Limmud FSU Boston
Volunteer-driven Jewish conference
Boston University Hillel
The Florence & Chafetz Hillel House
213 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215
October 23, 2022
Register
2022 LIMMUD FSU Boston
conference starts in:

What is Limmud FSU?
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Diversity
Our conference is open to all who want to learn, from all backgrounds, ages, and levels of Jewish observance.
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Free-for-all, all-for-free
The presenters, lecturers, artists and speakers all give their time as volunteers; none are paid.
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Roam as you wish
Sessions are not compulsory – attend as many or as few as you like.
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Paying your own way
There is a special volunteer discount, but participants pay a conference participation fee.
Conference venue
Adult Program

Children Program

Meet some of our 2022 Presenters...
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Alex Yentin
Non-Partisan Clinical Psychotherapist with a Sense of Humor
Session:
Parents’ relaxation without guilt in unstable times (RU)Alex Yentin
Alex Yentin is a New York State licensed clinical psychotherapist and certified group psychotherapist with a BA from Ben Gurion University and Bar Ilan University and an MA from New York University, with three years of postgraduate studies in clinical psychotherapy and two years of studies for group psychotherapy in the Selig Institute in NYC. He works as a senior psychotherapist at the counseling center of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services in Brooklyn. He also maintains a caseload of private clients and is an active presenter in the NY Russian Jewish community and in Jewish communities around the world including Limmud conferences.
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Joshua Rubenstein
Associate, Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Session:
The Last Days of StalinJoshua Rubenstein
Working as an independent scholar, Joshua Rubenstein has written or edited a number of path-breaking books on Soviet-Jewish history, including biographies of Ilya Ehrenburg and Leon Trotsky; books on the Soviet human rights movement; and books on the Holocaust in German-occupied Soviet territory. “The Last Days of Stalin” is his tenth book.
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Inna Lomanov
Fruitarian, founder of the MFT21 Day Program
Session:
Exotic Fruit Discovery Session (RU and ENG)Inna Lomanov
Inna Lomanov is the founder of the MFT21 Day Program. She is a fruitarian, exotic fruit connoisseur, fruit hunter, plant based/raw vegan, lifestyle expert, chef, and health coach from Long Island, NY. Mother to three toddlers, Inna helps and inspires people around the world to eat more fruit. In addition to blogging, coaching and creating fruit events in the New York and Miami area, Inna envisioned and developed the MFT21 Day Program. MFT21 includes practices such as face-fitness, yoga and meditation. Inna does not believe in diets but rather helps people to change their lifestyle. Inna is always on the lookout for exotic, unique, and rare fruits. Her passion is introducing people to exotic fruits and the fruit-based lifestyle. Inna was born in Odessa, Ukraine and came to the USA when she was 16. Aged 26 Inna went to Israel on Birthright, and since then she has taken five groups to Israel. For years, Inna was involved in the local Jewish youth community in Brooklyn as a leader. She taught in the Aviv School for Leadership, and took groups of students on educational visits to Poland and Israel. Inna dreams to inspire Jewish people to eat healthier, take better care of their bodies, be mindful of what they put into their bodies and how what they eat can affect their mood and sense of well-being.
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Mark Novikov
Дежурный по Израилю
Session:
Israel 2022. The Challenges of the Past and the Future (RU)Mark Novikov
Mark Novikov has a PhD in Constitutional Law, and is the founder of the telegram channel "Duty for Israel", t.me/israeltoday. He has been engaged in political consulting, strategic communications and journalism. Author of numerous journalistic and scientific articles. Recently changed career direction and currently works in high-tech.
