Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
21st Century Jewish Education
Yechiel Hoffman
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Laguna Beach 1
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
As the information age revolutionizes educational frameworks nationwide, how does the Jewish community evaluate and rethink the way we prepare young people to live as Jews locally, nationally, and globally? Join in for an interactive workshop as we begin the conversation to brainstorm, design and develop a model for Jewish education in the 21st century. We will consider: What knowledge and skills should a Jew know? How will technology affect Jewish learning and community? How has digital communication flattened the notion of peoplehood? How has the democratization of content created access to new ideas for young people? How have globalization and redefined communal boundaries created less hyphenated identities and more pluralized, marginalized and homogenized identities? Appropriate for teens and adults.
Ahavat Yisrael and Tikkun Olam
Sam Yebri
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Laguna Beach 3
Identity and Responsibility,
Israel,
Teen Approved
Love and support for Israel is a foundational Jewish value. But who decides what it means to be pro-Israel or Zionist? Why are some Jews losing their connection to Israel, while for some Jews support for Israel -- and the grave threats she faces from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah -- obscures and takes priority over the social and economic challenges facing our city, state, and country? We will explore why it is critical that we expand the definition of a Zionist and make the pro-Israel community more welcoming for social justice activists, and the local social justice community more welcoming for pro-Israel activists.
Chutzpah Story Slam
Lisa Alcalay Klug
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Emerald Bay 1
Arts and Performance
Participants take the stage for a few minutes each to tell a true-to-life story on the theme of chutzpah. Humorous, poignant, and gripping tales encouraged! Perform, learn storytelling techniques, and get prepped for open mic night. Inspired by the www.themoth.org and moderated by Lisa Alcalay Klug, award-winning journalist and author of "Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe." Come prepared to share your story!
Creating Your Own "Jewish Journal": One Laugh at a Time
Gerry Katzman
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Newport Beach 2
Arts and Performance,
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
Connect with your soulful Jewish narrative in this fun, entertaining, and inspiring workshop. No prior writing or storytelling experience needed. Standup comedian and actor Gerry Katzman will lead us through fun, laughter-filled, low-pressure exercises and writing prompts that will have us sharing and enjoying our stories in no time.
FILM: Match & Marry
Suzannah Warlick
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Huntington Beach 1 & 2
Arts and Performance,
Teen Approved
A fresh look into the ancient tradition of matchmaking that dates back thousands of years. The documentary features tales, anecdotes, and surprises of matchmaking, dating, and marriage in the Orthodox Jewish community. Although focusing on Jewish culture, the messages are universal. Entertaining and informative Q&A/discussion following the movie.
Globalization and the Challenge for Jewish Leadership
Benjamin Ish-Shalom
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Balboa Bay 2
Identity and Responsibility,
Israel
The erosion of Jewish identity, reciprocal responsibility, and resilience can be attributed, to a large extent, to globalization, which challenges the development of particularistic national identities. The Jewish future is in need of skilled, visionary leaders who can bolster Jewish identity and national resilience in communities in Israel and throughout the world.
Guess Who’s Coming to Shabbat?
Eric Greene,
Anthony Rogers-Wright
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Laguna Beach 2
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
This session will seek to educate the larger Jewish community about the experience of being a Jew of Color within a predominantly Ashkenazi world. Specific issues to be discussed include, but will not be limited to, dating/marriage, identification, stereotypes/racism within the Jewish community and others.
I Have the Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore
Gary Hiller
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Emerald Bay 2
Identity and Responsibility
We made the decision to participate in LimmudLA’s annual conference and may have participated in other Limmud events as well, but what are we actually doing here and what are we accomplishing? We will evaluate the Limmud experience along a continuum ranging from a social and recreational retreat, to vehicle for personal growth, to catalyst for communal transformation. In doing so, we will explore whether we can identify and measure the impact of the experience, both on individual and communal levels.
The Importance of Eretz Yisrael
Kenneth Kaufman
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Newport Beach 3
Global History and Culture,
Israel
Why does Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel) matter so much to the Jewish people? Couldn’t we achieve our purpose as Jews in the world without Eretz Yisrael? We will learn about Moshe’s plea to God to allow him to enter Eretz Yisrael before he dies, and God’s response to him, to gain a deeper sense of how we connect to Eretz Yisrael. As time allows, we can segue into some discussion of whether or how we can justify our claim to the land, when -- if ever -- we can justify killing others who contest our claim, and what to make of the current political climate regarding the State of Israel.
Pluralism and the Jewish Personality
Stuart Schoffman
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Balboa Bay 1
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
Two Jews, three opinions, goes the joke: we are hard-wired for pluralism. We shall see how pluralism is rooted in traditional religious sources, and discuss its future. Does pluralism have its limits?
The Jewish Body in History
Mel Konner
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Emerald Bay 3
Global History and Culture,
Health and Healing
This session traces the historical trajectory from strength (the great warriors of ancient times) to weakness (the deliberate submission of the diaspora) and back to strength (the "muscle-Jews" of Europe, the people's army of modern Israel). It also traces Jewish laws and attitudes about sex and purity, as well as the "Jewish" anti-sexual mythology. It takes up anti-Semitic views of the Jewish body, including “scientific” racism and the widespread acceptance a century ago that diabetes, TB, syphilis, and even flat feet were specifically Jewish. Finally, it looks at what Jewish genes are real, and new theories used to explain Jewish achievements.
Twice Blessed: 100 Years of LGBT Jewish History
Gregg Drinkwater
Canceled, sorry
Additional schedule
- Sunday 7:00 PM–8:15 PM
Newport Beach 2
Global History and Culture,
Identity and Responsibility
From 1920s Berlin to 1970s San Francisco and beyond, we’ll explore the rich history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews in a multimedia format. We’ll visit the world’s first gay synagogue, a gay Zionist assassinated by the Haganah, transgender pioneers and the lesbian Chief Rabbi of Modernism—with detours for Annie Sprinkle, Harvey Milk, Susan Sontag and dozens of others. Come find out why LGBT Jews have always been at the forefront of social change.
Women in Orthodox Judaism
Elissa Ben-Naim,
Blu Greenberg,
Candice Levy,
Pazit Varda Lichtman
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Catalina Ballroom 1
Identity and Responsibility
How has the role of women in Orthodox Judaism changed in recent years? What does it mean to be an Orthodox feminist? This panel will discuss developments in women's religious leadership, activism in the area of Jewish divorce, liturgical roles, religious education, and ritual and celebration.
