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

3:30pm AEST

Why do people kill each other? A case study of the first murder in history

Saturday June 7, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm AEST

"And Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him." The first murder in (Jewish) history. Why? Why did Cain do it, and why do people continue to do it? We'll explore the text, along with some midrashim (rabbinic readings), to uncover some of the Jewish tradition's answers and think about their relevance to today.

Speakers

Alex Sinclair

Alex Sinclair is an educational consultant and adjunct lecturer at Hebrew University. His first book, Loving the Real Israel, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and his debut novel, Perfect Enemy, was published in 2023. Undergraduate and graduate degrees from Balliol... Read More →

Saturday June 7, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm AEST
BM Oz

Text and Philosophy

4:45pm AEST

All you need is love

Saturday June 7, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm AEST

This session examines the concept of love through the priestly benediction and its accompanying blessing. I will examine the several types of love recorded in the Torah, as well as the obligations which curiously demand our love. I will reference some of the writings of Rabbi Sacks on this topic and in conclusion, I will explore why it is the priests (rather than other leaders) who best facilitate love in the world.

Speakers

Lindsay Simmonds

Dr Lindsay Simmonds is a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured for over 20 years. In 2024, she completed a three year project at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, where she led research on Israeli and Palestinian women peaceb... Read More →

Saturday June 7, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm AEST
BM Oz

Text and Philosophy

10:45am AEST

Chains of dilemma: Judaism, ethics and hostage deals

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

What did the Rabbis have to say about hostages, ransoms and negotiating with terrorists? How did the Obamas end up quoting from Talmud when announcing hostage releases? How is Israel navigating these terrible unchartered waters.... unless of course these horrific times have strong precedents in Jewish history. Come along to delve together into history, ethics, text and trouble.

Speakers

Jeremy Stowe-Lindner

Jeremy is Principal of Bialik College, a pluralist Jewish school of 1150 children. Jeremy was previously London’s Jewish Community Secondary School’s founding Headteacher. A fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and an MBA graduate, Jeremy is a history teacher... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

10:45am AEST

Not in God's Name: Confronting religious violence - why are religion and violence so intertwined and (how) can they be disentangled?

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

Not in God’s Name is Rabbi Sacks’ argument against the concept of what is termed ‘Religious Violence’. Indeed, the second title of the book ‘Confronting Religious Violence’ argues against the notion itself. This session explores and critiques Rabbis Sacks’ three main foci of argumentation: firstly, religious literature and normative practice; secondly, philosophical thought; and lastly, cultural, social and political movements — each of which either generate or perpetuate this violence.

Speakers

Lindsay Simmonds

Dr Lindsay Simmonds is a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured for over 20 years. In 2024, she completed a three year project at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, where she led research on Israeli and Palestinian women peaceb... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
M1.02 - Room 1

Text and Philosophy

10:45am AEST

Talmudic stories: from history to literature

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

MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

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.

Speakers

Jeffrey Rubenstein

Professor, New York University

Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Professor of Talmud at New York University. He received his B.A. from Oberlin College, his M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the Columbia University. His scholarship focuses on Talmudic stories, the development of Jewish law... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

Text and Philosophy

12:00pm AEST

What does the Bible say about Hhmosexuality?

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

The “abomination” passage in Leviticus 18 and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 are the two main biblical texts that come to mind when thinking about biblical attitudes toward homosexuality. We will explore the history of how these two passages have been interpreted, beginning already in the biblical period itself.

Speakers

Idan Dorshav Dershowitz

Idan Dorshav Dershowitz joined the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (ACJC) at Monash University in 2024. He was previously Director of the School of Jewish Theology at the University of Potsdam. He is the author of "The Dismembered Bible" and "The Valediction of Moses."

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

12:00pm AEST

The art of disagreement and dialogue

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 2:00pm AEST

Explore the art of constructive disagreement and dialogue through Jewish wisdom and modern psychology. Uncover ancient and modern insights on respectful debate and the power of disagreement and doubt to foster growth and wellbeing. Discover tools to bridge differences, foster understanding, and enrich dialogue. Join us to transform conflict into growth and connection!