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Tinatin Japaridze
Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at The Critical Mass
Session:
Internet vs. RuNet: The Fall of the Digital Iron CurtainTinatin Japaridze
Tinatin Japaridze is the Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at The Critical Mass, a Virginia-based Woman-Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran Small Business. She previously worked for the City of New York and the United Nations as Bureau Chief for Eastern European media. In 2019, she became a Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs Ambassador on Cyber Ethics and Digital Leadership. A graduate of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, Tinatin served as a “Go Big” Officer at the European Leadership Network focusing on the extension of the New START Treaty, and later became a member of the Younger Generation Leaders Network. Her debut monograph, Stalin’s Millennials: Nostalgia, Trauma, and Nationalism was published to critical acclaim by Rowman & Littlefield in 2022.
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Lincoln Mitchell
Political analyst, pundit and writer based in New York City and San Francisco
Session:
Where Do We Go Now: The War in Ukraine, the Crisis of American Democracy and the MidtermsLincoln Mitchell
Lincoln works on democracy and governance related issues in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He also works with businesses and NGOs globally, particularly in the former Soviet Union. Lincoln writes and speaks about US politics as well. He is a frequent contributor to CNN Opinion, NBC News, Brussels Morning and the San Francisco Examiner, and was the national political correspondent for The New York Observer from 2014-2016.
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Ronit Asheri
A professional actress and singer, Star of a popular Netflix show "UNORTHODOX"
Session:
The journey of an international actress in the shows around the worldRonit Asheri
Ronit has been performing theatre, film and television for over 17 years, from Israel to New York, from Hebrew to English to Yiddish, from straight plays to clown shows to musicals to "Unorthodox." Her experience with "Unorthodox" has been one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling experiences not only because of the richness of the material and the cast but also because of the inspiring women she got to work with. Ronit is involved in a number of projects and is happy to return to acting.
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Ilya Kolmanovsky
(PhD) is a science journalist, writer, lecturer, communicator
Session:
Naked mole rat: superpowers in the Nature and why should we care (RU)Ilya Kolmanovsky
Science columnist, journalist and lecturer, lead author of the Direct Speech lecture hall, author of the Naked Moleman podcast about scientific discoveries and the people who make them. After completing a PhD in evolutionary physical anthropology and several years of teaching comparative anatomy at Moscow State University, he analyzes new research from scientific centers around the world, constantly interviewing leading scientists in the field of neuroscience, experimental psychology, evolutionary biology, molecular genetics, and other fields. Among them, it is worth noting interviews with Nobel laureates B. Marshall, J. Watson, J. Hall, M. Rozbash, J. Gurdon; reporting from Karolinska Institute and Johns Hopkins University. For several years he was a permanent member of the jury of the Enlightener award. For many years he has been writing articles and hosting various TV and radio programs, online and offline meetings, lectures, and discussions.
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Pamela Cohen
Doctor of Humane Letters degree, author of “Hidden Heroes”
Session:
Hidden Heroes: One Woman’s Story of Resistance and Rescue in the Soviet UnionPamela Cohen
Haunted by the legacy of the Holocaust, Pamela Braun Cohen became an activist in the Soviet Jewry movement in the early 1970s. She served as co-chair of Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry from 1978 until 1986, when she became the national president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ). Her leadership role took her to the halls of Congress and the White House and on frequent trips to the Soviet Union. Cohen received the Humanitarian Award from the Raoul Wallenberg Committee of Chicago; the Medal of Honor from refuseniks; and a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Spertus College of Judaica. She now lives in Jerusalem with her husband Leonard.
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Sofia Kapkova
MART Foundation (Modern Artlife Foundation) — Founder and CEO
Session:
Challenges of producing cultural projects in the time of war (RU)Sofia Kapkova
Sofia Kapkovawas born in Chita, USSR. Upon graduation from Moscow State University with a degree in journalism in 2001, Sofia worked as a producer for major Russian TV channels, she produced documentaries and was a chief news editor for Channel One TV.
Sofia is the founder and CEO of MART Foundation (Modern Artlife Foundation), a non-profit, non-governmental foundation that supports Russian culture abroad. Mart curates an innovative and varied arts program, showcasing the very best of contemporary dance, music, and cinema. In collaboration with leading international art institutions, Mart commissions and produces new artworks and introduce emerging and established Russian artists to a global audience.
