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Sunday, June 17
 

9:30am AEST

Get centred with effortless meditation
WORKSHOP | The principle of Tikkun Olam urges us to make a contribution to changing the world. In order to direct energy outward, you have to first harness it internally. Join Nikki as she takes you through the practice and principles of effortless meditation. She promises it will be easy, enjoyable, and effective. Following an expertly guided meditation, and a brief discussion on the evidence base, you will be left feeling refreshed and revived, ready to contribute to the day ahead.
Speakers
avatar for Nikki Jankelowitz

Nikki Jankelowitz

Nikki is the co-founder of Centred Meditation, a corporate meditation business with a drop-in meditation studio in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. She stumbled upon meditation online while studying psychology at university and was astounded by its immediate effects on all aspects of... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
TZEFAT ROOM
  Arts and culture, Workshop

9:30am AEST

Who do you think you are? Jewish Australian stories
With ancestors including First Fleet convicts, free settlers, and soldiers in WWI, these panelists are part of Jewish families who have lived Down Under for well over a century (or two!). When, and how, did their ancestors come to Australia? What does it mean to be part of such a long line of Jewish Australians and custodians of their stories? How do we cultivate an awareness of our family histories? Join us for some captivating story-telling and discussion.
Moderators
avatar for Jacqui Wasilewsky

Jacqui Wasilewsky

Jacqui Wasilewsky is Manager of Community Stories at the Sydney Jewish Museum. Her department has recorded more than 150 interviews and published 76 biographies. Jacqui completed her BA/LLB in 1987 and MA (History) in 1998 at UNSW and Certificate of Interactive Multimedia in 2004... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Peter Allen

Peter Allen

As National Coordinator of the Centenary of Anzac Jewish Program, Peter organised the publication of Jewish Anzacs by Mark Dapin, facilitated projects in every State from 2014 to 2018 and attended centenaries of the Battles of Fromelles and Beersheba. One of Peter's ancestors was... Read More →
avatar for Shelley Einfeld

Shelley Einfeld

Shelley Einfeld is a Jewish Australian with a strong family history of communal contribution. Her grandfather Sydney Einfeld was named for the city, being born just 3 weeks after his parents’ 1909 arrival for his father to become chazan at The Great Synagogue. Syd became an icon... Read More →
avatar for Jono Herrman

Jono Herrman

Jono is a devotee of the Sydney and Israeli startup scenes and descendant of Jewish convict Abraham Rheuben and his uncle, Charles Dickens’s Fagin. His early Jewish life was traditional—a Bar Mitzvah, Friday nights, synagogue 3x a year—and communal involvement over the years... Read More →
avatar for Eli Levi

Eli Levi

Eli is a law and politics graduate of the University of Sydney and last year completed a Jewish text-study fellowship in New York. She comes from a long line of Jewish Australians and is passionate about contributing to the Jewish community — working for the ECAJ and volunteering... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Our history our memory, Panel

9:30am AEST

Between the head and the heart: rationalism and mysticism in Judaism and Islam
Have you ever felt the allure of the esoteric? Or perhaps you feel that intellectual rigour is lacking from religion? 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 Raf Dascalu

Raf Dascalu

Raphael is a native of Sydney, currently residing in Melbourne. After studying at the University of Sydney and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he completed his PhD at the University of Chicago, focusing on medieval Jewish history and philosophy. He has studied at Yeshivat Hakibbutz... Read More →
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at Shalom Hartman Institute of N.A.
Haroon Moghul is a writer, commentator and educator. He's the Fellow in Jewish—Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.

Sunday June 17, 2018 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Text and tradition, Presentation/discussion

10:45am AEST

Feldenkrais: awareness through movement
WORKSHOP | Israeli scientist and engineer Moshe Feldenkrais developed a new exercise therapy method in an effort to rehabilitate his own injured knees. The Feldenkrais Method uses directed attention to improve movement and enhance human functioning. We will explore the fascinating history of the man and his methodology, and why it is favoured by neuroscientist Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself. We'll also conduct an 'awareness through movement' lesson, to find out if it really works!
Speakers
avatar for Margaret Kaye

Margaret Kaye

Margaret Kaye has been teaching the practice of Feldenkrais for over 20 years and is an Assistant Trainer and member of the Australian Feldenkrais Guild. Due to an occupational overuse injury Margaret was unable to work for several years. This is now a speciality area, amongst others... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Arts and culture, Workshop

10:45am AEST

Refugees and foreign workers in Israel
40,000 asylum seekers (many from Sudan and Eritrea) and 80,000 foreign workers reside in Israel – 0.5% of the population. The politics of early 2018, as the Knesset approved an increased number of foreign workers and backflipped on its refugee deportation policy, highlighted the complicated issues this demographic fact creates: issues of security, prejudice, international law, and identity. Does the presence of a non-Jewish population threaten Israel's Jewishness? What is the status of the ‘other’ in a modern Jewish state, and what do Jewish values demand?
Moderators
avatar for Yair Miller

Yair Miller

Yair Miller OAM is CEO of the UIA and Immediate Past President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. He serves as a director of the Council for Jewish Community Security and the NSW Jewish War Memorial. Yair is also a Board Member of the NSW Judicial Commission.