Speakers

Shamir Caplan

Shamir serves as Rabbi at Mount Scopus Memorial College, as well as Rabbi of Beit Aharon Congregation on Mayfield Street, East St Kilda. He has a Masters in Family Therapy, and is particularly interested in interfaith dialogue. He is married and has three children.

Daniel Heller

Daniel is the Kronhill Senior Lecturer in East European Jewish History at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University, and an Adjunct Professor at McGill University (Montreal, Canada)

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 2:00pm AEST
SG.11 - Room 5

Text and Philosophy

1:30pm AEST

Talmud in a nutshell

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

In this session, we will explore the Talmud in its historical context: What is it? When and where did it originate? What is it trying to do? Join Raphael Dascalu for a whirlwind tour across empires, cultures, and languages, to unravel the mysteries at the heart of rabbinic Judaism.

Speakers

Raphael Dascalu

Raphael Dascalu is a Melbourne-based researcher, translator, and educator. In addition to yeshiva studies, he studied at the Hebrew University (MA) and the University of Chicago (PhD). He is an Adjunct Research Associate at Monash University, and founder of Beit Midrash Oz.

Sunday June 8, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Text and Philosophy

1:30pm AEST

What does the Torah say about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

An in depth discussion about war and conflict, through discussing the story of Dinah, the daughter of Ya'akov and Le'ah (Bereshit/Genesis 34), and exploring what meaning we might find in the Biblical narrative as we continue to grapple with war and conflict in contemporary times.

Speakers

Ilan Bloch

Ilan Bloch is the Director of Jewish Life and Learning at The King David School.

Sunday June 8, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

2:45pm AEST

Emotional men and proactive women - how women shape Jewish history

Sunday June 8, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Lindsay will examine several connected stories in Shmot / Exodus in which men react, and react poorly, whilst their sisters, daughters or wives enact strategies to alleviate distress or death. In each of the scenarios the individual impacts entire communities and the question of how we use our leadership for good is a major undercurrent of this textual exploration.

Speakers

Lindsay Simmonds

Dr Lindsay Simmonds is a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured for over 20 years. In 2024, she completed a three year project at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, where she led research on Israeli and Palestinian women peaceb... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

2:45pm AEST

The narrative art of Talmudic stories

Sunday June 8, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST

MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

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.

Speakers

Jeffrey Rubenstein

Professor, New York University

Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Professor of Talmud at New York University. He received his B.A. from Oberlin College, his M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the Columbia University. His scholarship focuses on Talmudic stories, the development of Jewish law... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

Text and Philosophy

4:00pm AEST

Likhlukhit - the woman who was so ugly her husband divorced her: a Talmudic exploration of beauty, the male gaze and female agency

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

In the Talmud we meet Likhlukhit, a woman who was so ‘ugly’ that her husband made a vow he would no longer be married to her. In an attempt to save her marriage, Likhlukhit presents her case to the Rabbis who try to find a single redeeming feature of her appearance. In this session, we will explore Likhlukhit’s plight and consider questions around beauty, the male gaze and possibilities for female agency.

Speakers

Adina Roth

Adina Roth is Director of Jewish Life at Emanuel school and a clinical psychologist. She received semicha from Yeshivat Maharat and is passionate about b’nei mitzvah and teaching girls to lein. She also loves teaching texts using Midrash, literature, psychoanalysis. Adina’s married... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

5:15pm AEST

70 faces: reading queerness into Torah study

Sunday June 8, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Discover a new and exciting face of Torah! In this session, we will learn some Torah together (all levels welcome), and seek to understand how and where queerness can be seen within the text. How can our understanding of the stories, our traditions, and ourselves be made more meaningful?

