEB. A career Jewish educator and inclusion advocate with close to four decades of service to Jewish communities worldwide, Tal is also a talented storyteller who blends the passion of Ezekiel with the humour of Mel Brooks.

Monday June 11, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
H241
  History and Memory, Performance

1:30pm AEST

"Turning the Tables": Sex work, kink, and polyamory in Jewish tradition
As a religiously observant psychotherapist, Dr Gávi Ansara is a practice principal at Imanadari Counselling, a group practice specialising in working with marginalised populations. At Imanadari, he has worked therapeutically with sex workers, people in BDSM/kink relationships, and/or people in polyamorous/multi-partnered relationships. Dr Gávi's investigation of relevant Jewish traditional sources led to unexpected discoveries. In this session, we will explore surprising sources on these topics, challenge our assumptions, and explain why knowing our tradition matters.
Speakers
avatar for Gávi Ansara

Gávi Ansara

Psychotherapist, Ansara Psychotherapy
Gávi, who has PhD in psychology  and a Master's in Counselling, is a religiously observant psychotherapist at Ansara Psychotherapy providing safe and knowledgeable services in Melbourne and Sydney in person and online worldwide for a variety of marginalised populations, including... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
H237
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Bookclub: Choose Somebody Else by Yvonne Fein
Sholem Aleichem's Tevye begged God to "choose somebody else," when he felt that being the Chosen People had put Jews too much under the spotlight. Read some or all of collection Fein's recently released collection of discrete short stories (plus a novella!) as she explores ideas of power and control using magical realism, Talmudic tales, autobiography and the rich tradition of Yiddish story telling.
Speakers
avatar for Michelle Prawer

Michelle Prawer

Michelle is an academic teaching scholar in the First Year College at Victoria University. She is a past Victorian judge of the CBCA book Awards, the Eve Powell Information Book Award and the Crichton Award and she has many years of experience both teaching and assessing VCE English... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
HB39
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Are we GETTing anywhere? Gett-Refusal, Domestic Abuse and the Law
Faith-based divorce and the issues surrounding Gett-refusal have received intense media scrutiny in the last few years and caused a flurry of interest in the legal community. But where are we at in terms of providing tangible and practical solutions for Agunot? This session will explore recent developments, new challenges and future innovations in the Australian legal landscape. It will also take a look at grass-roots community projects aimed at tackling these difficult issues.
Speakers
avatar for Talya Faigenbaum

Talya Faigenbaum

Talya is a lawyer working exclusively in Family Law and is director of Faigenbaum Family Lawyers. In addition to running her practice Talya actively assists women in securing a Jewish divorce. She is passionate about these issues and regularly presents at local and international conferences... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H238
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Jews in the diaspora: what does it mean in the 21st century?
There are many different understandings of what it means for Jews to live in diaspora. While some position this as a mark of inadequacy, others see benefits to a form of self-determination which does not require a nation-state. In this session we'll read some key texts produced by Jewish diasporist writers in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, in order to understand the different visions of diaspora that exist.
Speakers
avatar for Jordy Silverstein

Jordy Silverstein

Jordy Silverstein is a historian and writer, based at the University of Melbourne. Her PhD looked at Holocaust education in Jewish schools in Melbourne and New York. Jordy is the author of Anxious Histories: Narrating the Holocaust in Jewish Communities at the Beginning of the Twenty-First... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H241
  Community and Activism

2:45pm AEST

Music in Jewish aged care: it's like chicken soup for the soul!
Music duo Sibling Revelry – (Laiya Rothberg vocals/ David Rothberg vocals/keyboards) have been delighting the Jewish elderly for many years. Through their many performances they have come to have an appreciation of the immense power of music in healing and enhancing the lives of the residents – many of whom are holocaust survivors and/or non English speakers. Music speaks all languages. Let them tell you their many anecdotes –punctuated with live performances of their songs.
Speakers
avatar for David Rothberg

David Rothberg

Sibling Revelry comprises amazing vocalist Laiya Rothberg on vocals, and her brother, David Rothberg - keyboard and vocals . They perform popular Jewish and secular melodies in Hebrew, English and Yiddish, ensuring they are very sought after in the Jewish simcha scene . They are also... Read More →
avatar for Laiya Rothberg

