Saturday March 14 & Sunday March 15, 2015

Asper Jewish Community Campus | 123 Doncaster | Winnipeg | Manitoba | Canada

 

The festival of Limmud, or “learning” in Hebrew, is back in Winnipeg for its 5th year! We invite you to join us on the Asper Campus for an inspiring weekend of Jewish learning and community. Participants of all ages and affiliations will be able to choose from 30+ sessions offered by leading local and international Jewish thinkers, artists and educators. Children’s programming will also be offered in the form of Camp Limmud, sessions for kids and PJ Library1 fun.

 

 “Limmud is more than about things Jewish, it is knowledge delivered by professionals, scholars and experts on a wide range of topics. Limmud is definitely worth your time. I know you won't be disappointed” Judi Shuster, Limmud Co-Chair.

 

The Limmud concept was started in the UK in 1980 and is now a world wide movement intent on engaging communities in Jewish thought and learning. Limmud is an ambitious and passionate organization that has garnered a global reputation for creating dynamic events where Jews of all ages, backgrounds and experiences come together for thought provoking and engaging programs and activities. Events feature all educational styles including lectures, workshops, text-study, film, meditation, and discussions.

 

Introducing a new full day especially for kids:

 

Children’s Program: Sunday, March 15 9-5pm: Games, Art Projects, Cooking and more!

Lauren Tennenhouse: Stained Glass art Project – Chagall style

PJ Library Family Program: Lego at Limmud

Tiffany Reider: Israeli Dance for Children

Junior Chazzanim: Purim Puppet Play

 

International Presenters:

Avi Dolgin: Yonah ben Amitai & Co.

Avi Dolgin is now Chair of Limmud Vancouver and is a former student of Reb Zalman Schachter at the University of Manitoba, who always kept a hand in Jewish ritual and midrash. Marriage ceremonies, Bibliodrama, interfaith davening—the usual stuff! One year, hearing another boring haftara of Jonah, he said to himself, “There has to be a better way to convey this story!”

 

Zvi Hirschfield: The Dangers of Torah Study & Gossip: Why is it wrong and why do we love it?

Zvi Hirschfield grew up in Chicago. He studied for a number of years at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel. After completing a B.A in history at Columbia University he did graduate work at Harvard University in Medieval and Modern Jewish Thought. Zvi received rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He comes to us from the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem where he teaches Talmud, Halacha, and Jewish thought.

 

Jason Marantz: The Only Jew at Hogwarts & Keeping it real: The Future of Jewish Education

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Jason returns to Winnipeg as the Chief Executive of the prestigious London School of Jewish Studies. He has worked in both Jewish and non-Jewish schools in the UK and Canada, was the Headteacher of Wolfson Hillel Primary School until 2011, has an MA in Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties from the Institute of Education, University of London and holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship (United Kingdom).

 

Jason was recently one of the first graduates of the Cambridge Co-exist Leadership Programme for community leaders from different faiths, and currently serves as Chair of the Governing Body of Sacks Morasha Jewish Primary School, a school which he helped establish in 2008. The school was recently praised by the Office for Standards in Education (England) for its outstanding leadership.

He is a member of the PJ Library UK content advisory committee. Jason is a sought after teacher trainer and consultant to Jewish community schools. He speaks widely on many aspects of Jewish Education.

 

Ira Robinson: Session Title Religious Life in Mainstream Israel & From the Zohar to Madonna: Popularization of Jewish Mysticism

Ira Robinson is Chair in Quebec and Canadian Jewish Studies in the Department of Religion and Director of the Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec. He received his B.A. at Johns Hopkins University, his B.H.L. at Baltimore Hebrew College, his M.A. at Columbia University and his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. He has taught at Concordia University since 1979 and served as the Chair of the Department of Religion and is the 2013 winner of the Louis Rosenberg Canadian Jewish Studies Distinguished Service Award, Association for Canadian Jewish Studies.

 

Barry Shell: Making Scents of the Torah

Barry Shell is a freelance writer. He created www.science.ca, the top Google hit for Canadian science. He has four books, and has published in magazines and newspapers including the Globe and Mail and the New York Times. Originally from Winnipeg, Barry has a BSc in Organic Chemistry from Reed College in Portland, OR and an MSc in Resource Management Science from UBC. His book, "Sensational Scientists" profiling 24 of Canada's greatest scientists and published by Raincoast Books, won a national book award in 2005. Barry also plays sax in a Vancouver pop trio.

