We’ve just come through a major festive season for Jews which came to an end last Wednesday. We had a chance to focus on what matters most in life, there was much singing and fair bit of drinking. People danced into the night, played games and enjoyed the rare experience of all the generations in one place celebrating together.
I refer, of course, to Limmud.
Since Limmud started in 1980, each year and increasingly all around the globe, Limmud has demonstrated that you can get all sorts of Jews into one place and let them explore and discuss, disagree and dispute, and simply enjoy one another, in an atmosphere of convivial good humour.
Limmud is astonishing to each newcomer and reassuring to each returnee.
Sometimes, during the year, and especially after the fractious, febrile and challenging year we’ve all just lived through, it becomes difficult to believe that Limmud really did happen last year and really was as wonderful as it was. Surely, given the argumentative, disputatious nature of the community and the squabbles that regularly punctuate our Jewish lives – the inability to allow people with whom we disagree a voice or a space, the labelling of other as fools, renegades, self-hating Jews or worse, those who have never been to Limmud will simply not believe the warm, good-natured manner in which so many Limmudniks actually choose to go the sessions they think they will not agree with, not only (of course) to challenge and argue, but also to test themselves and listen to those they don’t usually hear properly.
Fun times at Limmud Festival 2024 (Photo: Richard Mukuze/Michael Ross)
The key to how such differences are managed decently is that, while many issues of political significance are discussed, Limmud is not a ‘political’ space but a learning one. That, after all, is what ‘Limmud’ means. And the differences do not end with politics. There are, naturally, deep disagreements about how to do religion and the four or five types of shabbat services on offer – anyone can take a space and run a service according to their own preferences – does not prevent the person with the quite unlikely hairstyle, the other person with the tattoos or piercings sitting with the besuited ‘norm’ over the subsequent shabbat meal. And don’t even get me started on genders, but I’m pretty sure that every gender you can imagine was present somewhere…
So is this all too freaky for the ordinary Jew in the pew? Apparently not. The packed out ‘Orthodox’ (standard but soulful United Synagogue) service pulled in a crowd that would do Borehamwood or Giffnock proud, except that the mekhtiza was more impenetrable than any such shuls would tolerate. (But tolerating is the name of the game at Limmud.)
Chlo Spinks running a session on the Village People (Photo: Avi Grant)
All this is well and good, but does it matter? My feeling is that we need it more than ever. Not only is it still a really essential feature of our community (of which UK Jewry can be justly proud) but every Jew should try it at least once. Why?
Limmud is the finest example of the empowerment of volunteers and young adults in the UK (and I’m not just talking about Jews now). It is an inspirational example of Jews at their provocative, thinking, enquiring, socialising best. It shows us the diversity of the Jewish community we live in - which we mostly don’t see. It showcases some of the best talent from around the world – and demonstrates that our best talent can hold their own on the global stage.
So plan now to join the December 2025 festivities in a truly Jewish way. And if you won’t, at least pay for someone else to go.
Clive A Lawton
CEO
Commonwealth Jewish Council
