Shows
The Seattle LimmudcastAvi Rosenfeld -- Finding Jewish Identity in Joy and ListeningAvi Rosenfeld tells us about his Jewish journey beginning with a childhood in a family of “Western wandering Jews” raised secularly, to becoming an Orthodox rabbi and hospice chaplain. He grew up in several places in the Western United States inspired in his Jewish identity by his grandparents, but at the same time not being part of a synagogue community. He became more interested in Judaism after taking a class in conceptual physics in community college, reading “The Dancing Wu Li Masters”, and getting the impression that Judaism might give him more insight into the connection between physics and spirituality. With a n...2021-03-2332 min
The Seattle LimmudcastAlicia Jo Rabins -- Building a Personal Bridge to the Torah with Modern MidrashAlicia Jo Rabins talks about her curriculum "Girls in Trouble", which centers around stories of female characters from the bible, as well as songs that she has written about them. Alicia Jo talks about the choice of the word “Trouble” and how as a girl growing up in a predominantly Christian neighborhood she was unfamiliar with Jewish perspectives on biblical characters and text study. Only when she started to study the Torah in depth as an adult did she discover that the characters were complex people, and encountered all manner of challenging life circumstances. She tells us that she found midr...2020-12-1634 min
The Seattle LimmudcastJessica Ost -- Teens Establishing a Future of GivingLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Jessica Ost introduces the program she runs at the Stroum JCC: Giving Initiative For Teens (GIFT). It is a Jewish teen philanthropy project where the teens act as a micro-foundation and focus on specific funding priorities. The teens make a call for proposals, hear from non-profits addressing their chosen issue, go on site visits, and eventually award grants based off of their Jewish values. This year, the Jewish values that the teens focus on include: sustainability, pursuing peace, freedom, dignity, justice, humility, and respect. Jessica brings Jewish texts to the monthly meetings and has posted Jewish values...2020-03-0531 min
The Seattle LimmudcastAnat Ben Shaul -- Preserving the Past with Creative WritingAnat Ben Shaul discusses how the passing of her aunt Mazal inspired her to begin on a novel about the Yemeni Jewish community and their immigration to Israel. To write the novel she had to research the history of her community. She obtained historical resources from the JDC, read through hundreds of documents, and was brought to tears reading about the hardship of her ancestors. She goes on to tell us some family stories about her Aunts Mazal and Rania and how the stories that sounded fantastical to her as a child began to make sense as she learned the...2020-02-2032 min
The Seattle LimmudcastMarianne Tatom -- Teaching a Living YiddishMarianne Tatom talks about her origin story in Yiddish, when she met her partner’s aunt who did not speak English, which led her to study and later teach Yiddish. She discusses her training at the Yiddish Book Center as a “Yiddish Pedagogy Fellow” and its new textbook “In Eynem.” She goes on to describe the philosophy of the teaching method she learned there as celebrating Yiddish as a vibrant living language that is learned by practice rather than memorizing grammatical rules. Marianne discusses the growing interest in Yiddish in Seattle by talking about the variety of classes offered around town, Yidd...2020-02-0632 min
The Seattle LimmudcastEsther Kustanowitz -- Star Wars and JudaismEsther Kustanowitz discusses her love of Star Wars and how she finds similarities between Star Wars and Judaism. Growing up “Conservadox” and going to Jewish day school gave Esther an appreciation of Jewish tradition and text study, while at the same time allowing her to develop a deep love of pop-culture. She uses this perspective to conceive of Star Wars within a Jewish frame. An example she discusses is the story of Chanukah, and how a scrappy group of rebels fights an evil empire with “light” winning the day. She considers the Jewish idea of “kehillah” or community as found in both the...2020-01-2347 min
The Seattle LimmudcastNatan Meir: Marginalized People in Eastern European Jewry of the Modern PeriodLimmud Seattle 2020 presenter Natan Meir discusses how marginalized Jews were viewed and treated in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe in the modern period. Natan starts off by talking about how modernity is defined and how Jewish history classes in college sparked his fascination with the Jews of Eastern Europe. He later describes how East European Jewish culture was the precursor to many aspects of modern Jewry. While figuring out who the marginalized of Eastern European Jewry were, he found two cultural institutions that helped him define his subjects: the hekdesh (poorhouse), and the cholera wedding. He also discusses literary sources...2019-12-2431 min
