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

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

SG.08 - Room 8

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

12:00pm AEST

The Jewish genre book challenge

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

SG.08 - Room 8

Do you love reading? Is Jewish important to you? What does it mean for a book to be Jewish? Reading challenges have become a way of spicing up your regular reading, and a Jewish book challenge is a very exciting possibility. If you like to read and talk about books this session is for you. Please bring along a book that you are prepared to swap so everyone will come away with a new book

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 →

Sunday June 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Arts and culture

1:30pm AEST

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

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

SG.08 - Room 8

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

2:45pm AEST

How does our community support the status quo?

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

SG.08 - Room 8

In this session, through a combination of discussion, case studies and reflection, we will explore the implicit and explicit ways in which the Australian Jewish community supports the ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Discussions around the occupation and Israel-Palestine can often be difficult, with little room for nuance or questioning. We want to provide a space to share stories and experiences and learn more about the issue.

Speakers

Russell Goldblatt

Russell was born and raised in Boorloo/Perth and now calls Naarm/Melbourne home. Russell is an experimental physicist and is currently an active member of Emet.

Isabella Satz

Isabella is a lawyer, living in Naarm/Melbourne and is an active member of Emet.

Hannah Sharp

Hannah Sharp is a government lawyer, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia and active in the Jewish Community. Hannah was a leader in Habonim Dror Australia from 2011- 2016 and has been an active member of Emet since 2021.

Talia Slonim

Talia Slonim is an environmental lawyer, living in Naarm/Melbourne and is an active member of Emet.

Sunday June 8, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Everything Israel

4:00pm AEST

The state of two states: why now is the urgent time for peace

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

SG.08 - Room 8

This session will explore why we need to embrace the Israeli Initiative, a peace plan developed by NIF partners, Mitvim and the Berl Katznelson Foundation, in order to end this endless cycle of violence, return the hostages and build a lasting and enduring peace. It will explore how the It's Time peace coalition is building a groundswell of support for the peace movement, even at a time of polarisation and war.

Speakers

Michael Chaitow

Michael is the executive director of NIF Australia. Prior to this, he was was director of digital strategy in NIF’s New York office and before that, led J Street’s campus engagement. Michael has worked as media adviser to the Hon. Linda Burney MP, and as a climate organiser for... Read More →

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

Everything Israel

5:15pm AEST

Jerusalem If I Forget You - Jerusalem's seam lines

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

SG.08 - Room 8

This session explores the key points of friction among Jerusalem’s diverse and often divided communities—Arabs, Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews), and secular Israelis. By examining flashpoints such as the Sheikh Jarrah evictions, the Karta Parking Lot riots, and the controversy surrounding the “eruv mehudar” (enhanced Shabbat boundary), we will analyze how these events reflect deeper ideological and cultural conflicts. The session will also delve into the competing visions and narratives of what Jerusalem represents to different groups.

Speakers

Ilan Bloch

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

Sunday June 8, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Everything Israel

10:45am AEST

Dreaming of Jerusalem

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

SG.08 - Room 8

Jerusalem has always been much more than the holiest site for Jews. It has a place in our imagination and our unspoken longing for home. With this in mind, join Gabrielle in a discussion of the depiction of Jerusalem in Adolescent and Children's English language literature. Join her to discuss the different ways that Jerusalem has been portrayed.

Speakers

Gabrielle Shroot

Gabrielle is a long-standing collector of books, ideas and arguments. She has strong opinions about what makes a great Seder, what makes a great story, and how to deliver both to engage the audience and build identity.

Monday June 9, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Arts and culture

12:00pm AEST

Linda Gradstein: in conversation

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

SG.08 - Room 8

Linda Gradstein has been a journalist for three decades but covering the Gaza war has been different from any previous conflict, not least because Linda had three sons serving in the army in the early months of the war. Join Linda in conversation as she discusses the emotional whiplash of being an independent observer of events and a desperately worried mother at the same time.

Speakers

Linda Gradstein

Linda Gradstein is the correspondent for Voice of America which is an international broadcasting network funded by the US government which reaches more than 320 million people around the world in dozens of languages. She is also the Israel correspondent for CBS Radio in the US. In... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

Everything Israel

1:30pm AEST

Lawfare

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

SG.08 - Room 8

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

2:45pm AEST

A Black Jewish Prince and his quest to save the Jews

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

SG.08 - Room 8

Who was David Reubeni, the charismatic Black Jewish warrior, who appeared in 16th-Century Venice with a desperate plan to restore Jewish pride and political independence? Why did Kings, bishops, rabbis, and bankers open their homes and wallets for him? Some answers from one of the weirdest documents of Jewish history, Reubeni's personal diary.

Speakers

Alan Verskin

Alan Verskin is the Samuel J. Zacks Chair of Jewish History at the University of Toronto. He has held academic positions at Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Rhode Island. He researches the history of the Jews of the Islamic world, Ashkenazi-Sephardi... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm AEST
SG.08 - Room 8

History and memory

4:00pm AEST

The story of self

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

SG.08 - Room 8

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

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

Society and politics