Laiya Rothberg

Laiya Rothberg is an incredible vocalist and has a large and diverse repertoire of melodies (both covers and originals) from jazz, ballads and top 40 through to blues and folk. She performs in both English and Hebrew. Laiya is backed by her brother David on piano/keyboards in their... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H235
  Community and Activism, Performance

2:45pm AEST

Too taboo? Exploring the issues around Self Harm
There are many reasons why people self harm and it's time to talk openly about this issue. The panel will explore this issue from various perspectives including; a person with lived experience, a first responder, and a healthcare professional.
Speakers
avatar for Dassi Erlich

Dassi Erlich

Dassi Erlich, survivor advocate and public campaigner. In 2017, Dassi founded the campaign to #bringleiferback. The campaign gained widespread support and reached the highest levels of goverment in Australia and Israel. Throughout the journey, Dassi has raised awareness and education... Read More →
avatar for Dassi Herszberg

Dassi Herszberg

Dassi, the fifth of eight children, was born into a Ger hasidic family in Melbourne’s Adass community. With her questioning, inquisitive, inquiring mind, she didn't fit the mould and didn’t stay in that world. Mother to a delightful, questioning, inquisitive and inquiring 20-year-old... Read More →
avatar for Bracha Rafael

Bracha Rafael

Bracha was born and raised in the Melbourne Chabad community. She is an alumna of Beth Rivkah Ladies College, and works in Melbourne’s inner suburbs as a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria. Bracha studies arts at the university of Melbourne and is an active member of the Shira Hadasha... Read More →
avatar for Caroline Worth

Caroline Worth

Carolyn Worth has been the Manager of the South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault for 25 years.  Prior to this position she worked in the Family Court of Australia for 10 years as a Court Counsellor. She is the Spokesperson and Convenor for the CASA Forum which is the peak body... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H116
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Coco Chanel and the Germans in Paris
In 1910 Coco Chanel opened a small business in Paris. Then after WW1, she established her successful company with Jewish businessmen Pierre and Paul Wertheimer. When the Germans occupied France in 1940, Chanel moved into the Ritz Hotel with Nazi Generals. To benefit from the law banning Jews from owning businesses, Chanel took over the Wertheimers' share. She became rich by catering to the very rich, sharing their dislike of Jews and of trade unions.
Speakers
avatar for Helen Webberley

Helen Webberley

Helen Webberley worked in Israel, Britain and Australia, mostly as a historian and art historian. Despite retiring from the CAE in Melbourne in December 2018, she is still a very keen writer in the history blog called Art and Architecture, mainly (http://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
HB32
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

The Holocaust and photography: new perspectives from the archives
This presentation explores the work of European Jewish photographers from the pre-war decades up through the Holocaust, revealing extraordinarily skilled and even avant-garde professionals. Their work may subvert what we think we know about the “old country” and beyond. Even after 1939, Jews operated studios in several Nazi ghettos and engaged in what would later be termed “street photography,” leaving a body of work that has yet to be examined and appreciated.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz

Michael Berkowitz, a native of Rochester, NY, is professor of modern Jewish history at University College London (and a Limmud veteran).  His publications include The Crime of My Very Existence: Nazism and the Myth of Jewish Criminality and “We Are Here”:  New Approaches to... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H126
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

Israel - three big questions: is Israeli society coming together or tearing apart? (3 of 3)
Over three sessions, we'll explore three issues of existential importance to Israel in the 21st century. I'll frame the question, you bring the answers! Finally, we'll confront Israeli society's greatest internal challenges, social cohesion. On some measures, Israel is becoming ever more divided. On others, things are looking up. Who is right?
Speakers
avatar for Robin Moss

Robin Moss

Robin is the Director of Strategy of UJIA, the UK’s largest Israel charity, sits on the Board of National Officers of Liberal Judaism and is the Co-Chair of Publications for Limmud. An Oxford graduate, Robin placed 16th in the “40 under 40” list of young British Jewish lead... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H125
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

2:45pm AEST

A living tradition: how things shift in Jewish law and practice
 
e An open-minded perspective of how and why Jewish norms have changed, through the lens of our tradition over the course of our history. Using textual examples we will look at specific examples of how our tradition has given us permission to change when the circumstances warrant a departure from the commonly accepted practice. 
Speakers
avatar for Rafi Kaiserblueth

