Rabba Dr Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz addressed over 100 people from across the globe at the 2022 Sherman Lecture, which was hosted by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region, in partnership with the Centre for Jewish Studies at The Manchester University.

Limmud initially had 80 participants and 30 presenters.  What made it novel was to have a choice of sessions and it brought together people from across the denominational divide.  It was such a success that it became a residential event attracting 200 presenters by 1990 from all over the world and developed into a festival of Jewish learning and a celebration of Jewish life, music, drama, arts and crafts, poetry and a children’s programme.  It also attracted people from small communities and the unaffiliated who appreciated the non-judgemental approach to Jewish learning.  By 2019 over 2,300 people were attending Limmud.

Has Limmud stagnated in the last 10 years? Does it need a re-set?  Having adapted swiftly to the pandemic with 5,000 online participants in December 2020, it is set to return to an in-person event in a few weeks.  Can it continue to be creative and what form may it take?

The meeting was chaired by Jeremy Michelson, head of the Education Advisory Group of the JRC.  Lindsey was introduced by Sally Berkovic, CEO of the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe.  The vote of thanks was given by Professor Alex Samely, Co-Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies.