Limmud Oz Melbourne 2025: Full Schedule

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

Parallel fronts- 330 days together and apart

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

M1.03 - Room 2

On October 7th, we, like all of Israel, embarked on an unexpected journey. Each of us took command on our own front—Gabi as a reserve company commander, and Sara as a mother, woman's community leader, and unwavering source of support. Together and apart, we’ve faced the journey of our lives, rediscovering partnership, parenthood, personal growth, challenges and faith. This lecture explores the tension between comfort and conviction—and how our choices define who we are.

Speakers

Sara Ribner-Grabin

Sara is a Jewish educator and social worker with extensive experience in leadership development, youth mentorship, and global Shlichim training. She directed professional development at The Jewish Agency, worked with at-risk youth, and served in international Shlichut roles. Sara... Read More →

Gabi Grabin

Gabi Grabin is an Israeli educator, IDF reserve officer, and social entrepreneur. He co-founded Mechinat Kol Ami, fostering global Jewish-Israeli connections. A seasoned leader in Jewish education, Gabi now directs Next Gen at the ZFA in Melbourne, where he resides with his family... Read More →

Sunday June 8, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Everything Israel

12:00pm AEST

My Holocaust story as a Zionist

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

M1.03 - Room 2

Speakers

Dita Gould

Dita is a Holocaust survivor and the author of the book "The Girl in the Lion's Mouth". She's a speaker, and has been an art dealer in Melbourne for 40 years.

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

History and memory

1:30pm AEST

Talmud in a nutshell

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

M1.03 - Room 2

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

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

M1.03 - Room 2

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

5:15pm AEST

Myth and Mishnah

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

M1.03 - Room 2

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

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

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

M1.03 - Room 2

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

Ransoming hostages: an halachic perspective

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

M1.03 - Room 2

Since the very first exchange, in recent history, of over 1000 terrorists for the release of Gilad Shalit, the Jewish world has grappled with the issue of ransoming of hostages. Since November 2023, the issue of how traditional Jewish texts speak to the issue, has resurfaced. Are there traditional Jewish texts on ransoming of captives? Are they instructive on the current negotiations with Hamas?

Speakers

Ronnie Figdor

Rabbi Figdor has worked in medical research, computing, education, emergency management and Not-For-Profits. He runs an IT and management consultancy while volunteering on several Alfred Hospital committees, on Deakin University Human Research Ethics committee and as a judge on Tournament... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Everything Israel

1:30pm AEST

Education for pluralism in Israel today

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

M1.03 - Room 2

In this session Peri will share some thoughts and best practices in education which encourage learners to engage with questions of diverse Jewish identities. This is based on the work we do at TALI with schools and educators to bridge the gaps which undermine the foundations of Israel as a Jewish and democratic society.

Speakers

Peri Sinclair

Dr. Peri Sinclair directs the TALI Center, promoting pluralistic Jewish education and diverse expressions of Jewish and Israeli identity. With a doctorate in Midrash and an MA in Jewish Education, she brings over 25 years of experience in the field, spanning both Israel and the United... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Everything Israel

2:45pm AEST

Joy as resistance: reclaiming light in a darkened world

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

M1.03 - Room 2

In times of collective grief and personal challenge, choosing joy is not frivolous - it’s a powerful act of resilience. This inspiring session draws on positive psychology and the science of laughter to explore how joy can uplift, unite and heal. Ros Ben-Moshe offers practical strategies to cultivate lightness, humour and connection - reminding us that joy, even in the darkest times, is both a Jewish value and profoundly human way to reclaim hope and restore wellbeing.

Speakers

Ros Ben-Moshe

Ros Ben-Moshe is a wellbeing author, academic and speaker passionate about uplifting lives through laughter and positivity. She developed a world-first course in Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing and is an Adjunct lecturer at La Trobe University. Her books include The Laughter Effect... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

Mind body and soul

4:00pm AEST

History of Jewish surnames – their origins, types and etymologies

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

M1.03 - Room 2

The history of Jewish surnames – their origins, types, and etymologies. Learn when they were first used in various countries, how they developed, and their transformation upon immigration. This presentation will dispel several myths about Jewish surnames. Classifications of surnames: patronymic/matronymic, toponymic, occupational, artificial, religious, and acronyms. Discover which Jewish surnames are the most common in the U.S., Eastern Europe and Israel. Sources for learning more about your surnames and how they may be accessed.

Speakers

Bernie Kuran

Bernie is the Vice-President of the Australian Jewish Genealogical Society has been a committee member for the past 16 years. He has presented talks to society members, and he also volunteers annually assisting Jewish high school students with their Roots Projects. He has attended... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
M1.03 - Room 2

History and memory