Limmud Oz Melbourne 2025

Limmud Oz Melbourne 2025

Welcome to the program for Limmud Oz Melbourne 2025!

Join us for an immersive weekend festival of Jewish ideas and culture, with >100 presenters and sessions to choose from.
From Ben-Gurion to bagels, Yentl to yoga, we always have something for everyone. Limmud is an opportunity for you to cultivate a personal Jewish experience and learn from presenters you might never come across otherwise.

Tickets are available here

10:45am AEST

The October 7 2023 progrom was neither new or unexpected. What is unique is how it has affected the Melbourne Jewish Community 1

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST

Latent anti-semitism has always existed in Australia. Nevertheless the progrom of October 7 2023 has especially traumatised the Australian Jewish Community. Why is this so? And why have Jewish University students been especially targetted.

Speakers

John Zeleznikow

John Zeleznikow is a Professor of Law and Technology who is a pioneer in using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence and Law. He has conducted research and written about the4 Israeli-Palestinian dispute and the Holocaust. His parents ran Cafe Scheherazade

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Society and politics

10:45am AEST

What is woke ideology and why is it bad for the Jews?

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST

The last 40 years have seen the destruction of liberal philosophy, based on the rule of law and "Judeo-Christian" values. Priority has been given to groups that are considered victims, and there has been a rewiring of history from the modern school to colonial/settler history. To understand ordinary Westerners and students and support Gaza one needs to understand their belief system and how it brings a completely different perspective on the world.

Speakers

Melinda Jones

Melinda Jones is a human rights lawyer and the immediate past president of National Council of Jewish Women Australia. She is widely recognised as a thought leader and is the author of 11 books and over 50 academic articles. She's currently working on a book - weaponising words against... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
SG.12 - Room 6

Society and politics

12:00pm AEST

Listen your way to peace

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST

RG.04 - Room 11

Donna has been running listening circles with Jews and Palestinians for decades. Since October 7, she has run them for her community very regularly, being called in to run them for traumatised communities. Listening to each other can provide comfort, greater understandings, and renewed unity.

Speakers

Donna Jacobs Sife

internationally renowned and awarded storyteller, writer, Jewish educator, program director Together for Humanity, peace activist. past columnist for AJN

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
RG.04 - Room 11

Society and politics

12:00pm AEST

The politics of antisemitism

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST

RG.03 (theatrette) - Room 10

Antisemitism – anti-Jewish animosity, rhetoric, and violence – has increased dramatically in recent years. At the same time, confusion over its definition has led to misunderstandings and, in some cases, cynical political exploitation of the charge. In this lecture, Joshua Shanes will review the history of antisemitism, the myths and lies that lay at its heart, with a particular focus on its contemporary political exploitation in the United States.

Speakers

Joshua Shanes

Joshua Shanes is Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Center for Israel Studies at the College of Charleston. He has published widely on modern Jewish politics and religion - as well as antisemitism and contemporary American politics - in a wide range of academic and popular... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
RG.03 (theatrette) - Room 10

Society and politics

1:15pm AEST

The power of listening: healing across divides

Sunday June 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST

Since October 7 and the war in Gaza, trauma has rippled far beyond the Middle East - fueling polarisation, stereotyping, and an inability to see the pain of the other. The Bridge Builders Social Cohesion Program offers a powerful alternative. At its heart is The Narrow Bridge, an award-winning film where bereaved Israelis and Palestinians listen with compassion. Join this dynamic pilot workshop - and help shape a vital, healing resource for schools, universities, and communities.

Speakers

Esther Takac

Esther is a child and adult psychologist, an author who has published three books and an emerging filmmaker. Her first feature documentary THE NARROW BRIDGE screened at the 2022 Jewish International Film Festival and she was over the moon when it won the Audience Award!

Tony Heselev

Tony Heselev is a journalist and financial counsellor. After viewing THE NARROW BRIDGE he was inspired to develop the Bridge Builders team that uses the documentary to nurture respectful conversations across divides.

