Welcome to Limmud NY

Welcome to a one-of-a-kind conference of Jews. Welcome to a Jewish model helping to revolutionize the Jewish world across the country and around the globe.
Limmud NY 2007 didn't feature big screens or high-paid performers. Participants' badges didn't display a dozen boastful add-on ribbons and name tags didn't indicate your college or profession, whether you went to Harvard or SUNY, or worked at a clothing store or were a high-up at Goldman and Sachs. You didn't know who you were talking to or what your fellow participant had accomplished, or what high paying, status indicative title they held in their day-to-day life. You had to talk to them first. All you knew, until you ate lunch with, sat in a session next to, or stopped to chat in the halls with a fellow program-goer was that they probably cared. You don't go to Limmud unless you care.

A weekend full of sessions and workshops included URJ educator Jan Katzew's articulation of religious reform throughout Jewish history, Yitz and Blu Greenberg's stories of inter and intra religious dialogue as Orthodox Jews, and Joel Grishaver's cartoon telling of Berachot 27a and b and more. Shabbat offerings ranged from a thoroughly energetic renewal service with a guitar and bass to a traditional davening with mechitza. The evenings featured performances by little-known Jewish musicians from around the city and a black Hassid rapper named "Y-Love". The trans-generational "Late Night Shake Down" brought dozens- college students and grandmas; orthodox, conservative, reform, recontructionist, renewal and various combinations of the above at once- to the bar and then the dance floor to release after grueling days of debate and discussion on the past, present and future of the Jewish people.

If you're at Limmud you probably don't fit the typical New York Jewish stereotypes. You don't pay multiple thousands of dollars to belong to a Reform or Conservative synagogue where you mingle in the multi-million dollar, newly renovated lobby on the one or two holiest days of the year. And you certainly don't prance around in a holier-than-thou black suit or slightly too tall fidora. At the conference, many Limmud-ers went to Shabbat services while others went to a documentary film on the Jewish community of Morocco. Some woke up early to put on tefillin and a few professed their devout atheism. Some wore a kippa and tzizit and some didn't. Some flipped on their lights on Friday night, and others kept the bathroom light on. All came searching for a community which would inspire them and challenge them to try something new, think outside their box and ultimately nourish their appetitite for Jewish learning and life.

So what does it take to put on a Limmud NY? What's the formula for creating such a communtiy? It's not millions of dollars, posh offices and dozens of directors. It's a cadre of volunteers, activisits and motivated leaders giving of their time and energy for the sake of the Jewish people. Limmud only has two full-time professionals! Remarkable.

Limmud-ers see Judaism's challenges ahead and take them on. They recognize the diversity of the Jewish community and embrace rather than slander it. Growing to 2500 strong in the UK, 800+ in NY and spreading to cities like Paris, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Istanbul, Limmud brings together much that is too often divided in our Jewish community; stressing Talmud Torah as if it answered to a Soloveitchik and promoting "I-Thou" relationships as if it were fashioned after Buber. It's not a substitute for synagogues, religious schools and JCC's, but rather a network for those seeking to re-energize them- those willing to join forces to build a sustainable Jewish community which will meet the needs of our times and remain relevant in our world.

I'm in. Are you?

( limmudny.org; limmud.org)