Limmud NY 2014: Full Schedule

1:00pm EST

Make Your Own Illuminated Manuscript Letter

You may be aware of illuminated manuscripts-gloriously decorated and written Bibles created in the Middle Ages in France and Germany and Spain. You may have seen the decorated pages of Persian manuscripts with their tiny, detailed paintings. The Jews also have a tradition of illuminated manuscripts. We will learn about our own styles and create our own illuminated letter, in particular the "grotesque," a style of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry.

This is a hands on workshop.

Limited to 15

Presenters

Deborah Ugoretz

Deborah was born in Milwaukee. In the 1970s, she became fascinated with Jewish Paper cutting and has been cutting ever since. She makes Jewish marriage contracts (Ketubot) and paints and designs synagogue art. Her work has been shown at the Museum of Biblical Art at Hebrew Union College... Read More →

Friday February 14, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance Identity & Global Culture Jewish History

2:30pm EST

Unpack Your Life: A Spiritual Memoir Workshop

How do you tell the story of the long, winding, crazy road you've taken? How can you make sense of your life in a narrative arc? What's the deeper truth of your story? How can you write responsibly about the people in your life? How can memoir-writing be a spiritual practice in itself? This session on writing spiritual memoir will combine concrete writing exercises with a more theoretical conversation. For writers and non-writers alike!

Presenters

Danya Ruttenberg

Danya Ruttenberg was ordained at the Ziegler School and wrote the Sami Rohr Prize-nominated "Surprised By God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion." She has also edited five anthologies, including "The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism." She was named by Newsweek as one... Read More →

Friday February 14, 2014 2:30pm - 3:45pm EST
Alder

College & High School Identity & Global Culture Spiritual Practice

8:45pm EST

Who Says What the Torah Says? Who Gets to Interpret Judaism (Hint: You Do, Too)

Drawing on the work of JTS scholar Benjamin Sommer, this interactive text study will push back at those who say "It says so in the Torah" with the much better (!) statement, "We learn that it says in the Torah..." Written Torah? Oral Torah? We'll try to pin down some questions of the authority of text and authoritative interpretations in Judaism. We'll also share a few choice words about that hobgoblin called literalism.

Presenters

Joel Alter

Joel Alter is Director of Admissions for JTS's Rabbinical and Cantorial schools, where he shepherds new leaders of the Jewish people. During his 16 years in Jewish day schools as a teacher, rabbi, and administrator, Joel helped articulate pluralistic school culture. A commitment to... Read More →

Friday February 14, 2014 8:45pm - 10:10pm EST
Alder

College & High School Text & Thought

8:45am EST

Learners Minyan

Join us as we explore the siddur (prayer book) and discuss various Jewish conceptions of prayer. This session will be discussion based, and will navigate divergent conceptions and articulation a of Tfilah (prayer). We will look at traditional Jewish and various other sources. All levels are invited; all opinions are encouraged.

Presenters

Jordan Soffer

Jordan Soffer is a rabbinical student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and is also pursuing an MA in Jewish Education at Yeshiva University. He is originally from New City, NY and attended the University of Wisconsin where he majored in Jewish Education, Religious Studies, and Hebrew... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 8:45am - 10:00am EST
Alder

Text & Thought

12:30pm EST

Mussar: A Deep Spiritual Practice for Parents

The 24/7 nature of parenting can be overwhelming. Developing a spiritual practice with the centuries-old tradition of Mussar can help parents cultivate essential traits like patience and humility, honor and gratitude and can transform our inner experience of parenthood so that we can approach the joys and frustrations of caring for children (of all ages) in a deeper way. Come learn about the approaches of Mussar and develop a Mussar practice of your own.