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Masha Faynberg
Interior designer
Session:
How to Choose Colors that Strike the Perfect Chord with your Interior's Proportions (RU)Masha Faynberg
Maria Faynberg is an award winning interior designer with 14 years of experience in residential and commercial design in Russia, Canada and the USA. Aged 16, she worked for the Moscow Jewish Community Center as a graphic designer, for Hillel as a designer of Jewish books and later as an interior designer. Since moving to Canada Maya has created new Jewish connections. She believes that this workshop could be interesting and helpful for everyone, for attention to our homes, family, traditions and ability to design houses as a reflection of our souls can help us create the best possible atmosphere. Learn more about Maria on www.instagram.com/masha.faynberg.design or www.design-fm.com
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Vladimir Foygelman
Center Makor, president. Jewish educator, Holocaust research specialist
Vladimir Foygelman
Vladimir Foygelman was born in Kiev, Ukraine (former USSR). He graduated from Kiev State Institute of Culture (now Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts) in 1989 with a Master’s Degree in choreography and administration for community and sport centers. As his Diploma project Vladimir choose to choreograph dance “Shtetl”, the first Jewish theme choreography composition since creation of the University.
In 1990, Vladimir founded The Children’s Jewish Dance Group, Yonteff (Holiday), which was the first Jewish children’s dance group in the former Soviet Union. He directed Jewish festivals, concerts and Jewish holiday celebrations in Ukraine.
In 1993, with a group of Jewish young adults, he started the congregation of Reform Judaism, Ha-Tikvah.
As Program Coordinator for the AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE office in Kiev, he developed the Kiev City Jewish Club for Young Adults. At JOINT he planned and coordinated the Jewish Folk and Israeli Dance seminars as well as the educational and cultural programs.
He was the Founder and Executive Director of the Jewish Art and History School at the Israel Informational and Cultural Center for the Embassy of the State of Israel to Ukraine. (Kiev, Ukraine). Vladimir developed the school’s curriculum in collaboration with Congregation Ha-Tikvah, with support from the Israel Folk Dance Institute in London, and educational programs from the Jewish Agency for Israel, and JOINT.
Since 1997, after his arrival in the United States in 1996, he founded and produced the Annual Artistic Hanukkah Festival in Boston, which has become a successful annual cultural event in the Russian-Speaking Jewish Community and continued to be the oldest Russian Jewish Festival in North America.
In 1999, Vladimir was invited to work at the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts as Director of Programs for Russian-Speaking Jews. In 2001, after support from the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts the Russian Jewish Community School (RJCS) was open, Vladimir became its Principal.
In 2005, with the help of CJP, SCM, JCC and other Jewish organizations in Boston, Vladimir established the Jewish Educational & Cultural Center Makor, and became its President and CEO.
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Vladi Bleiberg
Israeli singer, actor, and TV personality
Vladi Bleiberg
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Polina Dorosinskaya
LMHC, ATR-BC, Artist
Session:
Paint NightPolina Dorosinskaya
Polina Dorosinskaya is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Board Registered Art Therapist who lives in Boston, MA. Polina works at an inpatient psychiatric hospital and is engaged in her private practice. In addition to her clinical degree, Polina holds a BA in Fine Art and she loves to introduce people to creativity and self expression by offering group art making sessions. On Shabbat and weekends Polina likes to spend time with her friends and community, create art and travel. Polina was born in Moscow, Russia and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan. She spent a year of high school in Israel and immigrated into the US when she was 19 years old. Polina leads the Russian Jewish Social Club in Boston, MA and organizes creative events for her community.
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Sara Rodkin
Jewish educator, teacher
Session:
What does creation of the first person have to do with my marriage and relationship with G-d?Sara Rodkin
Born in Latvia, a mother of 8, the oldest of which is in the IDF, married to the same rabbi for 25 years. Currently teaches Math at Shaloh House school. Sara's passion is learning and teaching Torah. Sara runs a weekly Challah / Parsha class every Thursday night at Shaloh House.