Sunday June 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
M1.02 - Room 1

Society and politics

1:30pm AEST

The extent of antisemitism in Australia: a review of the evidence

Sunday June 8, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST

Varying views are held of antisemitism in contemporary Australia. This presentation will provide a critical analysis of quantitative approaches to the measurement of antisemitism: the reports of Julie Nathan and Dr Andre Oboler; surveys of the experiences of Jewish university students; general community attitudes as indicated by the Scanlon Foundation social cohesion surveys; and the lessons, if any, from the 2025 federal election

Speakers

Andrew Markus

Andrew Markus AO FASSA is Emeritus Professor in Monash University’s Faculty of Arts and is past-Director of the University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. He was a leading researcher on the Gen08 and Gen17 Jewish community surveys and between 2007 and 2021 on the... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Society and politics

4:00pm AEST

Beyond the scoreboard: safeguarding Jewish participants in sports

Sunday June 8, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST

This session delves into the often-unseen realities faced by Jewish athletes/players and their parents at all levels of competition. Do ethical/integrity-related rules in sport work effectively for Jewish participants? How can we ensure a truly welcoming and safe sporting environment for all Jewish participants – both in Jewish contexts and general contexts? And why does it matter? We'll critically examine the existing ethical and legal frameworks that apply to sports and explore the real life challenges faced by Jewish athletes, including issues of child safeguarding, bullying, violence and antisemitism.

Speakers

Jacquie Seemann Charak

Jacquie is a lawyer at Thomson Geer in Sydney. She enjoys bringing her experience in employment/discrimination/sports/education law to Jewish contexts. Jacquie is currently Chair of Integrity at Maccabi Australia; a committee member of the NSW Jewish Educators of Tomorrow project... Read More →

Ashley Browne

Ashley Browne is a respected Australian sports journalist. Currently, he serves as the editor of the AFL Record and frequently appears on SEN 1116. He previously held the position of national editor of the Australian Jewish News and co-edited ‘People of the Boot: The Triumph and... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
M1.02 - Room 1

Society and politics

4:00pm AEST

Holy mischief: Jews and Muslims continue to gather since October 2023. the power of disruptive dialogue

Sunday June 8, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST

In an era marked by rising xenophobia and deepening social divides, ‘SpeedDate a Muslim’ & 'Listening Circles' emerge as radical acts of community healing. Join Hana and Abe as they explore how simple, respectful conversations can dismantle prejudice, fostering genuine human connection, exploring how ‘SpeedDate a Muslim’ & 'Listening Circles' impact participants & implications for community engagement. Learn how we disrupt prejudice with compassion, confront injustice through open dialogue and transform social anxiety and fear into meaningful connection.

Speakers

Abe Schwarz

Abe's been immersed for 30 years+ in Community Engagement, Political Activism, Social Policy and Education, particularly with Intercultural, Multifaith and First Nations community initiatives.Motivated by meeting the Dalai Lama and Chief Rabbi Sacks, obtaining the 2020 Apology from... Read More →

Hana Assafiri

Hana has dedicated her life to breaking down barriers that prevent women from thriving. She opened the iconic Moroccan Soup Bar in 1998. A fearless advocate for social justice, women’s rights, and intercultural understanding, Hana has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Society and politics

10:45am AEST

Putting your case to the media

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST

This session will focus on building skills to help members of the community put their views in the Australian media more successfully. It will provide tips for writing letters to the editor and successfully getting them published, how and when to make formal and informal complaints about biased reporting, writing and submission of opinion pieces, and appearing in electronic media.

Speakers

Jamie Hyams

Jamie Hyams OAM is Director of Public Affairs at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). Previously, he served three terms as Mayor of Glen Eira.

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
SG.11 - Room 5

Society and politics

10:45am AEST

The changing Australian Jewish population: findings of the 2021 Census

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST

This session considers changes in the Jewish population over the last decades. It discusses age distribution, the relative proportion of immigrant communities and Australia born, language use, the proportion attending government and Jewish schools, geographic concentration, and the extent of intermarriage. The second part of the presentation compares the Jewish population with other population segments, the relative size and demographic profile of religious groups, and political influence.

Speakers

Andrew Markus

Andrew Markus AO FASSA is Emeritus Professor in Monash University’s Faculty of Arts and is past-Director of the University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. He was a leading researcher on the Gen08 and Gen17 Jewish community surveys and between 2007 and 2021 on the... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
SG.12 - Room 6

Society and politics

12:00pm AEST

Can the centre hold?

Monday June 9, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST

Increasingly polarised political discourse means nuanced and moderate positions are under attack from both ends. The Jewish world faces increasingly strident division both in Israel and in diaspora communities. Join a discussion on the impacts of polarisation and how the centre is holding, through perspectives from media, politics and Jewish community engagement and activism.