Speakers
avatar for Liam Getreu

Liam Getreu

Liam is the Executive Director of the New Israel Fund Australia. He is a former national chair of the Australian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC) and the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), a graduate of Bialik College and Habonim Dror, and was a founding director of the New... Read More →
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist at Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post and has written for New Republic, Politico, and others. She won a 2016 B’nei B’rith Journalism Award for Excellence in Diaspora Reportage and the 2017 Simon... Read More →
avatar for Ron Weiser

Ron Weiser

Ron served for 10 years as Zionist Federation of Australia President and is now a life member. He is Hon. Life President of the Zionist Council of NSW, a Member of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors, and founding director of both the Y2i Year 10 Israel project and the Online... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
TEL AVIV ROOM
  Everything Israel, Panel

10:45am AEST

Coffee bean and tea leaf: exploring the Jewish world one mug at a time
WORKSHOP | Coffee and tea can make or break our mornings. In this workshop we'll gain insights into origins — of coffees and teas from around the world, and of the Jewish communities in the producing countries. We will also explore the delicate art of differentiating between beans, extractions, espressos and brews.
Speakers
DB

Daniel Barukh

Daniel is a barista and managing director of Cap Away. Not only will he be supplying you with your morning Limmud coffee but he will also share his skills and expertise — at our first-ever coffee workshop.
avatar for Yaron Finkelstein

Yaron Finkelstein

Yaron Finkelstein is a political and campaigns consultant who regularly swaps the knifings and bloody world of politics for, well, the knifings and bloody world of the kitchen. A former amateur food/restaurant reviewer with a professional appetite for great food, Yaron has amassed... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
AKKO ROOM
  Our history our memory, Workshop

10:45am AEST

One of Us: a journey away from the Hasidic world
In 2017, Netflix released its internationally acclaimed documentary feature film One of Us about three individuals who faced ostracism, anxiety and danger as they left their ultra-Orthodox communities. One of the central characters, Ari Hershkowitz, joins us from New York and will share his story. We'll show key scenes from the documentary and hear from Ari about the process of exposing his personal journey on camera, and the responses he has received.

Ari will be in conversation with Simon Lipschitz.

Note that the subject matter of this session may be distressing. Support will be available in the room if required. Tzedek can be contacted on 1300 893 335.
Moderators
avatar for Simon Lipschitz

Simon Lipschitz

Simon is a drug and alcohol counsellor during the week, Jewish marriage celebrant on the weekend, and loving father and husband in any other spare minutes. If he wasn't doing that, he would be on a Limmud tour around the world, as long as it corresponded with the cricket seasons... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ari Hershkowitz

Ari Hershkowitz

Raised in New York in an 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 Netflix documentary... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
EILAT ROOM
  Society and politics, Presentation/discussion

10:45am 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

Chair and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Earlham College
Emily is Chair and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Earlham College, Indiana, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside Jewish text. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is particularly interested in the possibility that ‘troubling texts’ — violent... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Text and tradition, Presentation/discussion

12:00pm AEST

Homecoming: history and hope in the art of Ella Dreyfus
Ella Dreyfus tells the story of making her exhibition ‘Walking in Wiesbaden’, a series of public art installations and photographs that bring to life her German families’ names — Ransenberg, Brettheimer and Dreyfus — asserting their Jewish identity in the streets in which they lived. Her artworks represent a homecoming to the language, culture and places of her ancestors and reflect upon the way memories can be activated in real or imagined places of trauma, engaging with self, place and history.
Speakers
avatar for Ella Dreyfus

Ella Dreyfus

Dr Ella Dreyfus is a visual artist and Head of Public Programs at the National Art School, Sydney. Her exhibition 'Walking in Wiesbaden' was shown at the Aktives Museum Spiegelgasse for German-Jewish History in Germany, and at the Darlinghurst Theatre with Kindertransport in 2017... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Arts and culture, Presentation/discussion

12:00pm AEST

Your midday news bulletin: Israel in the now
Grab a coffee and join journalist Allison Kaplan Sommer for an up to date round-up of big news in Israel. There’s never a dull moment for reporters: Gaza protests, worries over the Syrian border, Iran's nuclear ambitions, Bibi’s legal woes, Donald Trump and the status of Jerusalem… A conversation on the hottest headlines since this program went to print, what’s trending on Twitter, 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 at Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post and has written for New Republic, Politico, and others. She won a 2016 B’nei B’rith Journalism Award for Excellence in Diaspora Reportage and the 2017 Simon... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
ARAD ROOM
  Everything Israel, Presentation/discussion

12:00pm AEST

Tools for change
WORKSHOP | If you're interested in working to create a fairer and more genuinely democratic Australia that aligns with our core Jewish values, and you believe in collective people power, then this session is for you! You will be given the tools required to build collective capacity to create and execute a specific project, campaign or activity. This is a highly interactive and practical session.
Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Cunio