 

Benjamin Shinewald: From Unity to Diversity: Why Our Community is Fracturing and Why it Might be a Good Thing

Benjamin Shinewald returns to visit as a long-time community leader. He was CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, served in the Privy Council Office and now leads the Building Owners & Managers Association of Canada. Benjamin was awarded an Action Canada Fellowship and named “one of Canada’s best and brightest emerging leaders” and a Goldmann Fellowship for being a part of “a new generation of Jewish communal leadership.” He frequently comments in leading newspapers and has been as a panelist on Al Jazeera. Benjamin holds degrees from the University of Manitoba, the London School of Economics and the University of Toronto.

 

Jeremy Shinewald: Way Behind the Man: Two Years of Speechwriting for the Ambassador of Israel

Jeremy Shinewald is the Founder and President of MBA Mission, JD Mission and MBA Career Coaches, a portfolio of companies which advises elite students and professionals as they strive to achieve career and educational choices. Based in Manhattan, MBA Mission serves thousands of students each year through its services, seminars, books and more.

Earlier in his career, Jeremy served as Speechwriter for the Ambassador of Israel to the United States, which is the topic of his presentation on this visit home to Winnipeg. He is an honors graduate of the University of Manitoba’s political studies department and was class graduation speaker at the conclusion of his MBA studies at the University of Virginia.

 

Sid Schwarz: Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future & Can Social Justice Save the Jewish Soul? & God, Prayer and Ritual for the Jewish Skeptic

Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a senior fellow at Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership where he directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), a program that trains rabbis to be visionary spiritual leaders. He is also the director of the Rene Cassin Fellowship Program, a yearlong fellowship on Judaism and human rights for young professionals with hubs in New York, London and Jerusalem.

Sid founded and led PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values for 21 years. He is also the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD where he continues to teach and lead services. Dr. Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in Jewish history and is the author of two groundbreaking books--Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (Jewish Lights, 2000) and Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights, 2006).

Sid was awarded the prestigious Covenant Award for his pioneering work in the field of Jewish education and was named by Newsweek as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in North America. Sid's newest book is Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future (Jewish Lights, 2013).

 

Local Presenters

 Ruth Ashrafi: Foundation of Jewish Family Living – Reading Jewish Stories with our Children

 

 Benji Aziza: Not Your Average Rosh Hashana: My Experience Treating Syrian Refugees at the IDF Field Hospital.

 

 Jonathan Bitton: A Mystical Moroccan Inheritance

 

 Rena Boroditsky: Death Café: comfortable space for end-of life conversation

 

 Ariel Brawerman & Dario Schor: Judaism: A Space Odyssey

 

 Miriam Bronstein and Bev Aronovitch: Zingshpiel Yiddish Sing along

 

 Marshall Carroll: Icebreakers for Fun and Prophets

 

 Momi Cohen: Krav Maga Israeli Self Defense

 

 Sergei Didenko: Kosher Sushi workshop

 

 Matthew Lazar & Ari Ellis: Brit Milah: The Covenant of Circumcision

 

 Hannah Fogel & Daniel Kroft: Walking the Talk of Jewish Values in Kenya

 

 Dan Goldberg: Northcoast Jewish Comedy

 

 David Greaves: Stepping Out Of the Box And Into The Bomb Shelter

 

 Alan Green: Techniques of Jewish Meditation

 

 Jay Greenfeld: The Balancing Act

 

 Channah Greenfield and Yael Borovich: Silk painted kippot workshop

 

 Tina Greenfield: The Assyrian Empire and their impact on the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel in the first millennium.

 

 Nancy Hughes: Jewish and Included

 

 Donald James: Christian Support for Israel

 

 Faith Kaplan: Get Engaged! How to Make a Difference in the Canadian Political Process

 

 Anibal Mass: Davening La Vida Loca

 

 Drew Mindell: Ahead of the Curve: The Story Behind and Origins of The Illegal Curve Hockey Show

 

 Manuel Sousa: Jewish through the Lens

 

 Susan Turner & Gaby Divay: Jewish Patrons of the Arts and Philanthropists: The Arnhold Banking Dynasty, Berlin to New York - Wannsee

 

 Tzafi Weinberg: Clay workshop – Finding your spirit in clay

 

Eva Wiseman: Writing About the Hassidim

 

Please visit http://limmudwinnipeg.org/ for full bio’s and session descriptions.

 

Schedule of Events:

 

Saturday, March 14

8:30 pm: Doors Open

8:45 pm: Opening Sessions

 

Sunday, March 15

8:00-9:00am: Registration & Breakfast

12:30-1:30: Lunch

9:00 am – 5:00 pm Sessions

 

Limmud is sponsored by Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, Rady Jewish Community Centre, Chesed Shel Emet, Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education, Congregation Etz Chayim, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Temple Shalom, Jewish National Fund, Herzlia-Adas Yeshurun, The Asper Foundation.