Rafi Kaiserblueth

Rafi was born in Puerto Rico and has spent time in Jewish communities across the spectrum and the globe, from Reform, Masorti, and Chabad, to the United States, South America, Europe, and Australia. Currently a member of the clergy team of Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney, Rafi previously... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
H237
  Text Tradition and Faith

4:00pm AEST

From communal authenticity to personal truth
Ari Hershkowitz will expound on his complicated and challenging Journey from an ultra-orthodox upbringing to a fulfilling life as an atheist Jew. Now having a strong, balanced, and constructive direction in his life. He is helping other people by sharing the hard-earned lessons as a survivor of sexual abuse and substance abuse. His role in the Netflix film One of Us has given him opportunities to become an advocate for improved educational standards in hasidic schools in New York City.
Speakers
avatar for Ari Hershkowitz

Ari Hershkowitz

Raised in New York in an insular, ultra-orthodox hasidic community, Ari questioned that life from a young age. Now an atheist, he has built a life outside his insular beginnings and has publicly shared the joys and struggle of that journey via social media and in the acclaimed documentary... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
HB39
  Community and Activism

4:00pm AEST

Mizrachit music in Israel - From shame to fame
This session will explore the journey of mizrachi music and Jewish arabic culture. How it moved from being shameful and unworthy to the most popular music industry and celebrated culture in Israel.
Speakers
avatar for Ronen Shoshan

Ronen Shoshan

Ronen is the creator and head of "Hamakom" at Mount Scopus, where students get to experience Hebrew and Israel through drama , music and games. Ronen is also an accomplished musician and percussionist playing in several Middle Eastern bands

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H220
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Einstein and the Rabbi: the untold story of the physicist's 20-year friendship with Rabbi Chaim Tchernowitz, and their conversations about the Talmud, Zionism, and God
Not fiction, but history. Albert Einstein, fabled physicist, forged an abiding friendship and correspondence with an eclectic Orthodox rabbi, Chaim Tchernowitz. From their first meeting, we’ll chart their unlikely story, which spanned two continents and two decades. Along the way, you’ll learn why Einstein wrote a public letter praising the Talmud—even though he couldn’t read it—and how he opposed an early attempt to depose the first president of Hebrew University for his heterodox political views.
Speakers
avatar for Yair Rosenberg

Yair Rosenberg

Yair is a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and his writings have received awards from the Religion... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H125
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Jews and the American Civil War
Jews shooting at other Jews? Well Jews lived in, supported and fought for both sides involved in the American Civil war. Hear their stories, including a unique improvised Pesach Confederate seder with a drunken Pharaoh and Moses
Speakers
avatar for Thomas Sterling

Thomas Sterling

Tommy is a long time Limmudnik who loves to ask questions and explore the origin of all things Jewish. His passions span the traditional to the academic, presented with a humorous and irreverent approach. He is also married to Sydney's first female Orthodox Rabbi. You can call him... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H235
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Adi Keissar in conversation with Dalit Kaplan on gender and feminism in Israel
Everyone always speaks of the heart.  But what about the kidneys?
Don’t they know how to love? And the liver?
 
Whether it’s kidneys, the marginality of Mizrachi artists, Yemini grandmothers, or the politics of accents, Adi Keissar’s art and commentary is original and honest.  Join Keisser, in conversation with Dalit Kaplan as she turns her originality and honesty to the question of gender and feminism in Israel.
Speakers
avatar for Dalit Kaplan

Dalit Kaplan

  Dalit teaches the art of storytelling to purpose-oriented individuals and organisations, and produces podcasts through her business Storywell.  She also writes essays and is slowly working on a novel.  In another life she was a lawyer, which she still dabbles in from time... Read More →
avatar for Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet of Yeminite descent, is the founder of the popular Ars Poetica, a project which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry for the masses in the form of readings combined with Middle Eastern music and dancing. Keissar received the Bernstein Literary Award... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H237
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Israel and the Australian Jewish Left
The Australian Jewish Left has a history of support for the creation and continued existence of the State of Israel covering a period of over 50 years.  But the Jewish Left has a diversity of views about the nature of the relationship they have with Israel. Our 3 speakers with longstanding associations with the AJDS and other organisations and networks will share their different perspectives
Speakers
avatar for June Factor