Speakers

Shoshana Gottlieb

Shoshana is a writer and Jewish educator from Sydney who makes jokes on the internet. When not thinking of new ways to (lovingly) make fun of Judaism, she's watching romantic comedies. You can find her on Instagram @JewishMemesOnly and Twitter @TheTonightSho. Her mother thinks she... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

5:15pm AEST

Myth and Mishnah

Sunday June 8, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST

The Mishnah is the oldest rabbinic law code. Although it is primarily concerned with practice, every now and then it slips into a different mode: Myth. It tells stories with a view to teaching the reader something about our place in the world or how one should live. In this session, we will explore some striking examples of mythic teachings in the Mishnah, and attempt to unravel some of their implications.

Speakers

Raphael Dascalu

Raphael Dascalu is a Melbourne-based researcher, translator, and educator. In addition to yeshiva studies, he studied at the Hebrew University (MA) and the University of Chicago (PhD). He is an Adjunct Research Associate at Monash University, and founder of Beit Midrash Oz.

Sunday June 8, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Text and Philosophy

9:30am AEST

From the Jerusalem Talmud to the Babylonian Talmud: the reworking of stories and the Talmudic ethic of shame

Monday June 9, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am AEST

MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

Many rabbinic stories appear in multiple versions in different rabbinic compilations, sometimes with significant variations. Comparing parallel versions in the two Talmuds reveals differences in the values, cultures, and beliefs of the two rabbinic centers. In this session we will study stories from the Jerusalem Talmud that have little to do with shame and dignity and explore how the Babylonian Talmudic storytellers reworked them to emphasise this value.

Speakers

Jeffrey Rubenstein

Professor, New York University

Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Professor of Talmud at New York University. He received his B.A. from Oberlin College, his M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the Columbia University. His scholarship focuses on Talmudic stories, the development of Jewish law... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
MG.04 - Room 7 (MPR)

Text and Philosophy

9:30am AEST

The world we knew: a Torah of loss and grief

Monday June 9, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am AEST

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

In the past eighteen months, the world we feel we knew of the past fifty years feels shattered. Besides for the countless deaths, we’ve lost friendships and sureties, anchors and assumptions. In this session we shall explore a range of texts as we consider the ‘Torah of loss and grief’ and look to wisdom from our tradition to navigate the current brokenness.

Speakers

Adina Roth

Adina Roth is Director of Jewish Life at Emanuel school and a clinical psychologist. She received semicha from Yeshivat Maharat and is passionate about b’nei mitzvah and teaching girls to lein. She also loves teaching texts using Midrash, literature, psychoanalysis. Adina’s married... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

10:45am AEST

The intimacies of friendship — what have we learned from Shavuot?

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

This session will examine very closely the text of Megillat Ruth through the lens of friendship and then explore the concept of friendship as described by the Mishnah, Talmud and the Rambam (Maimonides). I will ask what friendship can achieve and how female friendship is considered by some as a solace, a refuge or even a religious imperative.

Speakers

Lindsay Simmonds

Dr Lindsay Simmonds is a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured for over 20 years. In 2024, she completed a three year project at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, where she led research on Israeli and Palestinian women peaceb... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

10:45am AEST

Whither the Jewish future? The wisdom of five daughters from Torah, Tevye and Jane Austen

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

This session will explore generational change through narratives of five daughters. Though written in different times and places, the stories of B’not Zelophehad (Numbers 27, 36), Fiddler on the Roof, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, portray families dealing with loss, change, shifting perspectives, and the ultimate question of who will marry whom. By reading these stories, we will consider what is lost and what is gained in the transition from generation to generation.

Speakers

Esther Jilovsky

Esther is a Melbourne-born and based Rabbi who loves teaching Torah to people of all ages. Ordained by Hebrew Union College in 2021, she is the author of Remembering the Holocaust: Generations, Witnessing and Place, and co-editor of In the Shadows of Memory: The Third Generation and... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Text and Philosophy

12:00pm AEST

The maid of R’ Judah the Prince: knowledge, power and privilege in the Jewish community

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

In a patriarchal world of intellectual elitism, one unnamed working-class woman in the Talmud stands out as a person of unusual intelligence and wit. She was a maid in the house of R’ Judah the Prince, editor of the Mishnah and leader of the generation. This session explores her story through textual fragments, asking critical questions about knowledge, power and privilege in the Jewish community.

