Limmud Oz 2019: Full Schedule

BOOK TICKETS
MORE INFORMATION about Limmud Oz
KIDS PROGRAM now LIVE!
15 – 17 June | Roundhouse UNSW

8:35pm PDT

Rabbis behaving badly: the R-rated Talmud

We often think of the rabbis as paradigms of virtue, but narratives throughout the Talmud suggest that they were not always so well behaved. We will explore stories of prostitutes, mistaken identities, murder, and magic to see a more human side of the ancient rabbis and to try to understand why they would record their worst selves for posterity.

Speakers

Rachel Rosenthal

Talmud scholar & teacher, Jewish Theological Seminary

Rachel lectures in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she was voted Professor of the Year in 2018. A graduate of the Drisha Scholars Circle, she teaches at the Drisha Institute and in Nishma: A Summer of Torah Study at JTS. She is currently a... Read More →

Saturday June 15, 2019 8:35pm - 9:30pm PDT
Room 5

Text and tradition, Presentation

9:35pm PDT

The most moral army in the world? Dilemmas of the IDF

In this session Tuvia will present a view of Tzahal from the inside. Based on personal recollections and learning about the experiences of other soldiers, we will explore the meaning of the IDF for Jews in Israel and throughout the world and we will examine and discuss moral dilemmas faced by soldiers on a daily basis. Tuvia will present a number of recently declassified IDF film clips to help with development of good understanding of some of these complex issues. This is the IDF that you don't see in the media.

Speakers

Tuvia Book

IDF veteran & author

Tuvia was born in London and is an IDF veteran. He is an experienced Jewish educator in both formal and informal contexts and has guided and taught Jewish students and educators from around the world and throughout Israel. Tuvia has a doctorate in Israel education and is the author... Read More →

Saturday June 15, 2019 9:35pm - 10:30pm PDT
Room 5

Everything Israel, Presentation

9:30am PDT

Takedown: an introduction to Krav Maga

WORKSHOP | Go home safer with an introduction to the most effective self-defence system around the world. Developed by the Israeli military to be effective and quick to learn, it’s used by millions around the world so that everyone may walk in peace. You will learn the basics of how to defend yourself against an armed attack. This workshop will be fun and high intensity—towels and water provided. See you at training. Kida!

Speakers

Jonathan Bruck

Jonathan is a certified civilian instructor with the International Krav Maga Federation. He has been practising Krav Maga for five years and currently holds the rank of Graduate 1. He runs the organisation Krav Maga Legends, which trains in Ultimo. Jonathan works professionally as... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 9:30am - 10:30am PDT
Room 5

Mind body and soul, Workshop

Company Teens steam

10:45am PDT

From other to brother: Jewish views of Jesus

Over the centuries, Jews have approached the figure of Jesus with curiosity, fear, hatred, and respect. He has been cast both as ‘brother’ and as ‘that man’ whose name is not pronounced. The way Jews view Jesus often reflects how Jews view themselves in relation to the culture in which they live.

Speakers

David Sandmel

Interreligious Engagement Director, ADL

David has been Director of Interreligious Engagement at the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) since 2014. An expert in Jewish–Christian relations, he was previously Professor of Jewish Studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and was involved in producing ‘Dabru Emet: A... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am PDT
Room 5

Our history our memory, Presentation

12:00pm PDT

A Jewish–Polish dialogue: what can be said?

Between 1939 and 1945 three million Polish Jews were murdered, as were three million non-Jewish Poles. Yet their experiences as victims of mass murder were vastly different. Jewish survivors speak of Polish complicity with the German Nazis, while Polish survivors speak of a common persecution at the hands of the German invaders and resentment of Jewish accusations. Within this atmosphere of animosity, is a dialogue possible or worthwhile?

Regrettably, Magda Szubanski will no longer be speaking at Limmud Oz.