June Factor

 June Factor is a writer and folklorist, and an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
avatar for Robin Rothfield

Robin Rothfield

Robin is a National Co-convener of Labor for Refugees and until March 2018 was a member of the executive of the Australian Jewish Democratic Society since 1995.
avatar for Larry Stillman

Larry Stillman

Larry Stillman has served on the AJDS Executive. He has too many degrees including ones from Hebrew U Harvard & a Monash PhD.  A Senior Research Fellow at Monash, he leads a research project in villages of Bangladesh with Oxfam. He has taken up the Anglo Concertina and is looking... Read More →
avatar for Harold Zwier

Harold Zwier

Harold Zwier has had a longstanding interest in civil debate and constructive dialogue. Although he works in the computer industry as a software engineer, his real interests are in ideas, politics, the Jewish community and writing. Harold is a member of Befriend a Child in Detention... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H241
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Syria 2.0: the current situation in Syria and how it affects Israel
This discussion will focus on the new conflicts that are emerging in Syria as the wars between Assad and the rebels and between Islamic State and  the US-led coalition against it draw to a close.  We will focus in particular on the emergent contest between Israel and Iran on the soil of Syria.  
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Spyer

Jonathan Spyer

Jonathan Spyer is an analyst, writer and journalist of Mid-East affairs. He is executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis, a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, and a fellow at the Middle East Forum. A freelance security analyst... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East

4:00pm AEST

Re-imagining Jewish weddings
In a very traditional Australian Jewish community, there is an almost universally accepted structure of how to marry in a Jewish framework. These Jews have challenged the norm of what it means to marry Jewish by re-imagining what inclusive, egalitarian, same-sex and secular-humanist Jewish weddings look like.
Speakers
avatar for Nomi Blum

Nomi Blum

Nomi is an eternal student, a passionate human and a proud member of the JC. She's also an ageing footballer, aspiring photographer, doctor and community organisation nerd, who is inspired by a notorious third generation holocaust mentality, a yearning for a pseudo-socialist reality... Read More →
avatar for Motti Blum

Motti Blum

After completing high school at Yavneh College Motti spent a year in Israel studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion. He studied Commerce at Monash University and was a Madrich and Merakez at Bnei Akiva. In 2017, after ten years of working in informal education at Mount Scopus College Motti... Read More →
avatar for Lara Lubitz

Lara Lubitz

Lara is passionate about helping couples connect to each other and their wedding ritual. She understands that a wedding is a  transformational moment and loves working with couples to help them connect to their personalised ceremony. Lara has broad knowledge of the diversity of Jewish... Read More →
avatar for Greg Sher

Greg Sher

Greg Sher is an accomplished saxophonist based in Melbourne. Along with teaching students weekly, he fronts both the Rookies and Moonglow jazz bands and has been a regular at the Melbourne Jazz Festival.When he and his partner married in 2016, they created a unique secular humanist... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H238
  Jewish Ideas, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

The Bible between history and metaphor: can there be a third way?
Historical consideration of biblical narrative is often understood to fall into one of two categories: either the narrative "really happened" in the historical-critical sense, or the narratives are simply metaphors or figurative accounts of Israelite experience. This session considers ways of thinking beyond this binary formulation of "historical" and "metaphorical." We'll pay particular attention to the biblical narrative of the Exodus, and the possibility of a "third way" of interpreting this most important text.
Speakers
avatar for Emily Filler

Emily Filler

Emily is chair and assistant professor of Jewish studies at Earlham College, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside the Jewish textual tradition. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is co-editor of the Journal of Jewish Ethics and directs the sacred texts... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
HB32
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

4:00pm AEST

Lot: a study in mediocrity
This shiur will examine the Biblical and Rabbinic sources that describe the tragic character of Lot - history's might-have-been. Trying to be like his brother-in-law/uncle, but failing miserably and ending in disaster. What went wrong? Let's look at the texts and see what we can find. Texts will be provided in original Hebrew and in translation.
Speakers
avatar for James Kennard

James Kennard

Rabbi James Kennard has been Principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College in Melbourne since 2007, and was previously Head of two schools in the UK. He has a passion for textual Torah learning (and maths) and is a sought-after speaker and giver of shiurim.