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Misha Rubin
Career educator
Session:
Era of Unprecedented Career Opportunities: Changing Industries, Roles or BothMisha Rubin
Misha Rubin is CEO of Leap By Design and mastermind of The Career Leap method. Misha facilitates meaningful intentional life changes. As one aspect of his expertise, he works with mid-career professionals, executives and leaders who are interested in initiating and implementing meaningful and intentional career changes and/or expanding their leadership impact.
Until not long ago he was a Partner at Ernst & Young, one of the biggest management consulting firms in the world, where he spent 15 fruitful years of his career. He sold and managed hundreds millions worth of projects and guided careers of hundreds of people. His corporate experience, personal quest for meaning and work with hundreds of professionals, birthed the The Career Leap method, a guided actionable inquiry that is structured for you to discover and pursue your next career move as well as expand your impact as a leader.
Born and raised in Ukraine, Misha is on the board of Worldwide Orphans (WWO), a non-profit that supports children at risk globally, and in 2022 he founded Children of Ukraine to support children with trauma during and post Russian invasion.
Additionally, Misha is an adoptive parent of 3. He is a recorded artist; Are We Ready, an album of his original songs, was released in 2013 under the artist name Misha Lyuve.
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Roman Freud
Playwright, actor
Session:
Solomon Mikhoels - life and art in the Jewish Theater.
The central character of the new play "The Singing Windmills" by Roman Freud (RU)Roman Freud
Roman is a graduate of The Schukin Theater School in Moscow. He directed and performed in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Claudius), Twelfth Night (Orsino), Salinger’s Franny (Lane), and other plays. Roman worked at the Moscow Jewish Chamber Musical Theater as a musical actor and throughout his six years there starred in all of the company’s productions. Tango of Life, Lomir Ale Ineynem and Fiddler on the Roof among them. As a company member, Mr. Freud toured and performed in New York Melbourne, Milan, Rome, Budapest and dozens of cities in the former Soviet Union. Mr. Freud moved to the United States in 1991. His New York stage credits include Russian and English versions of Enemy, Love story by I.B. Singer/Herman Broder (Steps Theater), Unhappy Happiness by Chekov’s Lady with a dog/Gurov (Steps Theater), No Day, No Month, No Year by Gogol’s Dairy of a Madman/Medgy (Steps Theater), Vasily and Federico/multiple parts (Steps Theater). Three Sisters/Vershinin (Russian Arts Theater and Studio), Devil’s come to Moscow by Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita/Woland (Russian Arts Theater and Studio), Lady with a lapdog and other stories by A. Chekov/multiple characters (Russian Arts Theater and Studio), Passions by Mikhail/Ivan Vasilievich (Steps Theater). Raise and fall of Macondo/Jose Arcadio Buendia (Russian Arts Theater and Studio), Overcoat by N. Gogol/Petrovich and other characters (Russian Arts Theater and Studio), Gamblers by N. Gogol/Shvokhnev (Russian Arts Theater and Studio)
Mr. Freud has been writing film and theatrical scripts in English and Russian since 2004. His Theater play (co-authored with Slava Stepnov) Ask Joseph based on life and art of poet, Nobel Prize laureate Joseph Brodsky, was staged in Steps Theater in 2013. Roman Freud played a main character (Joseph).
The most recent dramatic work of Mr. Freud is The Singing Windmills – a play about life and art of the great Russian-Jewish actor/director Solomon Mikhoels, which have been stage by New York theatre PM in 2022
Two of his short movie scripts were filmed – Encounter (2009) and Déjà vu (2010) and nominated on New York Independent film festival.
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Stella Kleinbock
An attachment-based clinical psychotherapist and sex therapist
Session:
Picking Behind Closed Doors: Attachment, Emotions and Sexual IntimacyStella Kleinbock
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Shlomo Noginski
Rabbi, Jewish Educator, Jewish Hero 2021
Shlomo Noginski
Rabbi and teacher. Since 2019, he has been an envoy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Boston, at the Shaloh House Jewish center (synagogue and school). In 2021, he saved 100 children from a terrorist act and was awarded by the Jewish organization JLI - the honorary title: Jewish Hero 2021.
Currently, Rabbi Noginsky is working on creating a smicha program in Boston, a center for the study and training of rabbis-messengers of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
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Rabbi Dan Rodkin
Executive Director of Shaloh House Jewish Russian Center of Boston
Session:
Where to find G-d? (RU)Rabbi Dan Rodkin
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Luba Sakharuk
Session:
How to embrace feeling uncomfortable in order to achieve the unimaginable!
The journey of becoming an author and international speaker.Luba Sakharuk
Luba Sakharuk holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Worcester Polytech Institute of Technology and started her career as a software engineer. The unique insights and abilities she gained in her career led her to agile coaching, facilitation, leadership, and digital transformations. While working full-time as a Sr. Lead Consultant at Apex Systems, she has published two books and founded RALM3 Consulting LLC, focusing on public speaking and facilitation.
Luba lives in Framingham, Massachusetts with her husband and two beautiful and well-behaved teenage children. When she is not working, she can often be found on the ski slopes at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire or taking long walks along Craigville Beach on Cape Cod.
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Katerina Sultanova & Olga Gurova
Co-founders of the project DOM
Session:
Psychology of home. How our home influence our wellbeing and the sense of happiness (RU)Katerina Sultanova & Olga Gurova
Katerina Sultanova:
Holding Master's Degrees in Interior Architecture and Environmental Management, Katerina employs a systematic approach to design and gets inspired by natural forms and principles.
Katerina worked on a wide variety of Interior Design projects, including high-end residential, hospitality, educational, and commercial. The extensive world travel experience sparked an acute interest in world cultures, national traditions, and how people's behavior and well-being can be affected by the environments where they grow, work, and live.
The continuous work with interior design clients formed an understanding of the strong relationship between people's way of organizing the space around them with their ideas and images of home inherited from their families and cultural, historical backgrounds.
The constant asking of the question "Why is the home the way it is?" to me and the people around me became the starting point of the project DOM in 2020.
Olga Gurova:
Holding Master’s Degree in Psychology with a specialization in trauma therapy. She was trained in the humanistic (client-centered) approach. After making a successful career in people management and personnel development in the corporate sector, Olga later focused on socially conscious projects and roles working with vulnerable populations.
“It is fascinating how our past shapes the way we live now. Our home is our intimate space. We use the idiom “skeleton in the closet” to describe personal or family secrets. When discussing our clients' past and present homes, the idea of the future home becomes rooted in their deep values and personal history.”
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Olga Vayner
Trivia Master
Session:
неTRIVIAльная (RU)Olga Vayner
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Elana Broitman
Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at the Jewish Federations of North America.
Elana Broitman
Elana manages a set of teams representing the Jewish community voice in the public square. The teams work with critical stakeholders to advance diverse government and community relations goals including funding for direct services, securing nonprofit organizations, combating antisemitism, BDS and delegitimization of Israel and supporting refugees.
Previously, Broitman has staffed the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, served as a leading senator’s Senior Advisor for National Security, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and USAID Senior Rule of Law Advisor. She has also spent years as a lay and professional leader in the Jewish community.
Elana is originally from Odessa, Ukraine
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Larry Tobin
Director of The Shapiro Foundation
Larry Tobin
Larry Tobin, has served as the Director of The Shapiro Foundation since 2017. The Shapiro Foundation is focused on creating additional resettlement opportunities for refugees through complementary pathways and through communities and private citizens sponsoring them.