Stephanie Cunio

Stephanie has worked for a number of progressive organisations including trade unions, environmental organisations and Sydney Alliance. She has spent years working to develop individuals and groups who are committed to building a stronger and fairer democracy — as a mentor, educator... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Society and politics, Workshop

12:00pm AEST

Modesty stripped bare: body image, dress codes, and Jewish law
Super-thin semi-naked models plastered on billboards, religious women covered head to toe, female politicians labelled too dowdy or too sexy — contemporary messaging about women’s bodies and sexuality is contradictory and complex, and all the more so in the Jewish world, where the value and laws of modesty often dominate the conversation. What do religious dress codes mean for women’s self-image? Does ‘covering up’ avoid objectification of women or perhaps worsen it? How can we navigate these issues to raise body-confident and healthy children? Grapple with these issues alongside our panel of experts and educators.
Moderators
avatar for Shirli Kirschner

Shirli Kirschner

Shirli is a consultant providing strategy and dispute resolution services. She is a Director of Resolve Advisors. She has won a number of awards for dispute resolution, and is listed in Who’s Who International for commercial mediation. Shirli is a Senior Visiting Fellow at UNSW... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Sharon Berger

Sharon Berger

Sharon is the program manager for the New Israel Fund Australia. She is a proud feminist, member of the Masorti community at Emanuel Synagogue and mother of two at Emanuel School. She has attended and organised many Limmuds. A former journalist who currently writes a monthly column... Read More →
avatar for Miriam Charak

Miriam Charak

Miriam grew up in Bondi and now studies Engineering/Arts at UNSW. She has spent time in multiple Jewish educational contexts, all with religiously motivated dress codes: she attended Kesser Torah and Moriah College, studied Jewish texts at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem and, having... Read More →
avatar for Ariana Elias

Ariana Elias

Ariana is a clinical psychologist specialising in body image and eating disorders. In 2014 Ariana developed the prevention program ‘Raising Body-Confident Kids’ to educate and empower parents to help protect their children from developing body dissatisfaction. Ariana has shared... Read More →
avatar for Chaya Gourarie

Chaya Gourarie

Originally from Melbourne, Chaya attended Beth Rivkah and furthered her studies at Machon Shoshanat Yerushalayim. With a passion for educating youth and empowering young Jewish women, Chaya has worked and volunteered in Jewish schools and youth groups around Australia and overseas... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
EILAT ROOM
  Text and tradition, Panel

12:00pm AEST

Forgotten refugees of the Middle East conflict: Jews from Arab lands and Iran
FILM + Q&A | Vibrant Jewish communities once existed in Arab lands and Iran, their Mizrahi heritage predating Islam by 1,000 years. By 1948, nearly one million Jews lived in Arab countries — today, only 4,500 remain. The Arab world’s removal of 98.8% of its Jews is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, yet the story isn’t told in textbooks. In this session we will screen The Forgotten Refugees, a film exploring the history, culture and forced exodus of these communities. Local Mizrahi Jews will also share their stories and answer questions.
Moderators
avatar for Lynda Ben-Menashe

Lynda Ben-Menashe

Lynda is the Community Relations and Policy Manager of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, managing strategic relationships in NSW’s NGO sector, with the aims of combating racism, including antisemitism, and building social cohesion generally. Lynda spearheaded the local Jewish community's... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Racheline Barda

Racheline Barda

Racheline grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, but like most of the Jewish community was forced to leave in the wake of the 1956 Suez Crisis. She and her husband came to Australia as refugees. After raising three children, Racheline obtained a BA (Hons) and MPhil in French literature, and... Read More →
avatar for Helene Cadry

Helene Cadry

Helene was born in Tehran, where her paternal family had lived for generations. The Shah’s reign has been referred to as ‘The Golden Age’ for the Iranian Jewish community: they enjoyed business, professional and cultural freedoms. Despite this, Helene’s father could foresee... Read More →
AG

Alfred Gubbay

Alfred was born in Baghdad in 1934. He completed his education at the Alliance School and in 1951, at the age of 17, left for Israel with his family as part of the mass migration that year. Alfred served in the Israeli Defence Forces and in 1957 moved to Sydney. He is currently the... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 12:00pm - 1:30pm AEST
TEL AVIV ROOM
  Our history our memory, Film

12:00pm AEST

Lunch available for purchase
Sunday June 17, 2018 12:00pm - 2:00pm AEST
BEER GARDEN

1:15pm AEST

Vitch: surviving under the spotlight
FILM + Q&A | Eddie Vitch was a Polish Jewish artist in 1930s Hollywood, who went on to make some controversial choices during the Holocaust. Who was this talented but enigmatic comedian and just how did he survive the Holocaust? Nothing is black and white in this gritty story about family, war, refugees and the art of survival. Lisa Cortez, Vitch’s daughter, presents a screening of the documentary Vitch and will lead a Q&A afterwards. Rated PG, all welcome.
Speakers
avatar for Lisa Cortez