Monday June 11, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
H126
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Jewkulele
Ukuleles are fun but are they Jewish? You'd be surprised! Discover the many Jewish connections to this wildly popular musical instrument at this highly enjoyable, informative lecture on the history and practice of the ukulele including fascinating stories of a Hawaiian 'Schindler', a globetrotting Jewish/Arab ukulele ensemble and more along with tales of Jewish ukulele players from Molly Picon through to modern players like a modern Hawaiian Jewish princess of the ukulele.
Speakers
avatar for David Krycer

David Krycer

Performing since his mid-teenage years, David is a multi-instrumentalist/teacher with a wealth of experience. His active and varied musical life includes performing on ukulele, guitar and bass in bands for concerts, recordings and functions, teaching one-on-one, workshops and at schools... Read More →
avatar for Rebecca Krycer

Rebecca Krycer

Rebecca performs around Victoria in the ukulele duo Dafka, combining her lifelong love of music with a strong and vital rhythmic approach to the ukulele. She will demonstrate, with David, the Jewish connections to this popular instrument.

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
HB39
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Let's talk about a career in the arts
Being a Jew and considering a career in the creative arts can be pretty frightening. Most artistic endeavors are far from the general, law, accounting or medicine stable pathways. In this workshop we will delve into what you are driven towards with tips on how to succeed in the creative arts industry.
Speakers
avatar for Romi Kupfer

Romi Kupfer

Romi is a Melbourne-based contemporary director and theatre-maker. Using live theatre and performance, Romi aims to provoke, question and explore life as we know it. Romi has a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Hons) from Monash University and a Master of Directing for Performance from... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H222
  Arts

5:15pm AEST

Music for refugees
Refugees and asylum seekers held in detention centres undergo enormous amounts of stress. The Music for Refugees organisation visits these unfortunate people, provides them with free music instruments and teaches them the art of jamming together. Music for Refugees has extended their assistance to all detention centres in Australia including Christmas Island, Nauru and soon at Manis Island. This is a non-profit NGO.
Speakers
avatar for Philip Feinstein

Philip Feinstein

Phil started Music for Refugees 12 years ago to help stressed refugees in detention. He gives free musical instruments and music lessons to refugees Australia-wide. He recently started helping African Burundian refugees because of the genocide there. Phil has travelled to east Africa... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H241
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Who Counts in the Jewish World: Exclusion and Embrace
The session will consider groups and individuals who often feel alienated from the Jewish community because of their identifying as a person with a disability or by others identifying them as such. We will look at texts from the Torah and Talmud with a view to understanding the relationship between text and community behaviour.
Speakers
avatar for Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa serves as the director of education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabbah Epstein has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and liturgy at Pardes... Read More →
avatar for Melinda Jones

Melinda Jones

Melinda is a feminist human rights lawyer and disability activist, retired from the Academy. Her published writings cover freedom of speech and racial hatred and the rights of children, women and people with disabilities. Her current research focus is on Judaism and people with d... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H220
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

A Jew, a Christian Aboriginal, a Sikh and a Muslim walk into a Limmud session: understanding interfaith dialogue
In this panel discussion, you will engage with Jewish, Aboriginal Christian, Sikh and Muslim expertise, exploring the highs and lows of interfaith dialogue... and you will learn how you too can become a practitioner in this holy task of bringing peace to the world - simply through dialogue! The session encompasses an interactive discussion with the audience... and you will be treated to some amazing testimonies and performance from accomplished leaders in this sacred space.
Speakers
avatar for Amna Iqbal

Amna Iqbal

Amna is a young writer/public speaker with qualifications in performance and drama from the London Academy. She is active in the Islamic Council of Victoria’s interfaith committees, the VMC and JCMA. Amna is passionate about interfaith movements and cultivating change for Muslim... Read More →
avatar for Sharmaine Meek

