Our tradition offers guidance on how to meet the diverse educational needs of each child, helping them form positive connections to Jewish life and learning. We will involve participants in simulations on what it feels like to have a disability and how teachers, madrichim, and parents can support varied learning approaches in the classroom.
Jessica Weiss will teach an all-levels yoga class to Jewish music, and she will give participants a play list of Jewish music for their own yoga practice, meditation, or just for fun. A great change of pace in your Limmud day! Please bring a yoga mat if you can.
Got Hebrew? Learning Hebrew is fun for Camp Limmud kids--with interactive songs, rhymes, finger play, games and more. You'll love this hands-on workshop if you are an educator, parent, musician, school director... heck, just come and have fun learning Hebrew! CD's available for purchase.
Joey Baron, founder of the Boston Jewish Music Festival, will give an overview of some of the exciting new Jewish music being produced all over the world.
Join in to help create a meaningful beautiful, long-lasting mosaic which will adorn Congregation Mishkan Tefila. You will be amazed at what we can create together. No mosaic experience necessary. This program runs all day.
A panel discussion on the subtle and non-so-subtle ways that children receive anti-Israel and anti-Jewish messages in public schools. We will show examples of materials, provide resources, and examine a successful initiative in Newton, Massachusetts to remove these materials
This talk outlines a proactive approach for reengaging Jews, reclaiming Judaism and reviving Jewish community. Drawing from the success of HaLevi's congregation, the speakers describe what is possible when divine spirit is central to the Jewish experience and offer practical strategies, including tips for leadership, programming and sacred spaces.
People are voting with their feet. Rabbi Heschel inspired generations to 'pray with their legs.' What would his advice convey to our generation? What would he do to clear the air and show the way?
Join in to help create a meaningful beautiful, long-lasting mosaic which will adorn Congregation Mishkan Tefila. You will be amazed at what we can create together. No mosaic experience necessary.
From primordial oceans to spas, tsunamis, lap pools and waterfalls, we all have strong associations with water. This workshop will use discussion and free writing to explore the connection between personal water experiences and some of our "watery" texts. We will create a personal water ritual to mark moments of transition in our lives.
From the Talmudic story of first man, via the music of Israeli singer-songwriter Ehud Banai, to the labs of the Techniyon and MIT – we will be exploring the theme of The First Light, and its connection to Hanukkah, the winter solstice and modern technology.
All teachers and educators will gather for interactive text study and discussion around the theme of student-centered learning. Join us as we explore Jewish and general education texts, past and present, to spark our thinking about the best learning for students of all ages. We will also present the 2012 Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
An internationally known professor of medical ethics, Dr. Grodin will explore how ancient Jewish tradition and texts can inform difficult decision making in modern medicine. We will cover the right to treat, duty to seek care, organ donation, death and dying, abortion, reproduction and genetics.
Shai Bazak, Consul General of Israel to New England, will offer insights and updates on events in Israel and the Middle East, with a Q&A session after his remarks.
Shai Bazak, Consul General of Israel to New England, will offer insights and updates on events in Israel and the Middle East, with a Q&A session after his remarks.
Shai Bazak, Consul General of Israel to New England, will offer insights and updates on events in Israel and the Middle East, with a Q&A session after his remarks
Experience the joy of awakening your spirit as we journey together in chant, rhythm, movement, and meditation. We will sing simple prayer-songs in Hebrew and English that arouse a deep stirring of the heart and soul. Guided movement and easy dance steps will create an integrated experience and opportunity to connect with your inner self and others.
The Jewish Storytelling Coalition presents six leading New England storytellers performing contemporary and traditional Jewish tales geared toward adults. Featuring: Cindy Rivka Marshall, Bonnie Greenberg, Bruce Marcus, David Arfa, Hal Miller-Jacobs and Judith Black. Guaranteed to entertain!
How do you navigate Jewish practice decisions in your marriage and your family? How do you decide whether to go to the in-laws, to go to shul and or to shabbat? What if only one person is more "into it?" This discussion session for couples will address ways of resolving conflict about observance.
The Producing Artistic Director and Founder of Israeli Stage will lead a panel discussion on how Israeli theatre (performed in the U.S. in English) can change our way of understanding and allow us to explore the diversity and vitality of Israeli culture.
Sam Norich, Publisher of The Forward, moderates a panel with Charles Radin, former Jerusalem Correspondent from Globe
Got family? Tell about it! Members of the Jewish Storytelling Coalition will lead participants in story games and prompts to inspire stories on the theme of mishpocha. Open mic follows, for anyone wishing to share a 5-minute family tale. Bring a story, or let one come to you. No experience necessary! Participation encouraged, but listeners welcome!
