Tisch means “table” in Yiddish and refers to informal gatherings at the Shabbat table after dinner and dessert have been served. At a tisch, people sit around and drink wine and sing songs and tell stories and share teachings in a fun, lively, and laid-back setting.
Come join us and keep the Shabbat camaraderie going!
Our Shabbat and holiday home rituals serve as opportunities to join in celebration with family and friends, and can be greatly enhanced through communal singing and music making. In this session, we will learn zmirot (shabbat table songs), niggunim (worldess melodies), and more. We'll also unpack the poetry of these songs and blessings, thinking creatively about the intersection of text and melody. All ages are welcome.
A schmooze accompanied by a booze tasting of (mostly) Scotch and Slivovitz
It is traditional to make a Kiddush (sanctification) on Shabbat morning. Unlike Friday night, the Kiddush can be made on any liquid other than water, including wine, liquor, beer, and even milk. In recent years, Kiddush clubs have sprouted in Orthodox synagogues in which a small group of aficionado rebels hop, skip and sneak out of services during the rabbi’s sermon for a private Kiddush get-together over liquor and herring. We will have our own LimmudFest Kiddush Club and sample some of those liquors and learn particularly about Single Malt Scotch Whiskey and terms like “mash,” nosing,” and “peaty” Scotches. And to give it some sense of holiness (after all it is Shabbat) we will talk a lttle about some of the non-Jews who are “sanctified” in the Torah, especially Bilaam and Jethro.
This session is made possible by funds from The Covenant Foundation.
Over the last several decades, the Jewish South has been transformed. While much national attention has been focused on the decline of small town Jewish communities in the South, more Jews live in the former Confederacy today than ever before – this is true even if you exclude that southern-most borough of New York: south Florida.This interactive presentation will examine the economic and demographic changes that have reshaped southern Jewish life and its future prospects. It will also explore the provocative question, “If Jewish life in the South is flourishing, can the same be said for southern Jewish identity?”
This session will explore the life and actions of King David as presented by the books of 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings, which often stand in stark contrast to the more classically received understanding of David presented by the books of Chronicles. It will focus on three of his relationships -- with Michal, Jonathan, and Batsheva --that help define King David ethically and politically The implications of each story arc will give us a fuller understanding of who David truly was.
During Passover we are commanded to eat differently as a constant reminder of the hardships of our ancestors. In this session, we’ll look at how some of our choices for celebration affect others. We’ll harken back to the agricultural origins of the holiday and discuss ways to recognize and support the freedom for all in our own celebrations and homes. Integrating both the ritual and menu of the Passover seder, we’ll touch on sustainable living, farmworkers, modern-day plagues and slavery, and issues of equal rights.
Recent global political developments do not live in a vacuum. Financial and energy markets shape the ways political movements develop, expand, and restructure themselves. How do trends in global trade in goods and services change the effectiveness of the BDS movement? Will ISIS strategy change once energy prices rise again? These and other timely and important questions will be discussed against the backdrop of dramatic headlines.
At a time when synagogues in small Southern towns are closing, a new synagogue in Bentonville, Arkansas, is thriving. Dedicated in 2005, it now has a rabbi, religious school, weekly Shabbat services, a sisterhood, and a brotherhood. Learn about the remarkable growth of its synagogue from two of its movers and shakers, Betsy Rosen and David Hoodis, as well as from Stan and Ellen Kessler, who go to Bentonville frequently on business with Walmart and who lived there for a time post-Katrina.
Chocolate is America’s, and arguably the world’s, favorite flavor and treat. In this session, participants will come to appreciate the history of chocolate, learn about its long and complicated path from bean to bar, understand some of the challenges in the world of chocolate, and “get a taste” of the relationship of this popular confection to the Jewish people. A highlight of this fun and interactive session will be the opportunity to experience a kosher chocolate tasting. Taste chocolate like a pro!
Limited to 50 people.
Jewish New Orleanians are widely recognized as champions of African American civil rights. But how deserving are they of that reputation, and what did Jewish support for black advancement really look like during the Crescent City’s long civil rights movement? In this session, participants will learn about key players and moments relating to Jewish engagement in the African American freedom struggle, with particular attention paid to education and housing. Participants will also develop their own ideas about the topic through the exploration of primary sources. In addition to illuminating critical aspects of New Orleans’ past, this session will provide participants with an opportunity to reflect on the lessons that history offers for understanding – and contributing to – the ongoing quest for racial justice.
It’s never too early to begin preparing for Pesach! Join artist and curator, Saul Robbins to view and discuss his curatorial project “Projecting Freedom: Cinematic Interpretations of the Haggadah.” This unique project, directed by Rabbi Leon Morris, Founding Director of Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning, engaged 11 noteworthy Jewish film and video artists throughout a year of study and discussion, entrusting them to interpret the Haggadah with their own creative style and intent. The resulting short videos correspond to the 15 segments of the Haggadah, interpreting the liturgy, prayers, songs, and rituals that are the narrative basis for the Passover Seder, the traditional ceremonial dinner of the holiday. An online Study Guide will be available, offering interpretations and provocative questions to engage audiences of all ages.
