Countdown to the long weekend and Limmud-Oz
Limmud-Oz Sydney, the Festival of Jewish Ideas, comes but once every two years . . . and this year’s must-see event is just days away.
Join a cast of international and local presenters talking on topics ranging from the personal to the political, from popular culture and the arts to the media, and from Jewish history to modern Jewish society.
Add a dollop of philosophical thought and you have the abundant feast which is Limmud-Oz 2017 at UNSW, June 10-12.
There’s so much brain food on offer that you’ll need to check out the program to plan your very own menu of ideas.
Here’s a tempting taste of some of the local stars and sessions you can nibble on:
- 21st century Biblical Films – Film critic and lecturer Don Perlgut talks about what modern biblical films, such as Gladiator and Ben-Hur, tell us about popular images of Jews.
- Women in Judaism – why is the leadership role of women so small in Jewish life and are Israeli women slowly losing rights? This panel discussion with Sharon Berger from the New Israel Fund, human rights lawyer Melinda Jones, and Kabbalah expert Shimona Tzuckernick, will be moderated by Ilona Lee, from Plus61J.
- One of a Kind – based on the true story of a Jewish refugee family fleeing 1950s Egypt, this new musical will be performed as a reading, followed by a Q&A moderated by Judy Campbell, founding director of Jewish Arts and musical director and choreographer, Aaron Robuck.
- Join Rabbi Orna Triguboff for a session of yoga and meditation with Jewish themes.
- Explore Jerusalem – Jerusalem is a divided city where secular Jews are a shrinking minority and the majority of Jews are ultra-orthodox, just under half of whom live below the poverty line. Seventy per cent of Palestinians in East Jerusalem also live below the poverty line. Sydney-based academic Shahar Burla will discuss this dynamic.
- Songs of Zion – Founder of Shir Madness Jewish music festival, Gary Holzman, will look at songs about Zion sung by Jews and non-Jews, including The Weavers, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Bob Marley and Matisyahu.
- How well does the Jewish media serve us? – Respected journalists Fiona Harari, Joshua Levi and Michael Visontay will discuss the future of Jewish media, the impact of social media, and the issues of importance to readers.
- Coming through Loss and Grief – Psychologist Amanda Gordon and Rabbi Shua Solomon look at what we can learn from Judaism about grief and how this connects with modern psychological wisdom.
Get online now to book your tickets at www.shalom.edu.au/event/limmud-oz-2017
Don’t miss out or it will be two years going hungry in the desert!
In Sydney, Limmud-Oz is supported by Shalom and is part of Limmud International, a global network which has events in 80+ countries.