The Seattle LimmudcastDavid Singer -- Connecting through Jewish LearningDavid Singer discusses how his Jewish journey brought him to the role of National Director of Limmud North America (Limmud NA), and how his passion for building Jewish community inspires him to grow Limmud NA into a movement. From his childhood experience of acting in plays about biblical events with his synagogue, to becoming a Hillel director, he has thought a lot about what motivates people to embrace their Jewish identity and live Jewishly. He talks about learning with others as an antidote to loneliness, curiosity being the bed-rock of the Limmud movement, and how the capacity to share a...2019-12-0531 min
The Seattle LimmudcastAl Maimon -- Discoveries from a 115 Year Old SiddurLimmud Seattle 2018 and 2019 presenter Al Maimon discusses the siddur: Avodat Hashana, Kehilat Yaackov, published in Belgrade in 1904. By studying the prayers and texts, as well as the essays included, the siddur sheds light on the culture and attitudes of the time. The inclusion of a prayer to be said in the middle of the night reveals an often forgotten practice of Tikkun Chatzot. The inclusion of the apocrypha Megilat Antiochus and Ma’ase Yehudit are accompanied by an essay by the author Yaackov Moshe Chai Altaratz about the presence of Jewish heroes and heroines throughout history. The Jewish history of th...2019-11-2131 min
The Seattle LimmudcastKayla Higgins and David Warnock -- Law and Order: Ancient and ModernLimmud Seattle 2019 presenters Kayla Higgins and David Warnock discuss how their decision to lead a session on their respective professions (law and policing) inspired them to delve deeper into the Jewish traditions around both. They found many differences between the modern secular court system and descriptions of Jewish courts in biblical and Talmudic times, including: the allowance of confessions to be used as evidence, high standards for judicial selection, and the perception of attorneys within the justice system. Interestingly, references to law enforcement officers are few and far between, but are alluded to by the biblical injunction on individuals to...2019-11-1428 min
The Seattle LimmudcastPamela Brown Lavitt -- Collecting Jewish Women's StoriesLimmud Seattle 2018 presenter Pamela Brown Lavitt discusses how her journey to discovering her Jewish identity led her to learn Yiddish, collect stories as a folklorist in the Chasidic community, and ultimately serve as an oral historian for the Jewish Women’s Archive. She tells about the process of interviewing key older women in the Seattle Jewish community and thereby gaining a rich knowledge the unique Jewish history of the city, and some women’s experiences of it. She goes on to give advice on how to interview Jewish women in your life, and concludes by drawing connections between her work as a...2019-10-1430 min
The Seattle LimmudcastGilah Kletenik And Samuel Klein -- Rembrandt, Menashe ben Israel, and SpinozaLimmud Seattle 2019 presenters Gilah Kletenik and Samuel Klein discuss Rembrandt, Menashe ben Israel, and Spinoza, three great minds who coexisted in old Amsterdam. While detailing what made each of them unique, they also discuss ways they overlapped in the vibrant intellectual community of the time. We learn about the groundbreaking way Rembrandt utilized the new technique of chiaroscuro along with his own innovation of layering paint, to create personal and emotional paintings. Menashe ben Israel is shown to be a great rhetorician who bridged communities, but was ultimately disappointed by his inability to get Jews allowed back into England. We...2019-09-1030 min
The Seattle LimmudcastTony Ramsey -- Living your Values through Voluntary SimplicityLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Tony Ramsey discusses voluntary simplicity, and how realizing what brings you joy in life can allow you to get rid of things and situations that are weighing you down. He points out that by valuing your time, it frees you up to pursue passions instead of materialistic goals that are ultimately unsatisfying. He talks about his own life journey, and how a change in perspective allowed him to become more involved in Limmud Seattle, build a vibrant community, switch jobs, and ultimately plan a meaningful wedding. Through involvement with Limmud he crafted a session emphasizing the long...2019-08-1631 min