Planning a Jewish wedding? Learn about laws vs. customs, what's Jewish vs. what's American. We'll discuss everything from invitations and programs to chuppah and ketubah. Make your wedding what you're looking for, whether it's more egalitarian, freilich (celebratory), or personal, including tips for making it less overwhelming and more affordable.
How might the biblical laws of shmitta (sabbatical year) guide us toward sustainability? Through text study and practical workshop, participants will learn about the Jewish Environmental movement's project to combat climate change while supporting sustainable communities. Presented through the Green Hevra: A New Coalition of Jewish Eco-Projects
Have you ever thought how you could get your children or students to develop a more personal connection to the mitzvah of tzedakah? Do you share the value of youth/ teen giving? Come explore how JChoice is creating a powerful, relevant model for our next generation of givers, combining online social media and Jewish values. Bring a laptop if you can.
Learn the rich history of dreams in Judaism, a Kabbalistic system for understanding them, and practice doing dreamwork together as we interactively explore our dreams as a group and learn from each other's dreams as well as our own.
The Torah describes Moses as having a "heavy tongue" or being "slow of speech." Where some commentators saw a deficiency, others found a unique talent. Learn how our greatest teacher and leader was different and what he can teach us about creating open and welcoming communities.
Join in to help create a meaningful beautiful, long-lasting mosaic which will adorn Congregation Mishkan Tefila. You will be amazed at what we can create together. No mosaic experience necessary.
This session will take parents and children outdoors to the Webster Conservation Area. We will use basic prayers and texts and a variety of activities to experience G!d both in the details and as the "Big Picture" as we explore nature with our senses and with binoculars and magnifiers.
Join in to help create a meaningful beautiful, long-lasting mosaic which will adorn Congregation Mishkan Tefila. You will be amazed at what we can create together. No mosaic experience necessary.
In the recent presidential elections, both sides assiduously courted the Jewish community. Both sides claim Jewish affinity. What changes were seen in the way American Jews voted? What changed? What's next?
In a supportive group context, we will use rhythmic movement to .create a sacred space. In a gentle process, you will be guided into weaving a tapestry of rhythms with your voice, clapping hands, and stepping feet. This workshop is suitable for everyone, whether or not you have musical experience or rhythmic talent.
Professional actors will present a reading of the newest play by Larry Jay Tish, the co-writer of "The Black-Jew Dialogues." The Jewish Advocate called the Last Jews, "A hybrid of Mel Brooks and Ionesco. Hilarious!" It is a story that explores the darker side of humanity with humor and hope.
What existing rituals within Jewish tradition can be adopted to celebrate and affirm the experiences and lives of queer members of our community? How can we reimagine and create new rituals to reflect and embrace diverse gender identities and experiences? Join us to learn about existing rituals designed to celebrate and embrace diversity.
Terezin and Auschwitz survivor Edgar Krasa of Newton will speak about singing in composer and pianist Rafael Schaechter's production of the Verdi Requiem at the Terezin concentration camp on June 23, 1944, before Nazi officials and Red Cross representatives. It was a risky, secretly defiant act, as the Requiem warns of Judgment Day for one's sins.
Join in to help create a meaningful beautiful, long-lasting mosaic which will adorn Congregation Mishkan Tefila. You will be amazed at what we can create together. No mosaic experience necessary.
Scott Lasensky will discuss American efforts to broker Arab-Israeli peace since the end of the Cold War. His just released book, The Peace Puzzle: American's Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, is a detailed account of this on-going diplomatic drama, drawing from never-before-shared insights from many of the central Israeli, Arab, and American players.
This session is dedicated to the memory of Sid, Ida, James Barry, Robert Kim and Peter Aron Stark, z"l.
Through study and dialogue we will explore issues of being a male and Jewish in Western culture, and how these religious, ethnic, and gender issues impact Jewish men (and women) today. Material will be drawn from Rabbi Zevit's years helping lead the JMR annual Jewish men's retreat and his and Harry Brod's new book on Jewish men's issues.
After the 9-11 tragedy, Jewish, Christian and Muslim women began gathering monthly in Daughters of Abraham interfaith book groups to learn about each others' religious traditions, overcome stereotypes, and foster mutual respect and understanding. While discussions are not always easy, they have been illuminating for the many participants nationwide.
The construction of the Tabernacle described in the Torah, along with the Jewish agricultural laws that took form in the Rabbinic period, highlight traditional values of small scale society, meaningful work and collective economy. Perhaps our forebears were more rad than we thought! Come mine for progressive idealism in our traditional text.
Do you find you hold back before speaking? Are you too assertive? Do you ask for what you need or refrain? Using traditional Jewish practices and texts called Mussar, we will explore how to get what we need without overshadowing others. We will examine the trait of humility to help us find the balance between what we need and the needs of others.
Learn about Teva Learning Alliance’s creative curriculum created for Boston’s JCRC. Discover the connections between Judaism and nature, focusing on nature-based education for youth in a Jewish context. Weather permitting, we will go outdoors—parents and children welcome! Presented through the Green Hevra: A New Coalition of Jewish Eco-Projects.