Sharmaine Meek

Sharmaine is a Taungurung Aboriginal woman, who has travelled to Israel many times and is a contagious, enthusiastic and energetic teacher. Together with husband Alex, she co-founded New Wineskins Ministries, River of Life Apostolic Congregations, overseeing 17 congregations including... Read More →
avatar for Avraham Schwarz

Avraham Schwarz

Abe has devoted 18 years to discovering the untold legacy of William Cooper & the Aboriginal:Jewish connection, whilst advocating for inclusion of marginalised voices in the community and on radio. Abe remains passionate that only through interfaith and grassroots dialogue can lasting... Read More →
DS

Dya Singh

Dya is a World Music legend and performer, with his background life philosophy, Sikhism, advocates interfaith dialogue for self-improvement, progress in life and the pursuit of happiness. He steers away from proselytisation and merely points out self-improvement techniques; with 'peers... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H235
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Win Win
“It is a Mitzvah (commandment) to tell the Law holders first, if they want a compromise, they make a compromise between them, and any court that always makes a compromise is the best, and it is said that "a magistrate has judged your gates" Zechariah 8:16 Rambam, Sanhedrin 2: 4
Speakers
avatar for Erez Feinberg

Erez Feinberg

Erez is the head of informal Jewish education at the primary school at Mount Scopus and is the chairperson for Zionism Victoria’s Department of “Hebrew Language and Israeli Culture”. Born in Jerusalem (8 generations "Yerushalmi"), Erez has a master’s in School Leadership... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H237
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Jewish Surnames
The history of Jewish surnames. Learn when they were first used in various countries, how they developed, and their transformation upon immigration. This presentation will dispel several common myths about Jewish surnames. Classifications of surnames: patronymic/matronymic, toponymic, occupational, artificial, religious, and acronyms. Discover which Jewish surnames are most prevalent in the U.S., Eastern Europe and Israel. Learn where you can research more about your surnames.
Speakers
avatar for Bernie Kuran

Bernie Kuran

Bernie is a member of the Australian Jewish Genealogical Society, and has served on its committee since 2009. He has attended Jewish genealogical conferences in Australia and in the US, and has a keen interest in Jewish genealogy from Poland, Holland, United Kingdom, and the early... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
HB32
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Secrets of an ambassador
Hear Ambassador Sofer in conversation on everything from cherry tomatoes to Middle East dramas.
Speakers
avatar for Mandi Katz

Mandi Katz

Mandi Katz is a governance professional in the financial services sector and when she is not working is immersed in Jewish community. She is the  president of Shira Hadasha, an orthodox egalitarian synagogue. She was co-chair of Limmud Oz Melbourne from 2013 to 2017 and is co-chair... Read More →
avatar for Mark Sofer

Mark Sofer

Mark is Israel’s Ambassador to Australia. Mark’s long career in the Foreign Office has included roles as Head of Asia and the Pacific Division and Head of Central Europe and Eurasia Division, and postings in India, Ireland and Peru. Mark has an MA in political science from Hebrew... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H116
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

5:15pm AEST

Between the head and the heart: rationalism and mysticism in Judaism and Islam
In this session, Haroon Moghul and Raphael Dascalu present their perspectives on the relationship between rationalism and mysticism in Islamic and Jewish traditions, and engage in a lively dialogue about the roles that these orientations can play in our own lives.
Speakers
avatar for Ellyse Borghi

Ellyse Borghi

Ellyse is a children's lawyer by day and a Torah learner and teacher by night. Ellyse is in her second year of studies for orthodox smicha (rabbinic ordination) through Yeshivat Har'El in Jerusalem. Some of the more distant places where Ellyse has taught Torah are Hong Kong, Ghana... Read More →
avatar for Raphael Dascalu

Raphael Dascalu

Raphael Dascalu is a native of Sydney, Australia. After studying at the University of Sydney and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he completed his PhD in History of Judaism at the University of Chicago (2016). He also studied in various battei midrash  in Israel, including Yeshivat... Read More →
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Haroon is the Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He also teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H125
  Text Tradition and Faith   Text Tradition and Faith   Tradition and Faith   Tradition and Faith   Text Tradition and Faith   Tradition and Faith   Tradition and Faith