The Seattle LimmudcastRochelle Wynne -- Writing an Ethical WillLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Rochelle Wynne discusses the ethical will, a letter written to your children and grandchildren to be read after your death about the values you hold dear. She discusses growing up in a household where talk of death was taboo, and how, in her thirties, her congregational rabbi inspired her to spread the word about ethical wills and Jewish ritual surrounding death. She encourages others to overcome their ethical-will-stumbling-blocks, and to pass on their beliefs and passions to the next generation. Interview by Tamar Libicki.2019-05-1330 min
The Seattle LimmudcastPaula Rose -- Engaging Kids' Curiosity at SederLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Paula Rose urges us to think about what we want the guests at our Seder, and specifically the children, to come away with. She suggests adding points of surprise, curiosity, and engagement. Examples include adding a new tradition, a change in location, or saying “Ma Nishtana” in a new language. To illustrate this concept she discusses two Talmudic passages where the rabbis give tips on how to get the children to ask questions and stay awake. Interview by Tamar Libicki.2019-04-1932 min
The Seattle LimmudcastShimon Emlen -- Matzah: Bread of Faith, Bread of HealingLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Shimon Emlen talks all about matzah. From the basics, including the difference between hand-made shmura matzah and store bought box matzahs, to how the matzahs are made, and the spiritual significance of matzah. He also goes into detail about how he runs a model matzah bakery to inspire a love of matzah in children and adults. Interview by Tamar Libicki.2019-04-1231 min
The Seattle LimmudcastLinda-Jo Greenberg -- Tips for an Easier PassoverLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Linda-Jo Greenberg talks about how her lifelong love of Passover on the one hand, and lists on the other, led her to create a booklet, and teach a Limmud session, about how to make Passover prep “easier.” Her tips include: making a calendar of tasks, taking extraneous tasks off the list if you get overwhelmed, and including favorite family recipes to build excitement. Interview by Tamar Libicki.2019-03-2931 min
The Seattle LimmudcastCara Abrams-Simonton and Robert Hovden -- Enabling ConnectionsLimmud Seattle 2019 presenters and co-chairs Cara Abrams-Simonton and Robert Hovden talk about how they first encountered Limmud and eventually decided to co-chair a festival. While co-chairing had its challenges, Cara and Robert speak of the joy of connecting with volunteers and participants, as well as the pleasure of introducing community members to one another. Robert explains how intentional succession planning makes each year new. Interview by Tamar Libicki.2019-03-1530 min
The Seattle LimmudcastJoshua Horowitz -- Researching and Playing Historical MusicLimmud Seattle 2018 presenter Joshua Horowitz talks about how a resurgence of antisemitism that he observed while studying music in Austria in the 1980s led him to research and start playing historical Jewish music. He speaks about how his quest led him to searching out village musicians in Eastern Europe, combing archives and listening to old recordings, and finding historical musical instruments. He also discusses projects with his bands Varetski Pass and Budowitz. Interview by Carl Shutoff2019-02-0827 min
The Seattle LimmudcastMiriam Libicki -- Engaging in Jewish Identity through ComixLimmud Seattle 2018 presenter Miriam Libicki talks about her process for creating autobiographical and non-fiction comics. She discusses how her comics have led to meaningful connections and served as a therapeutic outlet. She also talks about her use of childlike faces to make hard subjects more accessible and using an avatar to embody her personal perspective. Interview by Tamar Libicki conducted on 12/13/18.2019-01-2530 min
The Seattle LimmudcastColin Marshall -- Spinoza's Divine Joy of KnowledgeLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Colin Marshall discusses the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza. A 17th century philosopher who was born and raised Jewish, Spinoza was exiled from his community in Amsterdam for his radical ideas questioning organized religion. Colin discusses Spinoza's views of G-d, religion, and the pursuit of knowledge. Interview by Sergey Feldman.2019-01-0930 min
The Seattle LimmudcastLimmudcast Pilot Episode - Karen Trieger -- Writing a Holocaust MemoirLimmud Seattle 2019 presenter Karen Treiger discusses the writing process for her book "My Soul is filled with Joy: a Holocaust Story." She talks about wanting to write the story about her in-laws Sam and Esther Goldberg for a long time then finally quitting her job and devoting three years to making it happen. This included research that led to meeting the Stys family who saved Sam and Esther, and connecting with a long-lost cousin Yusuf 'Idu' Lys. Interview by Tamar Libicki.2018-12-3132 min