LimmudFest 2019: Full Schedule

9:00am EST

Jewish Tradition and Immigration Justice: Do Not Oppress the Stranger

Concern for the dignity of immigrants and vulnerable communities is foundational to Jewish tradition and history. As we bear witness to the humanitarian crisis at our border, we are communally called to be a voice for justice. We will explore classical texts and opportunities for shared action.

Speakers

Eri Solomon

Eri Solomon is a Jewish educator, community organizer, and harm reduction activist. Their background includes work with synagogues, Hillel, youth organizations, and social justice campaigns. They believe fundamentally in a vision for a just society that is equitable, intersectional... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am EST
G-07 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity), History & Politics; Torah & Philosophy

10:10am EST

In Our Voices

Being part of a Jewish community is meaningful for those who fit comfortably in the center. But what about those who are often left out in the margins? Three adults with ID/DD who are active members of synagogue life and Jewish community programs will share their personal stories of how they found their place. The panel will be moderated by Sandy Slavet.

Speakers

Sandy Slavet

Sandy Slavet holds a Master of Education and has served as the Director of Jewish Life Services for People with Disabilities and the Director of the Disabilities Resource Network at Jewish Family & Children's Services. Sandy is currently chairperson of the Temple Sinai of Sharon Inclusion... Read More →

Marie Strazzulla

Marie Strazzulla is 33 years old and is very proud of her many accomplishments including reading Torah at her Bat Mitzvah. She works part-time at Home Goods and attends the CHAI Works Day Support Program. She speaks at area Jewish Day Schools to share her experiences growing up Jewish... Read More →

Elizabeth Gray

My name is Elizabeth Gray. I am 24 years old. I have spastic cerebral palsy and a learning disability. I recently received my associate degree in Human Services. My goal is to work within the disability community as an advocate. I hope to impact change through policy, providing resources... Read More →

Dan Moss

Dan Moss lives in Ashland, MA. He enjoys his independence, including living in his own apartment and driving and owning his own car; but is grateful for the support he receives from his family. Dan attends Temple Beth Shalom in Framingham and is an active member of many groups in... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 10:10am - 11:10am EST
U-13 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

10:10am EST

Shattered Stars / Healing Hearts: One Family's Journey through Courage, Compassion, and Kindness

Join Irene as she recounts the ordeals her family went through on their escape from Germany in 1938 to become refugees in Holland. Hear the moving transformation Irene experienced as she learned about the courage, compassion, and kindness of the coffee roaster, farmer, and others who helped her family along the way.

Speakers

Irene Stern Frielich

Irene Stern Frielich is the daughter of a German Holocaust survivor who did not share much about his ordeal. In 2017, when she rediscovered the testimony video her father recorded just before his death in 1994, Irene began researching and then visited the German and Dutch locatio... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 10:10am - 11:10am EST
M-04 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

Encore Book recommendations: 'Survivor Cafe: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory' by Elizabeth Rosner And for a very different perspective - 'The Pendulum: A Granddaughter's Search for Her Family's Forbidden Nazi Past' by Julie Lindahl

12:50pm EST

Building a Solidarity Economy: Tackling the Racial Wealth Gap

The median net worth of a White family in Boston is $247K, while that of a Black, US-born family is $8 (Federal Reserve). We will learn more about the origins of the racial wealth gap and introduce ways to support the Boston Ujima Project in building a more democratic and equitable economy.

Speakers

Simona Lang

Simona Lang has been the Social Justice Chair of Kavod for three years, supporting several teams and leading the communal vision of justice work. She works full-time as an infectious disease epidemiologist at the MA Department of Public Health.

Sarah Langer

Sarah has been a leader in the Kavod community for several years, from serving as the Board President to leading the social justice work. After teaching high school math and coaching new math teachers in Boston for 11 years, she is now teaching math at the Jewish Community Day School... Read More →

Ben Weilerstein

Ben Weilerstein is a JOIN for Justice alum who has spent several years organizing in the climate, labor, and immigrant justice movements.

Sunday November 17, 2019 12:50pm - 1:50pm EST
M-08a 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

Encore nextcity.org/daily/entry/taking-steps-toward-a-community-controlled-economy-in-boston

12:50pm EST

Choose Life: Healing the Climate Can Happen

Engage with a panel on ways to Choose Life in response to the climate crisis. This dynamic group of presenters will offer positive responses to climate change using their expertise in sustainability and renewable energy, ecological economics, and our spiritual connection to the earth.