Lisa Cortez

Lisa is an IT specialist and still lives in Adelaide where her father, Eddie Vitch, spent his last years. She grew up hearing her father’s stories about Paris in the 1920s, the Hollywood years and what happened to him during the Holocaust. She is proud to have been the narrator... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 1:15pm - 3:00pm AEST
TZEFAT ROOM
  Our history our memory, Film

1:45pm AEST

Bobbie's sauerkraut revamped: ferments and pickles
WORKSHOP | This is bobbie's sauerkraut from the old country revamped! In this kosher session I give a brief introduction to sauerkrauts and perhaps also a basic pickle (which is not fermented). I will lead you through making a sauerkraut — choosing ingredients, chopping, weighing, salting, and packing into jars, which you will take home and leave to ferment. You will come away armed with confidence to make and create sauerkrauts of your very own to bring a wow factor to your next Shabbat dinner.
Speakers
avatar for Carla Stern

Carla Stern

From science researcher to business consultant to fermented food maker — Carla produces and sells fermented foods and other nutritious snacks and runs workshops on incorporating these products into everyday life. Trained in molecular genetics and biochemistry, she has always had... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 1:45pm - 2:45pm AEST
AKKO ROOM
  Arts and culture, Workshop

1:45pm AEST

70 years of demography and the shaping of Israel's borders
Travel in time from the Ottoman Empire until today and hear about the different cultures, ethnicities and religions that have made up Israel. Participants will gain insight into the changes in Israel's demography, including size, structure and distribution of the populations. At 70 years, let's discuss what the future looks like for Israel and the multicultural society that is developing.
Speakers
avatar for Yigal Nisell

Yigal Nisell

As JNF Education Shaliach, Yigal uses education and outreach programs in Jewish day schools and holiday camps to demonstrate the tangible contributions made by JNF to improving life in Israel. He is passionate about developing educational content and values that strengthen our children's... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 1:45pm - 2:45pm AEST
EILAT ROOM
  Everything Israel, Presentation/discussion

1:45pm AEST

Developing a Jewish response to people seeking asylum
Do you know anyone who has recently sought asylum in Australia? Do you really know their story? We invite you to hear from Zaki, who belongs to the Hazara people, a persecuted ethnic minority group in Afghanistan. He was just 17 when he fled, arriving in Australia by boat. Together, we will reflect on the Jewish values which might be relevant to this issue, and we'll evaluate responses — including our own — to the current situation faced by people seeking asylum in Australia.
Speakers
avatar for Shoshana Faire

Shoshana Faire

Shoshana has 30 years' experience in conflict resolution and facilitation. She is co-author of the best selling book Everyone Can Win—Responding to Conflict Constructively. Her deep concern for the current refugee and asylum seeker situation has led to her active involvement in... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 1:45pm - 2:45pm AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Society and politics, Presentation/discussion

1:45pm AEST

A chavruta with the Fuhrer: Nazi readings of the Talmud
Between 1933 and 1945 German publishing houses produced a large body of scholarly literature that sought to vilify and discredit the Talmud. Often sordid or scatological, this material bequeathed to the German-speaking public a disreputable array of supposedly kosher beliefs and opinions. In this session we will explore — referring to specific examples of Nazi compositions — the ways in which German scholars deliberately ‘doctored’ the text and the ways they decontextualized it.
Speakers
avatar for Simon Holloway

Simon Holloway

Simon has a PhD in Classical Hebrew and Biblical Studies, for which he researched the use of metaphors in the Hebrew Bible. He currently works as an Education Officer at the Sydney Jewish Museum, running seminars on Nazi racial science and the Holocaust, but his research concerns... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 1:45pm - 2:45pm AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Text and tradition, Presentation/discussion

2:45pm AEST

Mincha service
Traditional orthodox service
Sunday June 17, 2018 2:45pm - 3:00pm AEST
HAIFA ROOM

3:00pm AEST

Pen of the soul: composing the niggun
WORKSHOP | The niggun (a traditional Hasidic melody without words) is a powerful instrument of devotion. We will explore the origin of the niggun and some of its history, and learn some niggunim. Participants will then have a chance to improvise short melodies that will be woven into a niggun for presentation.
Speakers
avatar for Ted Labow

Ted Labow

Cantor Ted Labow has served congregations in Singapore, Canada and the United States. As a baritone, he has appeared on opera stages in Italy, the US and Canada. As a composer, he has had works performed at cantorial conventions, synagogues and in film and TV. Recent works include... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Arts and culture, Workshop

3:00pm AEST

Ars Poetica: culture, politics and poetry
‘Ars Poetica’ is a movement which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry for the masses, combining readings with Middle Eastern haflot (parties). It has been described as ‘both the best party in town and the most significant cultural phenomenon in Israel today’. Join Adi, one of Israel's most talented and up-and-coming poets, to explore the poetry project and its impact on Israeli culture, as well as issues of social hierarchy and identity in poetry.
Speakers
avatar for Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar

