Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Breakfast
Sunday 7:30 AM–10:00 AM
Dining Room
Good morning! Meet your fellow participants at Breakfast.
400 Miles to Freedom (Film)
Avishai Mekonen
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Tower VIP Room
Film,
Identity & Responsibility
“400 Miles to Freedom” is a personal documentary by co-director Avishai Mekonen, an Ethiopian-Israeli Jew. During his journey from Africa to America, his fundamental identity is challenged and even—when kidnapped in Sudan in 1984—obliterated. “What does it mean when others insist that you can’t be who you know you are?” As his search for answers leads him to other African, Asian and Latino Jews in Israel and America, he finds that his faith transcends the borders of race, and that facing and learning from his painful memories reinforces the tie to both past and future generations.
The Cairo Geniza
Torn Papers, Radical Prayers
Elie Kaunfer
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Empire Corner
Ritual & Prayer,
Torah & Text
In December 1896, Solomon Schechter traveled to the "Synagogue of Ben Ezra" in Old Cairo and discovered 200,000 Hebrew manuscripts, some from as early as the 9th century. Among them were alternative liturgies that will astound those used to the standard Ashkenazi prayerbook. Come learn how crumpled papers in a forgotten attic can change our understanding of prayer.
The Crisis of Religion and State Life in Israel
Is There a Solution?
Seth Farber
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Embassy Room 1
Israel,
Torah & Text
The relationship between religion and state in Israel has created an increasing sense of disenfranchisement among rank and file Israelis. Come hear some stories from the front lines and what is being done to salvage the situation.
Elements of Creation
Forces of Creation and Destruction
Linda Roth
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Empire Room 3 North
Identity & Responsibility,
Torah & Text
Trace the four elements God used in the creation of the world and relate them to the four holy cities in Israel: Tiberias, Tzefat, Hebron, and Jerusalem. Explore the forces of world destruction and creation as they relate to God and Adam and our responsibilities to the world that God created.
The Ethics of Assisted Reproduction
Adrienne Asch
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Empire Room 3 South
Identity & Responsibility
Sometimes having a baby isn't as easy as we would like. Straight and gay couples and single people seek assistance from others to provide eggs, sperm, or gestation. The participants in this session will discuss real-life cases that have come before ethics committees and will look at how different views of ethics influence their resolution. Illustrative topics will include: Should friends or relatives provide eggs, sperm, or wombs, or should these come from strangers? Should the sperm or egg donor ever play a role in the child's life? Should payment be involved?
Imagining Israel's 100th Birthday
The State of Israel Now and into the Future
Yonatan Ariel,
Ariel Beery,
Shimon Erem
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Tower Board Room
What will Israel’s place in the world be in 2048? What will 100 years of independence look like? What can we do to build a strong Israel diaspora relationship for 2048? Join us for a conversation about Israel’s present and our visions for her future.
Jethro and Rebecca
A Biblical Representation of Interfaith Families
Lev Baesh
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
LOBBY RIGHT NEXT TO SAFARI
Identity & Responsibility,
Torah & Text
This session will look at Torah portion Jethro and several passages with Rebecca and Isaac as they focus on the marriages of their sons Esau and Jacob.
“The Jews of Lebanon”
“La Petite Histoire Des Juifs Du Liban”
Limmud NY International Film Festival
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Sports Bar
Additional schedule
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Monday 11:15 AM–12:30 PM
Sports Bar
Film,
Global History & Culture
A documentary about the Jews of Lebanon could have been rather depressing—but this captivating film is anything but! It is full of quirky characters and attractive ladies who themselves are full of joie de vivre. Learn how the spirit of the Lebanese Jews lives on wherever they have rebuilt their lives—in Mexico, Canada, France, Brazil, Israel, Italy, America. This film took one year to make, and features interviews with 300 people in 10 different countries.
Miriam
Revealing the Woman behind the Scenes
Aliza Lavie
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Safari Backspace
Ritual & Prayer,
Torah & Text
Miriam the prophetess is widely perceived as a central feminine leadership figure, despite the sparseness of Biblical text about her. According to the Midrash, generations of Jewish women have invoked the miraculous waters of the well which accompanied the Children of Israel in the wilderness through her merit. We’ll explore what the Torah hides, what the Midrash reveals, and why Jewish women have traditionally celebrated Miriam and her waters.