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Sarah Abramson, PhD
Senior Vice President of Strategy and Impact
Sarah Abramson, PhD
Sarah Abramson oversees CJP’s strategies for impact in our community. She works closely with partner institutions and communities to ensure that our overall ecosystem is thriving, sustainable, adaptive, and interconnected. Her leadership in this department spreads across the organization with her advocacy for making inspiring Judaism accessible for all and bringing social justice issues to the forefront of our work and our communities. Sarah sits on CJP’s Executive Team and reports to Rabbi Marc Baker. Sarah previously served as the Executive Director of Yad Chessed and was the Senior Policy researcher for the Board of Deputies in London. Sarah graduated with highest honors from Wesleyan University and holds a master’s degree in Social Policy and a Ph.D. in Sociology, both from London School of Economics.
Conference Pricing
Limmud FSU Boston
Start of the program: October 23, 2022 at 10:00 AM
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Family day pass
(3 or more people) — $200 - Adults, ages 18 and up — $100 per person
- Children, ages 3 - 17 — $50 per person
- Children under 3 years old — FREE
- Parking day pass — $12
- There will be NO TICKET SALE at the venue on the day of the event (October 23rd).
- The cancellation requests accepted until October 15
More about Limmud FSU
Limmud – the volunteer-driven Jewish learning experience started in Great Britain 30 years ago. Since 1990, Limmud has spread to Jewish communities across the world.
The first Limmud Conference took place in the UK in 1980, awakening inspiration in hundreds of activists who returned home full of enthusiasm. This resulted in the idea of organizing local Limmud events. The Jerusalem Post reported in 2000 that “Every place that has Jews should have its own Limmud.”
Limmud is a dynamic, pluralistic gathering of Jewish learning. For 30 years, Limmud seminars and conferences around the globe, from Canada to Australia, Switzerland and Turkey, as well as Israel, have been attracting Jews of all ages and backgrounds, including those who have studied Jewish topics intensively and others who have very little practical knowledge.
Seminars, lectures, workshops, and discussions focus on an enormous range of topics, from social and political trends within Jewish communities and around the world, to Israeli politics; from Jewish cooking; from traditional texts, Yiddish theater, dance and music.
Among the lecturers are world renowned academics and journalists; others discuss their hobbies and inspire others with their enthusiasm. Presenters of one topic become participants in workshops on others. All participants are equal; all are free to choose topics that interest them and select the sessions they wish to attend or not. All organizers, lecturers, and presenters are volunteers.
The primary mission of Limmud International is to develop, support, and continue to sponsor programs throughout the world. We fully recognize our responsibility to support the spread of Limmud’s global success story, helping other communities benefit from the conference’s vast experience.
Gallery
2022
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Participants about us
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Yuliya Mazur
I do Limmud because this is the only place that allows Jews of all streams, all views, all denominations to learn, pray, dance, shout and have fun together enriching us all. I am proud to be a part of a diverse, young group of people building Jewish life wherever they go.
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Alyona Ryvkina
I do Limmud because the Jewishness has always been a significant part of my life - including everything from people, interests, energy, knowledge to family, values, and lifestyle.
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Milana Khodorkovskaya
I attend Limmud because its a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I was fortunate to become a part of organizing committee for Limmud Focus because I care for my community and attempted to apply my knowledge, energy, and ideas to make experience of program participants as fruitful as possible. See you at Limmud Focus in April 2016!
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Roman Sidler
I do LimmudFSU in order to help others find their way among culture, religion and identity.
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Alex Yentin
I do Limmud because I can be an agent of change that significant for me people get excited and I can see it in one place.
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Inna Penek
I do Limmud because I enjoy the sort of diverse community learning affair that we manage to build and I love that being part of the organizing committee allows me give my voice into how Limmud weekend with shape out to be.
Sponsors and Partners
Many individual donors and our global Jewish partner organizations, seeing both the potential and witnessing today’s success, provide generous funding and positive encouragement, for which we are extremely thankful. Without their backing, Limmud FSU events would simply not be possible.
For more information, please click here