Speakers

Irving Wallach

Irving is a Sydney barrister, the son of Polish Holocaust survivors with family still living in Poland. The documentary A Town Called Brzostek told the story of his mother being hidden by her Catholic neighbour and Irving’s meeting with her grandson. He has been a NIF Australia... Read More →

CANCELLED - Magda Szubanski

Magda is one of Australia's best known and most loved performers. She appeared in university revues and in a number of sketch comedy shows before creating the iconic character of Sharon Strzelecki in Kath and Kim. She has also acted in films (Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 5

Our history our memory, Presentation

1:15pm PDT

Smartphones, mental health, and addiction: a conversation about relationships, ethics, and tweaking our behaviour

What’s worse, the impact of smartphones on our mood, our brain, or our family? What can we do about it? Join Dr Dani Einstein and Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio as they explore the links between our generation’s device use, mental health, and relationships. Dani will provide a practical way of thinking about what lures us into device addiction and suggest actions we can take to strengthen our families. Rabbi Ninio will tackle the ethics, looking at healthy device use from the perspective of Jewish teachings. The ultimate aim is cultural change.

Speakers

Jacqueline Ninio

Rabbi Ninio was ordained in 1998 and has been at Emanuel Synagogue, Woollahra, since then. She was the synagogue’s first female rabbi and the third Australian-born woman to receive rabbinic ordination. She has an interest in midrash, liturgy, and ethics and is an active leader in... Read More →

Danielle Einstein

Dr Einstein is a clinical psychologist specialising in anxiety and depression. Previously Head of the Anxiety Clinic at Westmead Hospital, since 2008 Danielle has been working with schools and researchers across Australia to develop programs for treating and preventing anxiety and... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 1:15pm - 2:15pm PDT
Room 5

Mind body and soul, Presentation

2:45pm PDT

NO SPIN ZONE | Settlements — ‘Obstacle to peace’ or ‘It’s all part of the plan’

This session is not a debate | Is the two state solution still a meaningful political aspiration? Join us as we walk through the implications of some recent political developments for communities over the Green Line, from different perspectives. Each presenter will provide some sources and there will be time for discussion and respectful challenge, leaving polemics out of it.

This ‘No spin‘ session is aimed at people who don’t feel they know it all. The aim is to have a real conversation considering different political positions and for you to leave knowing more than you came in with and an appetite to read and learn more.

Moderators

Jeremy Leibler

President, Zionist Federation of Australia

Jeremy is President of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), which is an elected and representative roof body of the Jewish community committed to advocating for Israel. He is also Deputy Chairman of Leibler Yavneh College. In his spare time, Jeremy is a partner at Arnold Bloch... Read More →

Speakers

Ron Weiser

Dr Ron Weiser AM is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency, a former President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, and the Honorary Life President of the Zionist Council of NSW. Ron is also a founding director of the Y2i Year 10 Israel programs project and initiated... Read More →

Mandi Katz

Mandi is a governance professional in the financial services sector, with a passion for Jewish life and community in all her non-working hours. She is president of Shira Hadasha synagogue in Melbourne and has had deep involvement in Limmud in Melbourne and through the broader Limmud... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT
Room 5

Everything Israel, Panel

4:00pm PDT

Truth, Justice, and the American (Oy) Vey: the significance of the Jewish influence on comic book superheroes

How important is mythology? Why do Americans love comic books so much? What is a superhero? And what do Jews have to do with any of it? These questions and more are addressed by MaNishtana in this session, as we explore the Jewish roots of comic books and superheroes and their cultural relevance to the global voice of storytelling.

Speakers

MaNishtana

Anti-racism activist & rabbi

New York–based African-American Orthodox Jew MaNishtana—born from two African-American Orthodox Jewish parents—is a writer, playwright, speaker, novelist, and rabbi. His work tackles prejudice and bias head on and shatters misconceptions about Orthodox Judaism, American Jewish... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Presentation

Company Teens steam

5:15pm PDT

Is the Chief Rabbinate obsolete? Religion and state in Israel

Does Israel have religious pluralism or is it an ultra-Orthodox theocracy? Based on the findings of his book Rising Streams: Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel, Dan Feferman looks at key issues of religion and state, such as marriage, conversion, and access to the Kotel, identifying the fault lines between what the law says and where the Israeli people are.