Speakers

Katy Allen

Co-founder and President, pro tem, Jewish Climate Action Network

Katy Allen is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, and the co-founder and President of Jewish Climate Action Network-MA. She is a board certified chaplain and a former healthcare chaplain and now considers herself an eco-chaplain.

Oliver Braunschweig

Oliver Braunschweig is a PhD student in Economics at the New School with a focus on Ecological Economics, History, and Money & Banking. Environmentalism has long been an important part of his identity, and he has co-founded a student organization focused on sustainability in economics... Read More →

Greg Hersh

Greg Hersh spent a year in Southeast Asia living in a Buddhist monastery and studying Tai Chi before entering rabbinical school. He is a TorahTrek-certified Jewish Wilderness Guide and attended outdoor retreats at Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School. He is the Rabbi at Temple Emmanuel... Read More →

Harvey Michaels

Harvey Michaels is a Lecturer in Energy and Climate Innovation at the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. He formerly led efficiency companies Aclara Software and Xenergy and is a climate innovation advisor to Carbon-free Boston, Cambridge Net Zero, and Boston Interfaith Environmental... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 12:50pm - 1:50pm EST
G-06 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity), Science & Innovation

Encore www.jewishclimate.org

12:50pm EST

Jews and the Labor Movement - What's Work Got to Do With It?

The connection between the Jewish communities and labor has always been important to the well-being of all communities and society. This workshop will share aspects of Jewish efforts within the Labor Movement's past, present, current initiatives, and thoughts and plans for the future of labor.

Speakers

Ari Fertig

Ari Fertig joined the Jewish Labor Committee in 2019. Before joining, he served as manager of university editorial relations, handling relationships with over 50 college and university member media teams and successfully pitching TCUS member articles to The Washington Post, Newsweek... Read More →

Amy Mazur

Amy Mazur is on the Board of the New England Jewish Labor Committee. Amy represents the Jewish Labor Committee as a supporting organization of the MA Coalition of Domestic Workers, and is a Committee Member of Hand in Hand. In her spare time, she works at Jewish Vocational Servic... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 12:50pm - 1:50pm EST
G-11 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity), History & Politics

Encore newenglandjewishlabor.org

2:00pm EST

Anti-Semitism: Origins and Today

We are witnessing a spike in Anti-Semitism at home and abroad. We will look at the origins of hostility to Jews and Judaism in the ancient world and its development over time - the phenomenon has not changed much since the beginning. This perspective can be useful in making sense of events today.

Speakers

David Bernat

Synagogue Council of Massachusetts

David Bernat is the Executive Director of The Synagogue Council of MA. He has a PhD in Bible and Ancient Judaism from Brandeis University, and is the co-editor of Religion and Violence: The Biblical Heritage. Bernat is a long-time Meah faculty member and is active in the arena of... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
100 Centre - Room A 100 Centre St, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

2:00pm EST

Community Safety Strategies for Jewish Communities

In the last year, the Kavod Community Safety Team has developed systems and practices to keep our Jewish communities safe. Through interactive activities and group discussions, we will guide these difficult and timely conversations about our safety, and we will share how our work is rooted in social justice principles.

Speakers

Nadav David

Nadav David is a volunteer organizer with Kavod, as the community's Grassroots Partnerships Chair and a co-facilitator of the JOCSM caucus. He also works full-time as a financial coach supporting families living in subsidized housing to achieve their goals.

Lena Shapiro

Lena Shapiro works full-time on juvenile justice issues in MA and is trained in facilitating restorative justice circles.

Jon Wishnie

Sunday November 17, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
G-28 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

Encore Contact presenters for their Community Safety Needs template.

2:00pm EST

Israel Activism: How to Take Effective Action and Get Results

This session will introduce participants to the world of activism for Israel in the media, online, and on college campuses. Find out how to take effective action and get results. Moderated by Daniel Agranov, Deputy Consul General of Israel to New England, the panel will include Karen Bar-Or from the Israeli American Council (IAC), Simon Plosker of HonestReporting, and Hali Haber of CAMERA.

Speakers

Daniel Agranov

Daniel Agranov, Deputy Consul General of Israel to New England, brings to his position more than a decade of experience in Foreign Service. He has been a member of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2008, previously serving in embassies and consulates in Europe, Asia and... Read More →

Karen Bar-Or

Karen Bar-Or is the Activism Manager at the Israeli American Council (IAC), where her main focus is combating antisemitism and anti-Israel bias in the Greater Boston area. Karen has an extensive background in activism, community building and informal education.