Poet & Founder of Ars Poetica
Adi is an Israeli poet of Yemenite descent and the founder of the popular Ars Poetica, a project which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry in the form of readings combined with Middle Eastern music and dancing. Adi received the Bernstein Literary Award for her first book Black... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Everything Israel, Presentation/discussion

3:00pm AEST

Completing the picture: oral history and the story of the Jews of Magdeburg under Nazism
This session charts the role of oral history in writing the history of the Jewish community of Magdeburg, Germany, during the Nazi period. The combination of oral history and archival material provides a personal and very dramatic presentation of everyday life. We will explore the power of oral history, and how, for the city of Magdeburg, being able to ‘hear’ and ‘connect’ with former Jewish citizens has generated much interest in reconnecting to its Jewish past and the city's dark history.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Abrahams-Sprod

Michael Abrahams-Sprod

Lecturer
Dr Michael Abrahams-Sprod is Roth Lecturer in Israel, Jewish Civilisation and Holocaust Studies in the Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, in the University of Sydney. He is also immediate Past President of the Australian Association for Jewish Studies. Michael currently... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm AEST
EILAT ROOM
  Our history our memory, Presentation/discussion

3:00pm AEST

Facing forward: future-proofing the Australian Jewish community
Armed with the insights of over 8,000 Jewish Australians in Gen17, we turn to leaders of both established and grassroots organisations to map out the future of the Sydney Jewish community. How will we use the data to ensure our community flourishes? What changes will we need to make to adapt to new needs and outlooks? Most importantly, where are we headed?
Moderators
avatar for Jake Campbell

Jake Campbell

Jake has been in the young adult Jewish communal space since 2009. Now the Executive Director of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), Jake was a student leader at AUJS from 2009 until 2013, becoming National Development Convener, where he led AUJS's campaigns, conferences... Read More →

Speakers
BD

Byron Danby

avatar for Donny Janks

Donny Janks

Donny is a politically progressive Jew from Sydney. He has a background in Habonim Dror as a madrich and chairperson, and works in informal education at Emanuel School and Emanuel Synagogue. Donny is passionate about engaging young Jews through new channels for participation, expression... Read More →
avatar for Tamara Samuel

Tamara Samuel

Tamara has been the CEO of Shalom since November 2016. Tamara has led strategy and management teams at the Boston Consulting Group, Commonwealth Bank, Qantas, Jurlique skincare and NARS cosmetics. Prior to Shalom, she was on the JCA strategic planning committee. She was involved in... Read More →
avatar for Claire Vernon

Claire Vernon

Claire has been CEO of JewishCare since 2007. She trained as a social worker in the 1970s and then spent over 10 years as a front-line caseworker, which informed her work in developing and implementing government policy and programs in diverse areas such as women's health, crime prevention... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm AEST
TEL AVIV ROOM
  Society and politics, Panel

3:00pm 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

Chair and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Earlham College
Emily is Chair and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Earlham College, Indiana, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside Jewish text. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is particularly interested in the possibility that ‘troubling texts’ — violent... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm AEST
ARAD ROOM
  Text and tradition, Presentation/discussion

4:15pm AEST

The Man in the Attic: experimentation in the rehearsal room
Award-winning play The Man in the Attic tells an astonishing, true story: a German couple, having sheltered a Jew during WWII, decide not to tell him the war is over and continue to profit from his captivity. But as the husband overplays his hand and the wife becomes trapped in a conflict between greed and humanity, the Jew realises that something has changed… Experience the rehearsal process, as actor Barry French tackles one monologue and the director responds. Join the playwright, director and actors as they discuss theatrical choices and the play’s themes.
Speakers
avatar for Moira Blumenthal

Moira Blumenthal

Moira has produced and directed mainstream professional theatre internationally since 1988. Locally she has worked with the Seymour Centre, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Opera House, with productions that have included Australian premieres of Via Dolorosa, From Door to... Read More →
avatar for Colleen Cook

Colleen Cook

Colleen’s theatre credits include Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret (New Theatre), Belle of the Cross (Old Fitz), King Lear (Harlos), 42nd Street (Her Majesty’s Theatre). TV work includes Rake, Love My Way and Water Rats. Colleen directed and designed Sylph (Old 505, Depot Theatre... Read More →
avatar for Timothy Daly

Timothy Daly

Playwright
Timothy Daly is one of Australia’s most internationally-produced playwrights, with a string of national and international productions and awards to his credit. Actors such as Academy-Award winners Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush have appeared in his plays. His play, Derrida In... Read More →
avatar for Barry French

Barry French

Barry has a BA (Dramatic Art) majoring in Design and Acting and most recently did Cyrano de Bergerac and The Taming of the Shrew, for Sport for Jove, and The Chosen, for Moira Blumenthal Productions. He recently directed Marat/Sade at the New Theatre. In July, Barry will be performing... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 4:15pm - 5:15pm AEST
TZEFAT ROOM
  Arts and culture, Panel