Speakers

Dan Feferman

Israeli analyst, Jewish People Policy Institute

Dan is a Major (res.) in the IDF who served as a foreign policy and national security analyst in the IDF General Staff and as commander in an elite intelligence unit of AMAN's Research and Analysis Division. He is a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a leading think-tank... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 5:15pm - 6:15pm PDT
Room 5

Everything Israel, Presentation

6:45pm PDT

Leifer vs Australia/Israel: who will win and at what cost?

Malka Leifer, ex-principal of the Melbourne Adass Israel School, faces 74 counts of indecent assault and rape in Australia, yet has managed to evade extradition from Israel. In this session, Dassi Erlich will explore the personal and public cost and conflicts arising from the #bringleiferback campaign. What have the Australian and Israeli governments done and can they do more? What happens when the Jewish state fails to protect Jewish children? Where do we go from here?

Speakers

Dassi Erlich

Advocate, #bringleiferback

Dassi is an advocate and educator, working for long-needed cultural change in our communities to protect survivors of sexual abuse. She founded the campaign #bringleiferback against her former school principal and abuser. The campaign has reached the highest levels of government in... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 6:45pm - 7:45pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Presentation

8:00pm PDT

Is BDS winning the game?

The BDS movement is an international pro-Palestinian network that has been around for over a decade. Its principles and tactics are very different from any other pro-Palestinian initiative, past or present. The movement is gathering support around the world and influencing public opinion effectively in many cases. How successful is the BDS campaign and what are its chances of achieving its goals?

Speakers

Oren Thaler

Oren is a graduate of Middle East Studies at the Hebrew University. He came to Australia in 2016 after working for 15 years in Jerusalem as a teacher and leader of grassroots peace and reconciliation initiatives between Arabs and Jews. Oren now teaches at Emanuel School while completing... Read More →

Sunday June 16, 2019 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 5

Everything Israel, Presentation

11:00am PDT

Trolling the trolls: turning the tables on online antisemitism

The rise of vitriolic bigotry on social media can often leave those targeted by it feeling helpless, forever waiting on capricious corporations to clean up their platforms and protect minority voices like Jews. Rather than holding out for a top-down solution to online abuse that may never arrive, come to this crash course on bottom-up strategies for countering antisemites and other racist trolls on the internet.

Speakers

Yair Rosenberg

Senior writer, Tablet Magazine

Yair is a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Guardian and his writings have received awards from the Religion... Read More →

Monday June 17, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Presentation

12:15pm PDT

TABOO TALK | How to stop your child having (bad) sex

TABOO TALK | The thought that your child is, or will soon be, having sex is no doubt an uncomfortable one. It’s followed by some troubling questions—What if they’re not ready? Will they get an STI? What if they’re traumatised? This workshop, presented by 22-year-old sex educator Matt Friedman, provides a research-driven window into how parents can approach these taboo conversations to help their children stay healthy, happy, and even satisfied as they start to explore their sexual identities.

These ‘taboo talks’ aim to create a space for brave, difficult conversations about complicated human experiences—sex, baby-making, disability, ageing—that may feature in our lives. Come with an open mind and leave with a new perspective.

Speakers

Matt Friedman

Sex educator, 2 Birds 1 Bee

Matt is the founder of 2 Birds 1 Bee, a youth-run relationships and sex education project that engages through interactive workshops with students, parents, and schools in areas including pornography, gender and sexuality diversity, and building healthy relationships. Matt also volunteers... Read More →

Monday June 17, 2019 12:15pm - 1:15pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Presentation

3:00pm PDT

The synagogues Israelis don't attend: shifting religious identities in Israel

Recent studies show a surprising number of Israelis are choosing to identify as Reform or Conservative, although the two movements have low membership and attendance statistics. What does this mean? Based on the findings of his book Rising Streams: Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel, Dan Feferman claims that this amounts to nothing less than a fundamental shift in the religious identity of Israeli Jews.