5:15pm AEST

Four Degrees of Separation: A Torah Cantillation ("Layning") Master Class
Understanding the function of the various notes as joiners or separators - with their 4 levels of pausal power - to form phrases and sub-phrases. How to translate this into chanting, including where best to take a breath. We'll practise singing trop sequences with relevant examples from the Torah. Correcting common errors (eg confusing kadma with pashta); kamatz-katan vs kamatz gadol); “launch” notes; correct syllable accent placement with particular attention to the "double" notes.
Speakers
MS

Mark Symons

Mark has had many years' experience as a Ba'al Koreh (Torah Reader) in several congregations in Melbourne, currently a regular at Caulfield Beth HaMidrash (Katanga) and Shira Hadasha. He is known for the precision, clarity and expressiveness that he brings to his Torah reading.

Monday June 11, 2018 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
H238
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Ars Poetica: where politics and poetry meet at the hafla (party)
Join Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet of Yemenite heritage, for a discussion about her poetry project Ars Poetica.  Adi launched Ars Poetica in 2013 and the project has been described as both “the best party in town and the most significant cultural phenomenon in Israel today”.  The discussion will consider social hierarchy in culture, identity in poetry and the impact on Israeli society of  Ars Poetica – where poetry is combined with Middle Eastern style haflot (parties).
Speakers
avatar for Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet of Yeminite descent, is the founder of the popular Ars Poetica, a project which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry for the masses in the form of readings combined with Middle Eastern music and dancing. Keissar received the Bernstein Literary Award... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H126
  Arts, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Religious entrepreneurship
Religion generates strong, passionate feelings and emotions. In most aspects of modern Western (and not only Western) life we are experiencing, indeed some would suggest we are assaulted by, rapid advances that are changing the nature of our lives.Which makes it hard to understand why so much religious ideology and practice is mired in practices of the distant past without any (or certainly very much) emphasis on adapting it to modern circumstance.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Naphtali

Michael Naphtali

Michael Naphtali has been an active member of the Melbourne Jewish community for many years. He has worked with, and led, several Jewish communal organisations. He is passionate about our community and ensuring it thrives today and into the future.

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H241
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Tikkun Olam: Saving the world, one coffee cup at a time
Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 7:13 says 'see to it that you don't spoil and destroy My world; for if you do, there'll be no one else to repair it.' There are many things that we as individuals can do to reduce destruction and help repair the world. Come and explore some simple steps we can all take to reduce our negative impacts on our world, and start to repair some of the damage that's already happened.
Speakers
avatar for Evelyn Flitman

Evelyn Flitman

President, Jewish Ecological Coalition (JECO)
Educated at Mount Scopus more years ago than she cares to remember, Evelyn's Jewish involvement over the years has included MonJSS, B'nai B'rith, the Jewish Secular Humanist School, JNF and the Jewish Ecological Coalition (JECO) of which she is currently president. Evelyn is of mixed... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H237
  Community and Activism, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Kosher Tantra
In this session I will reveal the ancient tools of tantra and the ways to reignite the flames of intimacy which occasionally fade away after the Chuppah and Kidushin. I will show similarities between the ancient wisdom of both tantra and Judaism and their approach to intimacy between married couples. We will explore ways of bringing the Shechinah into our love life and deepening the holy brit (Covenant) - Ani Ledodi Ve Dodi Li
Speakers
avatar for Azra Sabljo

Azra Sabljo

Azra is a teacher, performer, qualified tantric instructor and clinical hypnotherapist. She has been practising tantra for over 10 years and has developed tantric tools that help couples reignite their love life and deepen their intimacy and sacred union - in light of Judaism and... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H235
  Education, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Beyond Beersheba: the great (horse) race that won a war
Few people know the enormity of the ANZAC battles in 1918 that followed the Beersheba charge. We will look at ‘Megiddo Sweep’ breakthrough, the 560 km ‘great ride’ from Jaffa to Aleppo, Allenby’s grand plan (and deception), Australian General Harry Chauvel’s role in commanding the 34,000 horsemen, the battle at Tzemakh (near Lake Kinneret), the aboriginal troopers’ role and the taking of Damascus. We will honour their achievements and see the ramifications politically and biblically.
Speakers
JC

Jill Curry

Jill has followed the WW1 Light Horse trails and led seven tour groups along these routes. Her book ‘Victory’ is an easy introduction to the ANZACs in the WW1 Middle Eastern Campaign. She lived in Israel from 1997-2001 and loves the intersection of biblical prophecy, Israel and... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H238
  History and Memory, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

How Jewish Should a Jewish State Be? Israel's Battles Over Religion and Religious Coercion
Do Israelis have the right to a cappuccino and a bus ride on Shabbat? To marry whomever they please? Israel was created for Jews to have a state in which they can worship freely. But today, many Israelis feel they must fight for the freedom NOT to follow Jewish law. We'll talk about the various battles: from the Western Wall and female modesty to Shabbat, kashrut and more.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist, Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012, hosts the Haaretz Weekend podcast and is a co-host of The Promised Podcast. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post, and has also written for the New Republic, Politico, and other publications. She won... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
HB32
  Israel and the Middle East, Lecture/Discussion

6:30pm AEST

Use and abuse of Holocaust in Israeli culture and politics
In this talk, Mark will look at various texts and media that use and abuse the Holocaust as a prism through which to view Zionism, the Arab-Israel conflict, and social issues such as the ongoing African refugee crisis in Israel. Texts to be considered will include: Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir; Ghassan Kanafani’s Return to Haifa, Yizhar’s Khirbet Khizar, Edward Said’s Question of Palestine, the TV series The Promise, Leunig and Eli Valley cartoons; Holocaust memorials and the speeches of Israeli Prime Ministers.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Baker

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is the author of two memoirs, Thirty Days: A Journey To the End of Love and The Fiftieth Gate: A Journey Through Memory which won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award. He is an Associate Professor in the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University.

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H125
  Israel and the Middle East

6:30pm AEST

A cosmic drama: angels, Midrash and the nature of Jewish ethics
The Rabbis of the Talmud didn’t write philosophy as such, but midrash instead—what we might today call myth—an imaginative exercise in filling textual gaps. Together, we’ll explore one intriguing example: what happened during Moshe’s mysterious 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai? Why do the Rabbis imagine angels preventing the Israelites from receiving the Torah? And what does this say about their approach to the Divine-human relationship?
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Charak

Sarah Charak

Sarah studied Tanach, Talmud and Jewish philosophy at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, and then history and law at the University of Sydney. Her Honours thesis analysed the impact of the White Australia policy on Australian Jewish identity and community in the 1880s-1920s. She has... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 6:30pm - 7:30pm AEST
H220
  Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Text Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion |   Tradition and Faith, Lecture/Discussion

7:45pm AEST

Israel: something to laugh about
Join these four funny folk as they find the funny in Israel. A lighthearted - but sometimes hard-hitting - look at Israel at 70.
Speakers
avatar for Jacob Sacher

Jacob Sacher

Jacob is a Jewish comedian, or perhaps a comedic Jew. He’s produced and performed in eight shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival and Canberra Comedy Festival. An ensemble member at the Improv Conspiracy Theatre, he has been a Raw Victoria... Read More →
avatar for Justine Sless

Justine Sless

Justine Sless is an award winning writer, comedian and creative Director of Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival. Justine has performed comedy and story telling nationally and internationally. Justine's comedy has been described by the Jewish News as 'sparkling'. 
avatar for Robert Weil

Robert Weil

Australian businessman and Caulfield Shule vice-president, Robert Weil has been making people laugh all over the world, performing stand-up comedy and satire in the US, Israel, Asia and Europe as well as here in his native country.  As Rabbi Mordy Katz, Weil performs at comedy venues... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
HB32
  Arts, Performance

7:45pm AEST

Noah Aronson in concert
Noah Aronson is an energetic and soulful Jewish music composer/performer whose unique musical style propels his music into communities across North America, Israel, and Europe, and  now, for the first time, in Australia. Experience him in concert with friends. Come ready to sing and celebrate!
Speakers
avatar for Noah Aronson

Noah Aronson

Noah Aronson is an energetic and soulful composer/performer whose unique musical style propels his music into communities across North America, Israel, and Europe. Noah is currently the creative director of Sacred Music NY, a non-profit organisation he helped to create, which organises... Read More →

Monday June 11, 2018 7:45pm - 8:45pm AEST
H116
  Arts, Performance
 
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