Speakers

Sarah Charak

Sarah is a lawyer, history nerd and Jewish educator in Sydney. Her Honours thesis analysed the impact of the white Australia policy on Australian Jewish identity. She has studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Nishmat and Drisha and worked in educational and communal roles for Bnei... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

1:30pm AEST

Humans in the image of God: a transformational idea

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

In the very opening narrative of the Torah, we read that human beings are created in the image of God. But what does this mean? In this session we will explore the idea in its literary and historical context, and trace its interpretation through the millennia. We will emerge with a fresh appreciation for the sheer radicalism, subversiveness, and transformational power of this concept.

Speakers

Raphael Dascalu

Raphael Dascalu is a Melbourne-based researcher, translator, and educator. In addition to yeshiva studies, he studied at the Hebrew University (MA) and the University of Chicago (PhD). He is an Adjunct Research Associate at Monash University, and founder of Beit Midrash Oz.

Monday June 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

2:45pm AEST

The Shapira scroll: a modern forgery or the most ancient Biblical manuscript ever discovered?

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

The Shapira Scroll is one of the most controversial biblical manuscripts of all time — and it is now lost. But what exactly is it? Many have dismissed it as a worthless forgery from the 1800s, while a few have proposed that it is a 2,000-year-old abridgement of Deuteronomy. Idan will make the case that it actually contains an incredibly early edition of Deuteronomy — one that differs fundamentally from the canonical text.

Speakers

Idan Dorshav Dershowitz

Idan Dorshav Dershowitz joined the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (ACJC) at Monash University in 2024. He was previously Director of the School of Jewish Theology at the University of Potsdam. He is the author of "The Dismembered Bible" and "The Valediction of Moses."

Monday June 9, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

2:45pm AEST

The story-cycle in the Talmud

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

There are about 25 examples of “story-cycles” in the Talmud where three stories or more appear in sequence. These cycles have a distinctive impact on the audience, functioning almost philosophically to explore and reflect on a given topic from multiple perspectives. In this session, we will examine a story-cycle about astrology, which grapples with the tension between the fatalistic astrological worldview and rabbinic theology.

Speakers

Jeffrey Rubenstein

Professor, New York University

Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Professor of Talmud at New York University. He received his B.A. from Oberlin College, his M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the Columbia University. His scholarship focuses on Talmudic stories, the development of Jewish law... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
M1.02 - Room 1

Text and Philosophy

4:00pm AEST

Speaking truth to power - how Jewish leaders are encouraged to hold authority to account

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

M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

This session will analyse the multiple occasions in which Biblical characters question the actions of political and religious leadership as well as God. In so doing they often shift both the narrative story and innovate Jewish Law. Examples include: Abraham, Elijah, Miriam, the Daughters of Tzlofchad and Esther.

Speakers

Lindsay Simmonds

Dr Lindsay Simmonds is a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured for over 20 years. In 2024, she completed a three year project at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, where she led research on Israeli and Palestinian women peaceb... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
M1.05 (Informal) - Room 3

Text and Philosophy

4:00pm AEST

When are Jewish texts not relevant?

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

We often mine Jewish texts for meaning and relevance. But when studying Jewish texts about specific topics, we sometimes don't ask ourselves the broader question of whether these texts actually apply in our given context. Let's look at some examples and ask the broader questions together!

Speakers

Shamir Caplan

Shamir serves as Rabbi at Mount Scopus Memorial College, as well as Rabbi of Beit Aharon Congregation on Mayfield Street, East St Kilda. He has a Masters in Family Therapy, and is particularly interested in interfaith dialogue. He is married and has three children.

Monday June 9, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
SG.10 - Room 4

Text and Philosophy

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