Using the methods of Godly Play to uncover the curiosity, imagination and sacred awareness of young children, this workshop will model a lesson on creation and the responsibility for the created world. Using biblical narrative, contemporary explanation and wondering questions, this session will explore how to introduce the importance of conservatio
Students and staff from The Binah School will present the results of our schools' interdisciplinary exploration of gleaning. Using discussion and a multi-media slideshow created by students, we will focus on gleaning as a response to hunger in Greater Boston. Participants will explore Torah sources and will learn how to get involved.
Travel through an aspiring Jewish-nonprofit-professional's journey from Buffalo to Brandeis, Istanbul to Idaho and beyond! Discover commonly overlooked, but easily preventable problems & prepare to share your best-practices, so we can help each other & our programs/projects thrive in the current & diverse (but hopefully unified) Jewish communities.
The Zamir Chorale of Boston presents its seventh annual Open Sing featuring favorite choruses from Handel's dramatic oratorio Judas Maccabaeus and songs of Israel with Joshua Jacobson, Conductor, and Edwin Swanborn, Pianist. and LimmudBoston 2012 finale with musicians Noah Aronson, Naomi Less and Shawn Zevit
Thank you for coming to LimmudBoston 2012!
Hold the date: LimmudBoston 2013 - December 8, 2012
How can art contribute to Tikkun Olam, going beyond “repairing” the world to making it better? We will ask: how can art help you see? build communities? be a medium of social change? help us make the world G-d would want us to live in? Encouraged for all ages. We will include a brief creative writing workshop if time permits.
Can Jewish values help volunteers & professionals work together on division of responsibilities/roles, communication/authority lines, and supervision/evaluation? Using cases and Jewish texts, Marya Axner, Jewish Labor Cte CEO, and Danny Margolis, past BJE CEO, explore these issues. For educators, clergy, agency personnel, Board & other volunteers.
Is it possible for Israelis and Palestinians to agree on borders for a two-state solution? Learn about challenges and opportunities thru a multimedia presentation about borders, produced by S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace and The Atlantic, followed by a discussion about facts and hopes, facilitated by J Street’s Adam Steinberg.
The obliteration of Jewish life in Europe by Nazi Germany is still with us today, by its very absence. Has this void create a 'black hole'? If so, what does it say to us today? Should those of us two generations later and a continent away make a connection to our lost Jewish family and, if so, how?
Whether you are a seasoned meditator or a complete beginner, this taste of Jewish meditation is for you. Find some calm and quiet in the midst of a busy Limmud day. We will share a guided meditation with some silence. Silence and meditation have long been part of Jewish tradition, so join us as we reach a deep place in our soul.
Come examine the structure of the classical Birkat ha-Mazon ("Grace after Meals), learn some classical and newer shorter and alternative forms, some variations (including 3 words in Yiddish!), some new melodies, and investigate how to make Birkat more a part of your life and the life of your community. And why is it called "bentsching" anyway?
Precious portals to higher consciousness reside within Biblical metaphors. In this session we will have group chevruta study on the metaphoric role of clouds in Torah, Midrash, Prayer and Zohar.
In this interactive session, participants will explore ancient texts connected to the Jewish calendar applying them to modern agriculture and sustainability. We will discuss creative ways to gather in community to take part in earth-based Jewish ritual in all seasons. Presented through the Green Hevra: A New Coalition of Jewish Eco-Projects.
What is the difference between traditional and contemporary midrash? What do these new layers of meaning add to our understanding of Biblical personalities? We will confront our preconceptions of these characters by exploring traditional midrash and the midrashic poetry of the late Enid Dame, and end by crafting our own midrashic responses.
Although the Torah details copious lineages, something is often missing. Women are frequently unnamed - even in stories where they are key actors. Is this a case of chauvinism, or are there other explanations? Through text study and bibliodrama we will explore the phenomenon of unnamed women. Women and men are welcome to engage in this discussion.
David Micley will show and discuss the film he produced called "Cousins of Faith," an ethnographic film about the daily lives of a religious Jew and a religious Muslim that explores questions of how identity, faith and tradition play out in America. David uses this film as a tool to humanize the way Muslims and Jews perceive one another.
As the Zamir Chorale of Boston wraps up their part of the Open Sing, Noah Aronson, Shawn Zevit & Naomi Less will help us wrap up this wonderful day with a rousing musical finale. Be there!
Sales tales for CDs and other items will be open after the concert.
Please join the cleanup party after the Finale, as we walk through the building removing signs, straightening up, and making sure that LimmudBoston leaves Congregation Mishkan Tefila as beautifully as we found it! Add your name to the volunteer list at the Help Desk. Thank you!