Speakers

Josh Burns

Josh Burns is an Australian politician. Representing the Australian Labor Party, he was elected as the member for the division of Macnamara in Melbourne at the 2019 Australian federal election. He was re-elected in 2022 and 2025.

Deborah Stone

Deborah Stone is Editor-in-Chief of The Jewish Independent. She is a former Editor of ArtsHub and the Australian Jewish News and has worked as a reporter and feature writer on The Age, The Sunday Age and The Australian.

Naomi Levin

Naomi Levin is Chief Executive Officer at the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV). She has previously held a number of roles in Jewish organisations in Australia, including Senior Policy Analyst at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and Deputy Editor at... Read More →

Mandi Katz

Mandi Katz is a Melbourne-based governance professional in the financial services industry by day, and a Jewish community activist the rest of the time

Monday June 9, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
SG.10 - Room 4

Society and politics

1:15pm AEST

The October 7 2023 progrom was neither new or unexpected: what is unique is how it has affected the Melbourne Jewish community 2

Monday June 9, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST

RG.04 - Room 11

The Holocaust and the Yom Kippur Wars were progroms that had diabolical effects on the Jewish world. The former had the potential to obliterate the Jewish World while the latter threatened to extinguish. But observations show that Jewry has been heavily traumatised by the events of October 7, even though Israel was never under the potential of obliteration. It is important to analyse why this is so!

Speakers

John Zeleznikow

John Zeleznikow is a Professor of Law and Technology who is a pioneer in using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence and Law. He has conducted research and written about the4 Israeli-Palestinian dispute and the Holocaust. His parents ran Cafe Scheherazade

Monday June 9, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm AEST
RG.04 - Room 11

Society and politics

1:30pm AEST

Lawfare

Monday June 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST

What does lawfare mean? It combines ‘law’ and ‘warfare’ and is weapon in armed conflict in the courtroom. Lawfare is highly relevant to Israel, which is constantly targeted in lawfare attacks conducted multiple legal forums and from many points of attack. Can Israel defend itself against lawfare? Come to this session if you are interested in understanding the threat environment and discussing possible defences.

Speakers

Gregory Rose

Greg Rose is a Professor of Law at the University of Wollongong, Australia, and a Senior Fellow at The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation in The Netherlands. His expertise is in international law and his areas of research include international law relating to marine environmental... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Society and politics

1:30pm AEST

The last Jew in Labor

Monday June 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST

For decades, Australian Jews found a natural home in Labor, united by progressive ideals. Today, that bond is shattered, replaced by selective solidarity that demonises Israel and sidelines Jewish voices. Antisemitism, disguised as anti-Zionism, thrives globally—from Corbyn’s UK to America’s campuses—echoed here by Greens activism and Labor silence. Unless Labor confronts this dangerous drift, we risk arriving at a tragic reality: the last Jew in Labor, left isolated and unwanted.

Speakers

Adam Slonim

Adjunct Fellow, Sir Zelman Cowen Centre, Victoria University, AustraliaFounder & Director, Blended Learning GroupDirector, Vestia.AIANZ partner, Celemi InternationalBoard Member, John Curtin Research CentreCo-Convenor, Australia-Israel Labor DialogueAuthor of Artificial Intelligence... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
SG.10 - Room 4

Society and politics

2:45pm AEST

Jillian Segal in conversation

Monday June 9, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST

MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

Join Jillian Segal, the Special Envoy on Antisemitism, in conversation with Jacquie Seemann.

Speakers

Jacquie Seemann Charak

Jacquie is a lawyer at Thomson Geer in Sydney. She enjoys bringing her experience in employment/discrimination/sports/education law to Jewish contexts. Jacquie is currently Chair of Integrity at Maccabi Australia; a committee member of the NSW Jewish Educators of Tomorrow project... Read More →

Jillian Segal

Monday June 9, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

Society and politics

4:00pm AEST

The story of self

Monday June 9, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST

Project Shema came to Australia and changed the landscape of antisemitic advocacy. Part of their engagement funnel is building trust through the story of self. Come and work on your personal story to help you deal with antisemitism.

Speakers

Danielle Jones-Resnik

A professional public speaker having given over 350 speeches and run numerous speech training programs over a prodigious decade with Toastmasters International. Daniellee has been involved with the Jewish community and been a passionate reader of Jewish books her whole life.A psychologist... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Society and politics

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