Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Communicating About Israel:
The Fundamentals of Israel Advocacy
Ari Applbaum
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Balboa Bay 1
Israel
In this session we will offer a concise, systematic approach to communicating effectively about Israel and the ongoing conflict. We will discuss what important elements are generally lacking in Israel advocacy as we watch and discuss the efforts of several Israel advocates in action. A successful approach for addressing difficult questions and allegations will also be presented.
FILM: Out For Love...Be Back Shortly
Dan Katzir
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Presidential Suite 1
Arts & Performance
Dan Katzir's autobiographical film expresses the outcry of his generation, as it struggles to find love and privacy amidst the reality of daily terror and hate. Katzir, a former officer and paratrooper, intimately reveals his love story with Iris, a charming girl about to begin her army service. Nominated for an Israeli Academy Award, this film is also an important historic document with rare and shocking footage from the era of assassinated Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin.
FILM: Wrestling With Angels - Playwright Tony Kushner
Todd Shotz
Sunday 2:30 PM–4:25 PM
Presidential Suite 2
Arts & Performance
A hit at Sundance 2006 and recently seen on PBS, this feature documentary film about the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels In America") shows the evolution of the artist and civil rights activist. Oscar-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock tells the story of a Jewish gay boy raised in the Deep South who becomes a compassionate spokesperson for outsiders and one of today’s most important American playwrights.
Israeli Dance (I)
Riki Rikoodim
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Pacific Ballroom 1
Bring the Jewish experience to your feet by dancing your way through this loud, active, and fun-filled session. No dance experience required; loose clothing recommended.
Jewish Secularism and the Middle East Conflict
Mitchell Silver
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Emerald Bay 1
Israel
This session will explore the particular impact that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has on secular Jewish life in America and discuss the relationship between secular Jews, the conflict in particular, and Israel in general.
Let's See: Recognizing the Unrecognized
Soil, State and Separation in the Negev
Devorah Brous
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Laguna Beach 1
Identity & Responsibility,
Israel
Israel's desert is our ancient heritage site - but that is changing fast. How are development projects to remap the blueprint and "make the desert bloom," irreversibly impacting landscape and ancient desert cultures? Beyond camels, coffee, and carpets, what do we know about Bedouin? What can we do to steward a healthy future for peoples of the Negev? Interactive talk with music, maps, slides.
Organ Donation:
To Give or Not To Give
Ahud Sela
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Emerald Bay 3
Identity & Responsibility,
Text & Thought
Over 98,000 people are currently awaiting an organ donation in the United States alone. As Jews we are obligated to save and preserve life, but we are also commanded to not put our own life at risk and to not desecrate dead bodies. Come and learn how Jewish law navigates this difficult and thorny issue.
Science and Tikkun Olam:
Simple Technologies That Can Save the World
Richard Cohen
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Bristol 3
Global History and Culture
Millions still live with poverty and disease. Learn about simple new technologies that can dramatically improve the lives of those living in the third world and how to support initiatives to deliver these products to those who need them. We shall build models of one of these products during this session.
Ten Commandments + Twelve Steps = One Soul:
What's a Nice Jewish Boy Doing in a Crackhouse?
Michael Shefrin
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Laguna Beach 2
Identity & Responsibility
An exploration of the basics of a 12-step recovery program and the corresponding Jewish values that helped a lost soul become found
The Lonely Man:
Eliezer ben Hyrcanus and Yohanan ben Zakkai
Daniel Landes
Canceled, sorry
Text & Thought
Talmudic sages were remarkable individuals whose relationships with each other were often marked by a great deal of tension and polarity, but also by love. We will study rabbinic accounts of these great men meeting and colliding, explore their personalities and dimensions of their encounters, and discuss how these encounters are perceived in subsequent generations.
What the Russians Had to Say About Lot:
Poetry as Midrash
Nadya Strizhevskaya
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Balboa Bay 2
Global History and Culture,
Text & Thought
Following a guided text study of classical texts on the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom, participants will have the chance to see how Russian poets interpreted this event in the Book of Genesis. Their work will be framed within the context of Russian/Soviet culture and heritage. The session will emphasize small group (havruta) style learning and group discussion, as well as some creative writing.
Yarmulka:
The Jewish Cover-Up
Elazar Muskin
Sunday 2:30 PM–3:45 PM
Newport Beach 1
Text & Thought
Join us for a fascinating history behind the 'lid.' Learn about great sages who declined to wear it, how this decision fit within their personal Torah value systems, and what this all means for us today.
LimmudLA Shuk
Vendors and Non-Profit Organizations Display Their Goods
Sunday 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Fountain Terrace and the Hallway and Lobby Areas Surrounding
Kick back, relax and grab some coffee as you wonder through the LimmudLA Shuk and Org Fair. Jewelry, crafts, Judaica, housewares and linens are just the beginning of what the great LimmudLA vendors offer! Enjoy!