Presenters

Dasee Berkowitz

Dasee Berkowitz is a Jewish educator, Jewish community builder and founder of JLife Consulting. She currently lives in Sag Harbor, NY in which she and her husband are serving the Jewish community there. She has been a proud board member of Limmud NY and an even prouder wife of Leon... Read More →

Lisa Sacks

Lisa Sacks has been studying with the Mussar Institute for the past three years, having been introduced to Mussar at a prior Limmud NY conference. She now facilitates a Mussar group at her synagogue in Westchester, NY. A former Limmud NY board member and conference chair (2006 conference... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm EST
Alder

College & High School Spiritual Practice

2:00pm EST

Outdoors or Out of Their Minds? Hasidic Teachings on Wilderness/Nature

The Rebbe's Tish (meal/gathering,) the Mitzvah Tantz (wedding dance,) and other Hasidic innovations are primarily (or even by definition) practiced indoors. But in many ways, the early Hasidic masters were equally oriented toward a spirituality of the outdoors. We will learn about meditative, contemplative and other Hasidic practices and views associated with nature and wilderness.

Presenters

Matt Carl

Matt Carl is a rabbi who serves as the Director of Community Engagement for Hazon, America's largest Jewish environmental organization. Hazon's goal of "creating healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond" pretty much sums up what he wants out of li... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 2:00pm - 3:15pm EST
Alder

College & High School Jewish History Shabbat Spiritual Practice Text & Thought

3:45pm EST

Feminist Religious Education: How Should We Do It?

How do we educate girls to be religious feminists? Is there a conflict between these two worlds and their values? Should feminism be a conscious choice made by adults, or is it possible to teach feminism and thus inculcate students as an educational establishment's agenda? Hartman Orthodox High School for girls is a laboratory experiment in religious feminism. You are invited to hear about our original programs, our successes and challenges, and our questions and hopes.

Presenters

Renana Ravitsky Pilzer

Renana Ravitzky Pilzer is the Head of the Beit Midrash at the Hartman High School for Girls, where she is developing the Midrashiya's Orthodox feminist curriculum. She previously served as co-director of the Melamdim School for Teacher Training, which is run in partnership with Tel... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 3:45pm - 5:00pm EST
Alder

College & High School Identity & Global Culture Israel Social Justice Spiritual Practice Text & Thought

5:15pm EST

Hebrew in Colonial America: The Jewish Language in a Christian Land

We will encounter some colorful characters teaching Hebrew at places such as Harvard in the 18th century. We will explore questions such as who studied Hebrew, who taught Hebrew, whether a Jew could get a job at a Christian college, and why anyone wanted to study Hebrew anyway. This period also provides the background for some of the thought of our Founding Fathers.

Presenters

Aaron Koller

Professor, Yeshiva University

Aaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern Studies at Yeshiva University, where he studies Semitic languages. He is the author of Unbinding Isaac: The Significance of the Akedah for Modern Jewish Thought (JPS/University of Nebraska Press, 2020) and Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 5:15pm - 6:15pm EST
Alder

Identity & Global Culture Jewish History Text & Thought

8:15pm EST

The Playful Collage Life: How Play Can Be Used to Construct a Serious Life

Starting from the axiom that PLAY is an essential component of any creative endeavor, Piven presents in a heart-warming, humorous way, his own journey of adaptation, from failed cartoonist, to international innovative illustrator and more recently, lecturer and a teacher of creativity. Piven argues that play is a great aid to create educational environments of flexibility and honest introspection. This lecture is based on the lecture Piven presented at TedX Jerusalem.

Presenters

Hanoch Piven

Hanoch Piven is an award winning Israeli artist, children book author and edu-cator whose colorful portraits have been published for over 30 years in most major American magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone and in many publications in Europe and in Israel... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 8:15pm - 9:30pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance Children & Families College & High School Identity & Global Culture Text & Thought

9:30pm EST

What Am I Made Of: An Exploration of Identity through Play and Art

Learn Israeli artist Hanoch Piven's method of collaging re-used objects to create portraits. This is an invitation to explore your identity through intuition, serendipity, trial and error, and right-brain thinking, and above all, to have a healthy amount of fun. Prerequisite: attend the first session at 8:30.

