A pastel reusable cup is given to each registered participant along with a name placard. Without hesitation, guests put their nametags on before giving a puzzled look at the periwinkle or baby blue cup in their hand. It’s a statement of conservation – to allow guests to consume as much coffee or tea as they please without wasting countless cups – and a theme for Limmud, an enriching, global movement that aims to have every participant share their knowledge and resources while engaging in conversations about Jewish and Israeli culture.
For the first time in its 30-year history, Limmud TLV was born, hosting a conference in Tel Aviv at the Academic College of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa. In Israel, Jerusalem is known as the seat
“Limmud is an international movement with more than 85 communities around the world,” Tal Grunspan, founder and chair of Limmud TLV, told The Media Line. “We thought it was time to bring it to Tel Aviv. There are other places in Israel it’s been but it’s never been in serious volume in the cultural sphere and I think Tel Aviv is the place to do that.”
Nearly 140 sessions were held in Hebrew and English over the two-day convention, with topics ranging from film studies, yoga lessons, conversations on Israeli startups, building community and Jewish awareness. They began early at 9 a.m. and continued passed midnight giving participants a full day of immersion while allowing deep and meaningful conversations.
In between sessions, a woman with long brown curly hair sat outside at a green picnic table eating a tuna sandwich. She hailed from Berlin, and this was her third Limmud conference.
“I love the different kind of subjects you can choose,” Adina Shemia told The Media Line, “but sometimes it’s difficult to choose the lectures because there are so many at the same time.”
Shemia said her only complaint was that at this Limmud, there did not seem to be communal lunches like in other conferences.
“They had meals where you could speak with people who might not have been in the class you were in but you’re sharing a meal together which allowed you to converse.” She also thought it was strange that unlike the Limmud in Berlin, there was no Shabbat dinner.
Organizer Tal Grunspan made a deliberate decision not to include a Shabbat dinner with its Jewish rituals.
“By definition Limmud is not religious,” he said. “It’s not left or right or Orthodox or whatever. There’s no agenda. We try to be as inclusive as possible. The Tel Aviv community is more secular in general but we don’t do work over Shabbat so everyone can come and feel comfortable.”
Grunspan says while this is Limmud TLV’s first appearance, they are already planning for upcoming years. He believes Tel Aviv has the potential to become one of Limmud’s main hubs due to the fact that it can attract a very international and diverse crowd.
The participants at Limmud are a key factor of the event’s success, distinguishing it from other similar Jewish learning conventions. What sets Limmud apart is its grassroots efforts – everyone is a participant in this temporary community. Presenters don’t just come to speak and then leave, they must also participate. They do not get paid for speaking, and they must even purchase tickets, although they did get a discount. Volunteers like Adina Shemia must also purchase tickets. Even Tal Grunspan paid to attend. Tickets ranged from $30 to $50 for one day entrance up to $65 for two days.
“It doesn’t matter that I’ve worked tens of thousands of hours or paid hundreds of shekels already,” he said. “We’re a community together. That’s how you build. Once you’re in, you want everyone to feel equal.”
That’s one of the main highlights of Limmud, volunteers and everyone alike are considered equal within a diverse and inclusive environment. Nearly 400 people attended Limmud TLV with participants traveling here from as far from the UK, South Africa, the U.S. and Germany to attend especially for this festival of Jewish and Israeli culture. Of course, people from all across Israel were also in attendance.
“We have a lot of people who are born here in Israel and feel that Judaism is not a religion,” Grunspan stated. “It’s not – it’s people, it’s a culture, it’s history. It’s people who want to enjoy a wider picture of what the Jewish sphere is for them. In that context we manage to draw a lot of different people.”
Grunspan says these very Israelis are what make Limmud TLV unique from other Limmud conferences.
Tanya White, a Limmud TLV speaker living in Israel by way of the UK enjoyed the festival because of the relationships she formed with people there. Her talk was titled “Abraham, Moshe, Gidon: The problem of Evil as a Divine prerequisite to leadership.”
“Meaningful dialogue with other people is absolutely imperative to like everything. That’s the way I grow,” she told the Media Line.
She hopes her lecture will encourage more questions.
“If I have managed to awaken a question within a person, I feel like I’ve achieved my goal. For me the beginning of education before you even get to giving information is to awaken a question and that’s what I try to do,” she told The Media Line.
While every Limmud across the globe focuses on Jewish culture, Limmud TLV has more flexibility when picking topics for discussion, allowing for more possibilities to spark question and conversation. Where as a Limmud in New York may primarily study text, almost anything can be integrated into the conversation at Limmud TLV due to the fact that it is bound to have some Jewish context if it’s Israeli.