On Dry Ground
Faith, Fear and Transformation on the Edge of an Inauguration
Andrea Hodos
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Festival Room
Arts & Performance,
Torah & Text
In this Moving Torah workshop, we will share our perspectives on the present moment in history from inside the Red Sea. Having just emerged from Egypt, the Israelites find themselves looking forward into the Promised Land at the edge of a raging sea. What's at stake for them as they walk "into the middle of the sea upon dry ground" and what's at stake for us? Using writing, movement and theater techniques we will respond to the ancient story and also our current predicament -- to celebrate and to help us garner the faith we need to move forward through the challenges that lay ahead. People with any level of text or performance experience—from much to none—are warmly welcomed.
Tikkun Olam 2.0
How and Where Should We Start?
Maital Guttman
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Congressional Room 2
How-To,
Identity & Responsibility
As our world becomes more interconnected, we are confronted with more and more depressing news stories of our broken world. How are we today able to repair that world, aka Tikkun Olam? Do we start at home or do we venture abroad? Where is the most need? Come hear how one young Jew, 25-year-old Maital Guttman, has dealt with these questions, as she shares her journey of volunteering in New Orleans, Thailand, Moldova, Morocco, and South Africa. You will leave inspired.
Tikkun Olam Through Shopping
Shmuel Simenowitz
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
CAFE CORNER LEFT
Identity & Responsibility
This thought-provoking workshop will allow us to explore how our buying habits are influenced by – and in turn, can influence – world events and trends. Gain true empowerment as you come to appreciate and take control over the “decisions behind the decisions” in our everyday shopping habits.
The Wall as Canvas
Israel’s Unintentional Art Gallery
Daniel Sieradski
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Congressional Room 1
Arts & Performance,
Global History & Culture,
Israel
Whether one supports or condemns it, Israel’s West Bank security barrier has inspired countless works of protest and criticism from international artists, and become one of the prime locales for today’s leading public artists to exhibit their talent for making grandiose political gestures. In this session, we’ll examine many of the works both inspired by and created upon the Wall, and in “art chevruta (paired learning)” discuss their significance, meaning, and artistic merits.
When History Comes
History, Memory, and the Challenge of Modernity
Yehuda Kurtzer
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Coffee Shop
Identity & Responsibility,
Torah & Text
Some have argued that whereas Jews used to interpret their past through the lens of collective memory, modernity necessarily entailed a rejection of this mode in favor of the more scientific historical method. Modern Jews are implicitly and explicitly questioning this turn. Is a rejection of collective memory necessary? Is it useful in constructing Jewish identity? Using texts and contemporary examples, we will ask a key question for the Jewish future: What is the future of the Jewish past?
Yoga Tefila (Prayer)
Wake up Body, Mind and Soul
Ida Unger
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:45 AM
Embassy Room 2
Movement,
Ritual & Prayer
Treat yourself to Jewish inspired yoga, uniting body, mind, and soul. With Shacharit (morning) prayers as the inspiration, prepare to stretch and breathe, strengthening and relaxing the body while igniting the soul. Yoga will harmonize all aspects of the self - physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Come with an empty stomach, a willing spirit and a yoga mat or towel. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience. You'll feel good all day.
Camp Limmud NY--Alim
Session starts at 9:15 AM
Sunday 9:15 AM–9:45 AM
Tennis Center Corner
Camp Limmud session. Please see the Camp Limmud program for details.
Camp Limmud NY--Anafim
Session starts at 9:15 AM
Sunday 9:15 AM–9:45 AM
Racquetball Court 2
Camp Limmud session. Please see the Cap Limmud program for details.
Camp Limmud NY--Middle School
Session starts at 9:15 AM
Rebecca Wallace-Segall
Sunday 8:30 AM–9:00 AM
Middle School Room
Camp Limmud session. Please see the Camp Limmud program for details.
Camp Limmud NY--Shorashim
Session starts at 9:15 AM
Sunday 9:15 AM–9:45 AM
Racquetball Court 1
Camp Limmud session. Please see the Camp Limmud program for details.
Limmud NY Katan
Session starts at 9:30 AM
Sunday 9:30 AM–1:30 PM
Empire 1112 & 1113
Childcare for children under two.
