This isn’t the Jewish learning you did in Hebrew school.

With sessions ranging from “Love in the Hebrew Bible” to “Drumming as a Spiritual Practice” to “Did Moses Study Qigong?”, the 5^th annual Limmud Chicago was a dynamic exploration of Jewish life across the spectrum. A combination festival and conference, the event brought together more than 400 Jews from a wide range of communities for a weekend of peer-to-peer exchange Nov. 15 and 16 at the Skokie Doubletree Hilton.

“Limmud isn’t anything or anyone in particular; Limmud is who shows up, making it unique in the calendar of Jewish events throughout the year,” said Shoshana Waskow, Limmud Chicago Board chair, in program materials. “Quite simply, Limmud has changed the way Jews gather to learn.”

The core principles of Limmud center on diversity, empowerment, mutual respect, volunteerism, and participation. Anyone who would like to propose an idea for a session is welcome to do so, and presenters are asked to stay for the entire program as active members of the Limmud community.

“Limmud is klal yisrael (the entire Jewish people) in the purest sense that we can make it,” said Stacey Robinson, one of the program chairs. “The underlying principle is that we are all learners, and we are all teachers. All those who are teaching formally also participate in the entire experience.”

Chicago is one of more than 60 cities around the world now hosting annual Limmud events, following a unique model launched in the UK more than 30 years ago. In keeping with Limmud International tradition, Limmud Chicago was a completely volunteer-run event, with speakers from a variety of Jewish backgrounds reflecting an intentional cross-communal partnership.

“The concept is awesome because you have a lot of different voices and topics,” said Sasha Gutfraind, a Limmud participant. “Judaism is this inexhaustible ocean of wisdom… there’s a tremendous amount
to learn.”

For more information, visit www.limmudchicago.org.