4:15pm AEST

The people's army — for which people?
It was 3am and I was at the airport, on my way to lead a group of Jewish teens in Poland, when I was stopped and asked about my Tzav Rishon… first turtle? This story of accidental conscription into the IDF will be the baseline for an exploration of the concept of Tzva Am (‘the people’s army’) and its manifestation in Israeli society. Hear about Mitch's journey: how a young leftie with a deep political, social and moral stance against militaries became a confused, critical and proud soldier.
Speakers
avatar for Mitch Burnie

Mitch Burnie

Mitch has spent the past seven years educating youth from Habonim Dror in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and Israel. After living in Israel in a socialist commune, serving in the IDF, and working for HaNo'ar HaOved VeHalomed (Federation of Working & Studying Youth... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 4:15pm - 5:15pm AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Everything Israel, Presentation/discussion

4:15pm AEST

Jewish pirates of the Caribbean
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. On the same day(ish) every Jew was expelled from Spain. Some Jews fled to the New World and became successful pirates, plundering the Spanish Armada. Hear their amazing stories.
Speakers
avatar for Tommy Sterling

Tommy Sterling

Tommy is a long-time Limmudnik who loves to ask questions and explore the origin of all things Jewish. His Jewish passion spans the traditional to the academic, presented in an engaging manner with his uniquely humorous and irreverent approach. His other passion includes the Beatles... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 4:15pm - 5:15pm AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Our history our memory, Presentation/discussion

4:15pm AEST

Everyone needs a Muslim friend (to ask those awkward questions)
Haroon Moghul sits in the hot chair! Come to the session, sms your questions, watch the word map expand before your eyes, and hear Haroon's thoughts on everything on the topic of Islam. This is an opportunity to be curious and to discover the things you've always wanted to know about what Islamic texts say and how Muslim communities function.
Moderators
avatar for Yoav Yaron

Yoav Yaron

Yoav is the AUJS NSW Shaliach. During his teenage years in Israel, Yoav was a youth counsellor and activist and participated in Jewish Agency for Israel summer programs in the USA. He served in the IDF for six years, in the Strategic & International Divisions, where he gained vast... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at Shalom Hartman Institute of N.A.
Haroon Moghul is a writer, commentator and educator. He's the Fellow in Jewish—Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.

Sunday June 17, 2018 4:15pm - 5:15pm AEST
TEL AVIV ROOM
  Society and politics, Presentation/discussion

4:15pm AEST

Colour my midrash
WORKSHOP | Midrash explores a variety of images in order to explain our texts. Midrashim are descriptors, historical snapshots, and social/cultural commentary. We will explore midrash through the end of a paintbrush — mixing, shading and creating our way through one piece of text (it’s a surprise) with a collaborative and visual approach.
Speakers
avatar for Alon Meltzer

Alon Meltzer

Alon is a Rabbi, community developer, sociologist, historian, chef and dabbling painter. He has MAs in sociology and medieval Jewish history. Alon loves to brew beer, cook, drink wine, camp and explore the world. He has a passion for connecting with people and looking at our texts... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 4:15pm - 5:15pm AEST
BEER GARDEN
  Text and tradition, Workshop

5:30pm AEST

Kosher Theatresports
WORKSHOP | Everyone knows that Theatresports is short for 'fun and games'… But it's also good for your heart and health! Improvised theatre games, whether competitive or just for fun, are a great release and outlet for creativity. Not to mention hilarious for participants and spectators alike. This introductory workshop will get everyone involved and performing for each other… poems, scenes, stories, songs… maybe a kosher comic opera! No experience needed. Chutzpah more important than talent!
Speakers
avatar for Geoff Sirmai

Geoff Sirmai

Geoff swapped a high-profile journalist and consumer advocate kippah for one as a full-time performer and arts publicist. Countless stage and screen roles include iconic Jewish ones such as The Laden Table, The Diary of Anne Frank, Fiddler on the Roof, The Merchant of Venice, Merchants... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 5:30pm - 6:30pm AEST
TZEFAT ROOM
  Arts and culture, Workshop

5:30pm AEST

How Jewish should a Jewish State be? Conflicts over religion and religious coercion in Israel
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 have to fight for the freedom NOT to follow Jewish law. A discussion of the ongoing wars between Jews in Israel with a journalist who has been covering them: the Western Wall and gender separation, kashrut, marriage and divorce, Shabbat shopping and more.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Kaplan Sommer

Allison Kaplan Sommer

Journalist at Haaretz
Allison has been a journalist at Haaretz since 2012. She is the former Washington DC bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post and has written for New Republic, Politico, and others. She won a 2016 B’nei B’rith Journalism Award for Excellence in Diaspora Reportage and the 2017 Simon... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 5:30pm - 6:30pm AEST
TEL AVIV ROOM
  Everything Israel, Presentation/discussion

5:30pm AEST

Six Australian synagogues: the architecture of faith
Synagogues have been built in Australia since the 1840s, and every generation reflects the aesthetics, ideology and social forces of its age. This session will trace the story of synagogue architecture in Australia by looking at six iconic shuls: Hobart, The Great Synagogue, Toorak, St Kilda, Mizrachi Melbourne and The Central Synagogue. We will compare them with examples from around the world and see how Australia is part of a wider story with a distinctive identity of its own.
Speakers
avatar for Benjamin Elton