Presenters

Hanoch Piven

Saturday February 15, 2014 9:30pm - 10:45pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance Children & Families College & High School Identity & Global Culture Israel

10:00am EST

Responding to the Holocaust through Art: Part 2

Participants are invited to express their reactions to learning about children in the Holocaust by creating a personal keepsake work of art. We will also explore the use of art as a medium for Holocaust education for all ages. You need not be an artist to attend this workshop!
Prerequisite: Hearing the panel discussion by the Hidden Children.

Presenters

Shira Greenspan

Shira has been teaching Judaic studies at Yeshivat Noam in New Jersey for three years. Shira received her Masters as part of the accelerated fellowship program at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education. She has taught English and art to Israeli children as part of the Center... Read More →

Sunday February 16, 2014 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Alder

College & High School Heller Holocaust Education

12:15pm EST

The Art of Jewish Papercutting: Part 1

The Jewish people have a rich tradition of creating folk art in the service of celebrations, rituals and Hiddur Mitzvah - sanctifying the everyday. Creating cut paper artworks is one way by which Jews elevated their traditions. This session is an exploration of Jewish papercutting with an emphasis on the history, symbols, inscriptions, motivation and uses of paper cuts among the Jewish communities of Europe and North Africa. Slide lecture and discussion.

Presenters

Deborah Ugoretz

Sunday February 16, 2014 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance College & High School Identity & Global Culture Jewish History

1:45pm EST

The Art of Jewish Papercutting: Part 2

A hands-on workshop where participants will have the opportunity to create a work in cut paper, using instructions presented during the first part of the session.
You will be provided with design templates, pen knives and a cutting surface, beautiful background papers for ornamentation and the techniques that will enable you to continue the art of the papercutting back home.
Limited to 12 participants.
Attendance during the first part of the session is recommended, but not mandatory.

Presenters

Deborah Ugoretz

Sunday February 16, 2014 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance College & High School Identity & Global Culture

3:15pm EST

Responding to the Holocaust through Art: Part 3

Presenters

Shira Greenspan

Sunday February 16, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm EST
Alder

College & High School Heller Holocaust Education

5:00pm EST

Writing Yourself into the Poem: How to Write about Identity

From Hillel to rapper Drake, artists have used their respective mediums to express the complexities and nuances of identity. Jews are no exception. In this workshop, Aaron uses poems as writing prompts; participants will then write their own poems discussing aspects of their complex identity. Participants do not need to come to the workshop with writing prepared, but should come ready to write!

Presenters

Aaron Samuels

Aaron Samuels was raised in Providence, Rhode Island, by a Jewish mother and a Black father. He is a Cave Canem Fellow and a nationally acclaimed performer. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, featured on TV’s One’s Verses & Flow, and has appeared in many journals... Read More →

Sunday February 16, 2014 5:00pm - 6:15pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance College & High School Identity & Global Culture Text & Thought

9:15pm EST

Creating Visual Midrash: Responding to the Prayers of Chana, Jonah & Moses

We will compare and explore through text study and discussion three biblical prayers. Then using collage and mixed media we will create an original artwork inspired by our investigations. No previous art background necessary.

Presenters

Beth Heit

Beth Heit received a BA in Humanities with a concentration in Fine Arts from Hofstra University and studied architectural ceramics at Harvard University. She also received an MA in Art Education from Teachers College. She has had a one-woman show at the Hewlett -Woodmere Library and... Read More →

Andy Warmflash

Andrew Warmflash is the spiritual leader of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre. Widely regarded as a dynamic and inspiring educator, he has taught adult classes in NY, NJ, and Boston in conjunction with Melton and Hebrew College. He is a graduate of UPenn and JTS.

Sunday February 16, 2014 9:15pm - 10:30pm EST
Alder

Arts & Performance Text & Thought