Simon Plosker

Simon Plosker is Managing Editor of HonestReporting, the largest global grassroots organization defending Israel from media bias where he has worked since 2005. Originally from London, Simon has degrees from Birmingham University and the London School of Economics, and made Aliyah... Read More →

Hali Haber

Hali Haber is the Director of Campus Programming and Strategic Relationships for CAMERA. Hali manages the CAMERA on Campus team in the US, and works to advise and educate students. She loves teaching hands-on techniques to help Israel campus groups succeed.

Sunday November 17, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
G-06 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

Encore www.cameraoncampus.org, 'Modern Dreamwork: New Tools for Decoding Your Soul's Wisdom' Llewellyn Worldwide Publishers

2:00pm EST

Speak, Memory: Creating Jewish Women's Oral History

Story Aperture is a new app for collecting and sharing the life stories of Jewish women. In this workshop, the Jewish Women's Archive will share some of the vibrant stories we have received and empower you to use the app to preserve the singular experiences of women in your community.

Speakers

Betsy More

Betsy More is the Director of Programs at JWA. A historian of women and gender in the U.S., she has taught widely on the history and culture of work, motherhood, family, and race in America.

Sarah Quiat

Sarah Quiat is Program Manager at JWA, where she manages the Rising Voices Fellowship. She is a recent alum of Vassar College and spent the last year as the Education and Translation Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA.

Sunday November 17, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
G-25 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity), Arts & Culture; Communities (Families, Parenting, etc.); History & Politics

Encore https://jwa.org/stories

3:10pm EST

Building a Movement for Justice for All: Challenging Anti-Semitism & White Nationalism

How do we face today's frightening rise in far-right antisemitism, and how do we combat it? We will learn about antisemitism in the white nationalist movement, and that voiced by right-wing politicians and media. We will hear from Jewish activists challenging antisemitism and organizing for justice for all.

Speakers

Ben Lorber

Ben Lorber works at Political Research Associates (PRA), a social justice think tank in Somerville, as a Research Analyst focusing on antisemitism and white nationalism. He lives in Jamaica Plain with his partner and two cats, attends Nehar Shalom, and is active in Kavod.

Mimi Arbeit

Mimi Arbeit is a Jewish queer femme writer, teacher, researcher, and organizer who loves to dance. She moved back to Boston in 2018 from Charlottesville, Virginia where she connected with a broad array of local community members fighting white supremacy. She is active in Kavod.

Sunday November 17, 2019 3:10pm - 4:10pm EST
M-04 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity), History & Politics

Encore Article: Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism

3:10pm EST

Physics Class, Social Justice, and Tikkun Olam

Social Justice/Tzedek/Mitzvahs/Tikkun Olam. There is so much to be learned from our traditional texts about making the world a Menschlich place. In an extensive give-and-take, we will explore several of these texts - a few of which are ignored, never taught, or just off the beaten track.

Speakers

Danny Siegel

Founder and former Chairman, Ziv Tzedakah Fund

Danny Siegel is an author, poet, and lecturer who has spoken on Mitzvahs, Tzedakah, and Tikkun Olam in 400 Jewish communities in North America. He is a 1993 Covenant Award Winner and in April 2020 will publish, Radiance - Creative Mitzvah Living, The Selected Prose and Poetry of Danny... Read More →

Sunday November 17, 2019 3:10pm - 4:10pm EST
U-13 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

Encore http://blogs.israel.com/author/danny-siegel/

4:20pm EST

Do Not Stand Idly By: Harm Reduction is Jewish

In Massachusetts, the opioid crisis is ever present. As witnesses to our neighbors’ and communities’ losses, our tradition calls for us to resist remaining idle. Guided through text, we will explore harm reduction from a uniquely Jewish lens, while learning how to help preserve life in our own communities.

Speakers

Eri Solomon

Sunday November 17, 2019 4:20pm - 5:20pm EST
G-16 384 Harvard Campus

Social Justice & Action (Diversity & Inclusivity)

Encore Principles of Harm Reduction: https://harmreduction.org/about-us/principles-of-harm-reduction/ Jews Work to Stem Opioid Abuse Crisis: https://www.jewishexponent.com/2019/08/05/safehouse-safe-injection-site-philadelphia/