Speakers

Dan Feferman

Israeli analyst, Jewish People Policy Institute

Monday June 17, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 5

Everything Israel, Presentation

4:15pm PDT

What makes this Jew different from all other Jews? Race, difference, and safety in Jewish spaces

We are a people of questions, but perhaps certain types of questions directed at certain kinds of people diminish the safety of all of us. A modern liberal idea? MaNishtana thinks not; he explains that checking people at the door is not something we Jews can or should recognise as ‘traditional’. Join him for some personal and political reflections on the joys and challenges of being a Jew of colour in the 21st century.

Speakers

MaNishtana

Anti-racism activist & rabbi

Monday June 17, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Presentation

Subject Teens steam

5:30pm PDT

'The Marvelous Mrs Maisel': an alternative history of stand-up comedy

The fabulously successful new TV series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel presents an appealing but flawed alternative history of stand-up comedy. Join Debra as she explores the real history of the birth of stand-up and how daring and different from its predecessors it was. Mrs Maisel may be wishful, nostalgic thinking, but it nevertheless opens up a new way of exploring the history of Jewish women in stand-up.

Speakers

Debra Aarons

UNSW

Debra is a linguist at UNSW. She writes about humour and language and has a particular interest in Jewish comedy. Her Jokes and the Linguistic Mind (2011) explores the art of joke-making through the lens of cognitive science. Debra has written extensively with Marc Mierowsky on... Read More →

Monday June 17, 2019 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 5

Arts and culture, Presentation

Subject Teens steam

7:00pm PDT

'Israel created ISIS’: inciting violence and kindling conspiracies against Israel

Out of sight, extreme preachers, so-called columnists, and radio broadcasters in Arabic take advantage of Australia’s freedom of speech to preach hatred against the West, spread conspiracy theories and antisemitism, and incite for terror. Unlike the vast majority of law-abiding Muslims in Australia, a handful of Australians are being radicalised by such messages. This session is based on studies I conducted for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).

Speakers

Ran Porat

Dr Porat is a multidisciplinary scholar, analyst, and researcher. He teaches Middle Eastern history, conflict studies, and Israel studies at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (ACJC), Monash University. He is also a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism... Read More →

Monday June 17, 2019 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Presentation

8:15pm PDT

Right in our midst: the threat of white supremacy

Attacks on Jews in Pittsburgh and Poway and on Muslims in Christchurch have shown the far right to be a real and dangerous threat globally. What forces have precipitated this rise in right-wing extremism? What can we do to combat white supremacist ideology and violence? Should online platforms take responsibility for controlling the development and transmission of this hatred? How can we keep our synagogues safe?

Moderators

Shirli Kirschner

Shirli is a consultant providing strategy and dispute resolution services. She is a Director of Resolve Advisors. She has won a number of awards for dispute resolution and is listed in Who’s Who International for commercial mediation. Shirli is a Senior Visiting Fellow at UNSW Law... Read More →

Speakers

Andre Oboler

Online Hate Prevention Institute

Dr Oboler is CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute and a Senior Lecturer in the Law School at La Trobe University. He is an expert member of the Australian Government's delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and a former co-chair of the Global Forum for... Read More →

Yair Rosenberg

Senior writer, Tablet Magazine

David Sandmel

Interreligious Engagement Director, ADL

Julie Nathan

Research Director, Executive Council of Australian Jewry

Julie is the Research Director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the peak representative body of the Australian Jewish community. Since 2013, Julie has authored the annual ECAJ Report on Antisemitism in Australia, researching, documenting, and compiling each report... Read More →

Monday June 17, 2019 8:15pm - 9:15pm PDT
Room 5

Society and politics, Panel