Limmud Oz Melbourne 2025

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is enormously complex, and multiple ideas have been suggested for its future, but these ideas basically boil down to one of four distinct options, each of which begins with the letter A, B, C or D. No spoilers, but in the session, we'll uncover what those letters stand for, explore each of the options, consider their pros and cons, and look at the forces, both Israeli and Palestinian, pushing in each direction.

For centuries, scholars viewed Talmudic stories as historical and biographical accounts of the sages' lives and deeds, forming the basis of rabbinic and Jewish history. Recently, however, researchers have adopted a literary approach, seeing these stories as closer to didactic fiction meant to teach morals and values rather than record events. This session will explore why scholars moved away from the biographical-historical perspective and the implications of this shift for our understanding of Talmudic history.

The Palestinian Arab minority of Israel has plunged into a double crisis in the aftermath of October 7. There’s an atmosphere of fear amid an ongoing crackdown against Arab citizens of Israel who speak out against the war, prompting self-censorship and fears of being jailed and losing their jobs, as some already have. And within their towns and cities an epidemic of homicides rages on, reflecting a rise in heavily armed crime organisations and years of systemic inequality.

Jewish identity is often shaped by the Holocaust and other painful episodes of our history; October 7th has only increased the trauma that weighs upon us. How do we respond to trauma as a people? How do we liberate our collective narrative and self-understanding from its sociological and religious chains? We will study some classical and modern Hebrew texts and traditions to help us grapple with these questions.

In this session we will study the narrative art of Talmudic stories, with close attention to structure, wordplay, irony, figurative language and the use of biblical verses. We explore how the Talmudic storytellers communicated their didactic messages and how stories relate to their Talmudic contexts, including the relationship between Talmudic law and story.

Each Yiddish protest-revolutionary-resistance song we have is a rich sociological and historical document, an “ear-witness” to struggles long forgotten but nonetheless important to our cultural heritage.

Quizraelites: time to use your Yiddishe kop for Limmud Oz’s Jewish-themed trivia quiz! We'll have rounds on Judaism, Israel, Australian Jews and Jews around the world, with fun bonus rounds. In chad gadya, which three items come between the ox and the dog? Can you name the eldest daughter in Fiddler on the Roof? Create a team or we'll find teammates for you! The winning team will be crowned Limmud Oz's Big Machers for 2025.