Benjamin Elton

Benjamin Elton is the Chief Minister of The Great Synagogue. He is from Manchester, studied at Cambridge and London Universities and worked for seven years in the British Civil Service. He received semicha from YCT Rabbinical School in New York and from Rabbi Chaim Rapoport in London... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 5:30pm - 6:30pm AEST
HAIFA ROOM
  Our history our memory, Presentation/discussion

5:30pm AEST

From communal authenticity to personal truth
What do you do after leaving the only world you've ever known? Ari will reflect on the outcomes of his complicated journey away from a Hasidic upbringing. He now focuses on helping others by sharing his hard-earned lessons as a survivor of sexual abuse and substance abuse, and has become an advocate for improved educational standards in Hasidic schools in NYC. His vibrant personality and passionate quest for knowledge will make this a compelling window into some of the most challenging issues facing Jewish communities.

Note that the subject matter of this session may be distressing. Support will be available in the room if required. Tzedek can be contacted on 1300 893 335.
Speakers
avatar for Ari Hershkowitz

Ari Hershkowitz

Raised in New York in an 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 Netflix documentary... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 5:30pm - 6:30pm AEST
JERUSALEM ROOM
  Society and politics, Presentation/discussion

5:30pm AEST

Out loud: LGBTQI+ experiences in the Jewish community
What's the experience of being LGBTQI+ and Jewish in Australia? Our panellists — from differing Jewish backgrounds and religious upbringings — share their thoughts around expectations, conflicts and what it means to be part of the community. How bound up are these distinct identities? How sensitive or insensitive are communal institutions? And has the experience changed for the better in a post-marriage-equality-vote Australia?
Moderators
avatar for Zehava Heinrich

Zehava Heinrich

Zehava is a fourth-year law student at UTS and an openly gay Jewish woman. She has been actively involved with AUJS for the past two years and is now serving as AUJS president at UTS. As part of her engagement with the student community/politics, Zehava was president of Out2Party... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Roz Bellamy

Roz Bellamy

Roz is a writer, researcher and educator whose writing has appeared in The Big Issue, Daily Life, Huffington Post, Junkee and SBS. Roz's work was shortlisted for the Scribe Nonfiction Prize in 2014 and won the Stonnington Prize for Poetry in 2016.
avatar for Nemi Lobel

Nemi Lobel

Nemi Lobel is a year 12 student and current school captain at Kesser Torah College. She has always been involved in school leadership and extracurriculars and strives for positivity and enthusiasm in whatever she does. Nemi is passionate about animal welfare and plans to study veterinary... Read More →
avatar for David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

David is an Israeli-born Australian who grew up in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. A lawyer with a background in industrial design and engineering, he has been very active in the Jewish community across a range of initiatives and organisations, most recently in collaboration with Emanuel... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 5:30pm - 6:30pm AEST
EILAT ROOM
  Society and politics, Panel

6:00pm AEST

Dinner available for purchase
Sunday June 17, 2018 6:00pm - 7:00pm AEST
BEER GARDEN

7:00pm AEST

Between the Dome of the Rock and a hard place
When I was in college, Jewish—Muslim relations weren't just next-to-nonexistent, they were pretty awful. And I had my part to play in that. So I could've never imagined that, fifteen years on, I'd be traveling to Israel to study Judaism and Zionism. I've since come to teach Jewish communities about Islam and Muslims, while promoting connections between our faiths in the US, Canada and Western Europe. And yet, I continue to be committed to a politics that often puts me on the other side of the aisle. Join me for a discussion on my work for the Shalom Hartman Institute, why it's so hard for Jews and Muslims to connect — and why it's critical that we do.


Haroon will be in conversation with Zalman Kastel.
Speakers
avatar for Zalman Kastel

Zalman Kastel

Zalman Kastel grew up a white, male Chabadnik in a racially divided Brooklyn, and was transformed by encounters with Christians and Muslims. He is now National Director of the Together for Humanity Foundation — a multifaith not-for-profit organisation that is helping schools and... Read More →
avatar for Haroon Moghul

Haroon Moghul

Fellow in Jewish-Muslim Relations at Shalom Hartman Institute of N.A.
Haroon Moghul is a writer, commentator and educator. He's the Fellow in Jewish—Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism. His most recent book is How to be a Muslim: An American Story.

