Why I still get excited about Limmud

By Alex Kats

Alex Kats at Limmud UK

Limmud Fest is coming up next week in NSW, and as the days get closer, I start to get more excited. It might seem weird that I get excited about Limmud. After all, I have been to and participated in 13 Limmud events in Australia, plus I also had the immense privilege to attend Limmud Conference in the UK in December, which is not only the ‘mothership’ of all Limmud events, but also the largest Jewish gathering of its kind that I have ever been to. Yet these events still excite me, in part because each Limmud is by design, different, unique, varied and special. Each has its own flavour and its own diversity of people and opinions.

Limmud Fest will be unique partly because of its location, on the central coast of NSW. If the nature alone won’t inspire you, then the multitude of sessions – the kinds of sessions that you won’t find at any other Jewish gathering – ought to. For instance, I notice that this year there will be sessions on asylum seekers in Israel; the rise of the Right; Zionism’s attitude towards Arabs; being communally relevant; integrating Jewish tradition with psychological practice; the Kabbalah of health and happiness; cyber crime and cyber war today; and many others. There will also be kosher theatresports; schmooze fest; café Ivrit; an ideas exchange; musical performances and an Israeli movie night. No other Jewish gathering can boast such a diverse range of topics, presenters, ideas, or views all under one roof and in harmony.

Alex visiting a synagogue in Alibag, India

Added to all this will be my session (Alex’s global synagogue tour) about the various Jewish communities that I have encountered on my travels around Australia and around the world. Like many of the other sessions, this will be a fascinating exploration of a Jewish topic from a different perspective. I suspect even those who are well travelled will not have had the same Jewish experiences abroad that I have. Here is your opportunity to hear and see photos of some of the places that I have visited and to (metaphorically) meet some of the people that I have met along the way.

Alex outside the synagogue in Zurich

Judaism is an important part of my life, but I don’t want my Judaism to be only about shule, rules or customs. I want my Judaism to be about the diversity of human experiences, about learning things and meeting people that I might not otherwise meet in my day-to-day life, and about the exploration of new ideas. Only Limmud can provide all that in one, and at Fest, in a residential environment, with good food, people who all want to be there and are willing to share of themselves, and plenty of opportunities to learn and have fun doing so.

For these reasons and other too, I still get excited about any upcoming Limmud event. I hope you do too, and I look forward to seeing all of you at Limmud Fest on the Central Coast of NSW, 28-30 November 2014.

Bookings close this Monday on November 24. Book today at www.limmud-oz.com.au 

Limmud Fest is a non-profit, volunteer based event, supported by The Shalom Institute.