Never too late to learn
Sunday is Yom Limmud in Sydney and we would like to introduce you to some of the presenters who will take you one step further along your Jewish journey…
Noa Sattath
NOA SATTATH is the director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC). Prior to her work in IRAC Noa was the Executive Director of Jerusalem Open House (JOH), the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) community center in Jerusalem. In that capacity she built and supported the religious programming, leadership development, and health and youth services, and led the media, communication and lobby efforts at JOH. Noa was also the Executive Director of MEET, a non-profit organization that uses technology to create a common language between Israeli and Palestinian young leaders. Prior to her work in civil society, Noa worked as a leader in the Israeli software industry. Noa is a second-year student in the Israeli Rabbinic program at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and a member of Congregation Kol Haneshama.
Noa will present Blokes to the front, sheilas to the back at 10.10 – 11.10am, Pride and tolerance in Jerusalem at 2.10 – 3.10pm and in Fighting for freedom of religion at 4.30 – 5.30pm.
Dr Adam S. Ferziger
DR. ADAM S. FERZIGER is senior lecturer and vice chairman of the Graduate Program in Contemporary Jewry at Bar-Ilan University. The author and editor of numerous books and articles, in 2010-11 he was the recipient of Bar-Ilan’s ‘Outstanding Lecturer’ award. In June 2012 he will be in Australia as the Mandelbaum Visiting Scholar.
Ferziger’s scholarship focuses on modern Jewish identity formation, the encounter between Jewish law and contemporary social realities, Jewish religious denominations and their ideologies, American Judaism, the history of the modern rabbinate, Central European Jewry in the Modern Period, and religion in the State Israel. His work has appeared in many leading academic journals, scholarly encyclopedias and collected volumes, and he has lectured around the world.
His books include Exclusion and Hierarchy: Orthodoxy, Nonobservance and the Emergence of Modern Jewish Identity; Orthodox Judaism – New Perspectives, (ed.) with Professor Aviezer Ravitsky and Professor Yoseph Salmon; and Jewish Denominations – Addressing the Challenges of Modernity – a curriculum created for the Melton Mini-Schools Scholars Program.
In his capacity as a senior research fellow at Bar-Ilan’s Rappaport Center for Assimilation Research, he authored major studies of religious leadership in confronting assimilation and on innovative frameworks for strengthening Jewish identity. He served for over ten years as an army reservist in the IDF Educational Corps, and as an historian for Heritage Seminars to Eastern Europe. Prior to embarking on a full-time academic career, he was the founding director of Bar-Ilan’s Mechina for New Immigrants and rabbi of the Beit Binyamin Synagogue in Kfar-Sava. A native of Riverdale, New York, he received his BA, MA and rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University (RIETS) and his PhD Summa Cum Laude from Bar-Ilan. He and his wife, Naomi moved to Israel in 1987. They live with their six children in Kfar-Sava.
Adam will present Feminism, heresy and the fight for the soul of Orthodoxy at 9.00 – 10.00am and in Fighting for freedom of religion at 4.30 – 5.30pm.
Clive Lawton
CLIVE LAWTON is a world-renowned educator, leadership trainer and motivator. He has published numerous books and featured on Radio 4’s regular broadcast, Thought for the Day. He is a co-founder of Limmud and its Senior Consultant. Clive is the London Jewish Cultural Centre’s Scholar-in-Residence, a member of the London School of Jewish Studies faculty, Chairman of Tzedek and trustee of the Anne Frank Educational Trust.
From 1984-1991 Clive was head teacher of King David High School in Liverpool and Deputy Director of the Liverpool Local Education Authority from 1991 -1994. He returned to London to become the Chief Executive of Jewish Continuity, the community change agency that was established under the inspiration of the Chief Rabbi of Great of Great Britain. He currently serves as a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and as a magistrate.
Clive will present Can we stop worrying? Why things are pretty rosy for the Jews at 11.20am – 12.20pm, What should Jews think of Israel? at 1.00 – 2.00pm and Is it possible to be a good Jewish parent in today’s world? at 4.30 – 5.30pm.
Shira Kline
SHIRA KLINE, aka ShirLaLa, is a celebrated New York based performer and music educator. Traveling across the country and internationally with her kiddie-rock band, Shira delivers a dynamic, interactive program of joy and spirit, story and song. Raised in the world of music and the tradition of Torah, Shira has worked for over a decade with a diverse array of Jewish communities to enliven rituals and holiday celebrations and to inspire love for Jewish life and prayer.
Shira will be presenting The Jewish mantra at 10.10 – 11.10am, running a session for Young Limmud and performing in the PJ Library / Shalom Baby event.
Rabbi Daniel C. Goldfarb
DANIEL GOLDFARB, Director of the Conservative Yeshiva, is a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School and received his MHL and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He made aliya in 1976 and worked as an attorney for Israel’s Ministries of Justice and Finance and in private practice in Jerusalem before joining the Yeshiva in 2000.
Daniel will present Is religion good or bad for the world? at 10.10 – 11.10am, in May we pray for a loved one to die? at 3.20 – 4.20pm and in Fighting for freedom of religion at 4.30 – 5.30pm.
The 3:15 -5:30pm will feature a special kiddies’ rock concert
More tomorrow
Book for Limmud-Oz, being held at the UNSW at limmud-oz.com.au or call 9381 4160
Limmud-Oz is an Encounters@Shalom special project
