Limmud-Oz 2015 roundup

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Overseas presenters were a great attraction at this year’s Limmud Oz held at Sydney’s University of NSW.

[Photos: Ben Apfelbaum, Henry Benjamin J-Wire]

Organisers are still rounding up the figures, but say approximately 1000 people attended this year’s event.

From the deeply serious to more light-hearted topics, the esoteric to social and religious, the Festival of Jewish Ideas offered a program that included something for everyone.

In an attempt to attract more young families, there were activities for children aged 5-12.  Organisers plan to continue this trend in the future.

Packed out sessions were presented by Australian academic Greg Barton, who spent the past two decades in extensive research on the role of Islam as both a constructive and a disruptive force.

Also in great demand, were sessions by Mohammed Dijani. He is the Jerusalem-born scholar and peace activist who had to resign his teaching and directing posts at Al-Quds University last year after he lead 27 Palestinian students to the concentration camps in Krakow and Auschwitz .

Gila Fine from Israel attracted a large following to her talks on The Shrew, the Femme Fatale and the Maddona/Whore as three Talmudic heroines.

Israeli documentary filmmaker Alan Rosenthal proved very popular with his topics Who was the real Eichmann? and Israel through a film director’s eye.

While not every session was full, the wide  variety and scope provided for all levels of interest. Feedback from participants was that the program was diverse, excellent in quality and had something for  everybody.

“People found the weekend very transformative and stimulating” said Michael Misrachi of Sydney’s The Shalom Institute.

“Limmud-Oz brought groups together from across the community, orthodox and non-orthodox. The age mix which included children and teenagers gave it a wonderful intergenerational experience and a quality that cannot be understated” he said.

Indications of the final count have shown that Limmud-Oz has once again hit the right spot for its followers.