Why do we love Limmud?
Last Updated on Monday, 8 March 2010 08:09 Written by bryfy Monday, 8 March 2010 08:01
There’s this world wide craze called Limmud and if it isn’t already there it’s probably coming soon to a place right near you. If you didn’t know any better you could be forgiven for assuming that Limmud has always been a part of Jewish communal life. But the reality is that Limmud is relatively new, especially in the US.
A bit of background about Limmud “the original” (from the reputable online Jewish encyclopedia – Wikipedia):
Limmud is a British-Jewish educational charity which produces a large annual winter conference and several other events around the year on the theme of Jewish learning. Limmud it is not affiliated to any strand of Judaism and markets itself as open to “anyone interested in Jewish learning.” Founded in 1980, Limmud has a very small staff and is largely run by volunteers. Limmud comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to learn,” and is a name meant to reflect the goal of the organisation. The model has spread to several other countries and there are now locally-run Limmud events in the United States (New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Colorado), Canada (from Toronto), Israel, Australia, Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt/M., Munich), Hungary, Russia, South Africa and elsewhere.So what is it about Limmud that is attracting thousands of Jews from around the world to attend? Allow me to offer my top 10 reasons as to why Limmud is so succesful – and in doing so suggest that many of these reasons should apply to other many more other endeavors of the Jewish (educational) community:
10. Everyone’s a learner, and everyone’s a teacher.
Size doesn’t matter, but image does…
Last Updated on Tuesday, 2 March 2010 08:53 Written by bryfy Tuesday, 2 March 2010 07:46
There are some postings that should only go on a personal blog and not on a work-related site – this could be one of them. This video has been making its way around some Jewish circles – but take a look at this advertisement and tell me what you think….
But there is a bit of a history of commercials like these…
Learn MoreBBYO: Take a Bow – Jewish World: Stand Up and Take Notice
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 February 2010 09:05 Written by bryfy Tuesday, 23 February 2010 09:05
I should start this blog entry by saying that I’m no expert on prayer. I’ll leave others (including some of the Jewish ritual elitists at Jewschool – you know who you are) to debate the issues of tefillah and pluralist prayer services. What I do know is that something is wrong in the House of Prayer and it needs to be fixed. Many of the hundreds of teenagers I meet really enjoy and gain a lot from prayer services at camp, youth group or on their Israel trips. But they get back to their local synagogues and instead of being the creators, running the spirited services they are accustomed to, they’re often relegated to being shushed by a bunch of Serious Men.
So when something does come around that’s relevant, meaningful, forward thinking, and accessible to the masses, it deserves our attention and admiration.
I don’t think that I’m making any shockwaves by suggesting that BBYO hasn’t always been perceived as an organization where high quality Jewish learning takes place. That said, it’s time to give credit where credit is due.
BBYO’s Build a Prayer is as simple as it is is effective. It takes much of what we know about Jewish teens today and translates it into a web-based program that enables anyone to create their own Shabbat prayer service. (Similar sites are also available and/or under construction (e.g. Tagged Tanakh and Open Siddur) but none has captivated me in the same way as this one.) Even if you’re not into prayer, this website can serve as a prototype for other Jewish educational ventures.
This site embodies:
- Choice
- Individualization based on community
- Modern interpretations of Jewish tradition
- A generation of teenagers who are simultaneously consumers and producers
- Richness in content (albeit with additions that need to be added)
- Sophisticated technology
- Interactive capability
- The ability to build relationships and networks
- Being motivated and driven by teenage voices
Sounds just right for this generation of Jews.
All that said, I can already hear objections to this site:
- What does it say about Jewish tradition if everyone can create their own prayer?
- What does it say about Jewish community if we have become so individualized?
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