Sunday June 17, 2018 7:00pm - 8:00pm AEST
TEL AVIV ROOM
  Society and politics, Presentation/discussion

7:00pm AEST

Biggest F*Ups
A brand strategist, chef, future Olympian and entrepreneur gather in one room to talk about the biggest taboo word in the professional world: failure! Biggest F*Ups will completely redefine your idea of success, with tales of failure, determination and sheer will. What did they learn? What would they never do again? And what does being Jewish have to do with it?
Moderators
avatar for Jonathan Sankey

Jonathan Sankey

Jonathan is an entrepreneur and brand strategist who has helped grow some of Australia's most recognisable brands. Once one of the most watched Australians in the world on YouTube, he was named Employer of Year for a dating startup he grew during his time at university. He also has... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Daniella Menachemson

Daniella Menachemson

Daniella Menachemson is the founder of 'Furniture and Me' and the bespoke commercial furniture business 'B Seated Global'. With over 10 years' experience in the furniture industry, Daniella is passionate and focused about design and delivering custom furniture at affordable price... Read More →
avatar for Ashleigh Werner

Ashleigh Werner

Ashleigh has been involved in high level sport since the age of 4, testing the waters with swimming (pun originally not intended), track and field, netball (representing Australia at Maccabiah Games, winning gold in both), touch football, rugby union, rugby 7s and currently rugby... Read More →
avatar for Adam Wolfers

Adam Wolfers

Adam began his career in the kitchens of celebrated restaurants Est and Marque, before travelling abroad. Honing his focus towards Ételek (‘food’ in Hungarian), he has initiated a series of pop-ups serving modern Jewish food, held at the likes of Ester, Bar Brosé, Lee Ho Fook... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 7:00pm - 8:00pm AEST
TZEFAT ROOM
  Society and politics, Panel

7:00pm AEST

Transformation on the page: Jewish texts that changed me
Jewish writing connects us to over two thousand years of thought and action in the world. Think the Bible, Rambam, Emma Lazarus, Etgar Keret, Spinoza, Anne Frank, Gloria Steinem. Your panellists will explore their favourites texts, ranging from biblical to contemporary, and how these words have transformed their lives and shaped their identities. You will come away with a new, inspiring reading list.
Moderators
avatar for Aviva Winton

Aviva Winton

Aviva works in social media for the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and has a BA (Hons) in Jewish Studies and English Literature. She is married with children, has a cavoodle, loves going for bushwalks, watching movies and having time to read a great book!

Speakers
avatar for Raf Dascalu

Raf Dascalu

Raphael is a native of Sydney, currently residing in Melbourne. After studying at the University of Sydney and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he completed his PhD at the University of Chicago, focusing on medieval Jewish history and philosophy. He has studied at Yeshivat Hakibbutz... Read More →
avatar for Emily Filler

Emily Filler

Chair and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Earlham College
Emily is Chair and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Earlham College, Indiana, where she teaches modern philosophy and ethics alongside Jewish text. A PhD from the University of Virginia, she is particularly interested in the possibility that ‘troubling texts’ — violent... Read More →
avatar for Goldie Markovits

Goldie Markovits

Goldie has learned and taught Torah in Sydney, Israel, and the US. She has a passion for philanthropy and learning, with a deep interest in classic Jewish text and Hasidic philosophy. Although she works in the finance world, she has taught Jewish Studies in Sydney and was a Summer... Read More →
avatar for Yoav Yaron

Yoav Yaron

Yoav is the AUJS NSW Shaliach. During his teenage years in Israel, Yoav was a youth counsellor and activist and participated in Jewish Agency for Israel summer programs in the USA. He served in the IDF for six years, in the Strategic & International Divisions, where he gained vast... Read More →

Sunday June 17, 2018 7:00pm - 8:00pm AEST
EILAT ROOM
  Text and tradition, Panel

8:00pm AEST

No place like home: words + music
Join our Israeli guest poet and founder of Ars Poetica, Adi Keissar, and local poets including Ruth Fesseha, as they perform their poems on the theme of ‘HOME’, hosted by Poetica MC Miriam Hechtman. We will also be entertained by the lilting sounds of Simon Starr and Yuval Ashkar. This will be an open mic event and we encourage Limmud participants to bring along their own poetry, prose or acoustic song to share with the audience. This will be a stirring night of wordsmithing — prepare to be inspired.
Moderators
avatar for Miriam Hechtman

Miriam Hechtman

Miriam Hechtman is a journalist, creative producer and poet. She is passionate about women’s rights, rituals and community, and feels particularly alive when meeting new people, listening to their stories and connecting with them. Miriam founded and hosts POETICA, a monthly open... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Yuval Ashkar

Yuval Ashkar

Yuval Ashkar is a composer, oud player and vocalist. His unique style of oud playing has evolved through a synthesis of Turkish, Iraqi, Egyptian and North African influences and techniques. Yuval has worked with a large range of musicians from different musical backgrounds, including... Read More →
avatar for Ruth Fesseha

Ruth Fesseha

Ruth studies Arts/Law at the University of Sydney and works in the not-for-profit sector. She has volunteered extensively — promoting cultural awareness and advocating on issues such as female genital mutilation. She participated in the 2017 NSW Jewish Board of Deputies 'We Are... Read More →
avatar for Adi Keissar

Adi Keissar

Poet & Founder of Ars Poetica
Adi is an Israeli poet of Yemenite descent and the founder of the popular Ars Poetica, a project which initiated a new wave of Mizrahi poetry in the form of readings combined with Middle Eastern music and dancing. Adi received the Bernstein Literary Award for her first book Black... 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 17, 2018 8:00pm - 9:30pm AEST
BEER GARDEN
  Arts and culture, Performance