The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. THNOC’s archives, which are publicly accessible, contain many rich sources on New Orleans Jewish history. Participants will learn about genealogical resources, military records, and many other types of historical sources, as well as how to access THNOC’s archives in person and online.
Since the breakdown of the Kerry Initiative and the recent increase in terrorist activity, some Israelis to the right of the political spectrum have become more vocal about supporting a one-state solution. At the same time some Palestinians, especially the younger generation, have also expressed greater support for a one-state solution. This session will discuss each group's understanding of a one-state solution and whether such proposals will allow Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. Discussion will then turn to a detailed assessment of the risks and benefits of a two-state solution, just how close we have come to such an agreement, and why negotiations have failed repeatedly in the past.
The Jewish mystic, particularly in the Zohar and later Kabbalistic teachings, seeks to understand how an utterly transcendent, infinite, and unknowable eternal God can enter into an intimate relationship with Creation and its creatures. This session will present how the Jewish mystic bridges this seemingly irreconcilable distance.
Inspired by an art project done at 2013 LimmudBoston, this mural project is one that everyone at LimmudFest, regardless of artistic talents, can collectively create. A display of 100 blank mini-canvases and a work station filled with art supplies and Jewish magazines will be in the LBC hallway area all day Sunday. Participants will use these materials to make a work of art expressing their Limmud experience. We will watch the community mural grow throughout the day and at the close of LimmudFest artists can take a canvas home as a memento of Limmud.
Jews have been critically influential in the development of the Great White Way and modern musical theater. Coming from Yiddish theater and vaudeville, Jews have succeeded on Broadway in disproportionate numbers, including theater producers like the Shuberts and Joseph Papp and musical innovators such as Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Frank Loesser, Harnick and Bock, Kander and Ebb, Marvin Hamlisch, Stephen Schwartz, and Stephen Sondheim. Join theater critic Alan Smason as he surveys the amazing success of Jews in helping shape Broadway, playing famous recordings gleaned from the past several decades.
Typography is written language presented in aesthetic form to communicate a message to a public audience. Within the state of Israel, the typography of public spaces reflects the political systems of language preferences. Hebrew and Arabic are the two official languages of Israel, and English is used as the semi-official language. Currently, trilingual signage is a commonality of Israel’s urban environment, where letterforms of Hebrew, Arabic, and English are presented to supply a translation of the same information. This session examines the use of Hebrew, Arabic, and English typography within Israeli public spaces and explores language preferences in relation to social and cultural nationalism.
The award-winning thriller, The Cottoncrest Curse, revolves around the apparent suicide of an elderly Confederate colonel who, two decades after the end of the Civil War, viciously slit the throat of his beautiful young wife and then fatally shot himself. Sheriff Raifer Jackson, however, believes that this may be a double homicide, and suspicion falls on Jake Gold, an itinerant peddler who trades razor-sharp knives for fur and who has many deep secrets to conceal, not the least of which is that he is a Russian-Jewish immigrant in prejudiced, anti-Semitic post-Reconstruction Louisiana. Author Michael H. Rubin will discuss the historical underpinnings of The Cottoncrest Curse in a fast-paced multimedia presentation that not only illustrates the interrelationship of racism, religion, and anti-Semitism but also includes a discussion of the Jewish immigrant experience and cultural identity.
Professional chefs, London and Sara from Johnson & Wales University, have collaborated with Molly Kimball’s Eat Fit NOLA team to provide an exciting cooking demonstration featuring simple ingredient swaps for traditional recipes. London and Sara will focus on new and exciting ways to put an Eat Fit NOLA spin on traditional Jewish cuisine. They will share tips to lighten up your favorite dishes without sacrificing authenticity or flavor, with practical advice for slashing sugar, salt, and calories.
This session is made possible by funds from The Covenant Foundation.
In Israel, debate and dissent are seen as legitimate expressions of care and engagement in Israel’s vibrant political conversation. However, such discussions in the American Jewish community often result in hurtful judgment and high emotions. Shutting down conversation should not be an option on an issue so central to our identity. How can we have constructive conversations about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that don’t end in shouting matches? In these sessions participants will learn a proven approach to navigating such sensitive conversations, including “The 3 No’s” (the 3 areas that most often lead to conflict), how to sidestep pitfalls, and how to facilitate a more constructive discussion.
Part One attendance recommended but not required for Part Two participation.
In this session we will decorate a fun mask for Purim. Kids (their parents may join them) will show their creativity using decorative materials, such as tissue paper, beads, feathers, sequins, and fabrics to create a colorful and unique mask.
One of the most renowned contemporary artists of his generation, Kehinde Wiley made his initial mark on the art world with bold portraits of African American men posed against vibrant backgrounds and striking confident poses familiar to viewers from canonical works of Western art. In recent years Wiley’s work has gone global, with the artist’s “World Stage” series transporting his signature aesthetic to locales as diverse as China, Brazil, India, and Nigeria. In 2011 Wiley took this project to Israel, recruiting subjects in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Lod. The remarkable portraits that resulted feature sitters of Ethiopian, Mizrahi, and Askenazi Jewish descent, as well as Arab Israelis, all enveloped by intricate backdrops and displayed in custom frames inspired by Jewish papercuts and Near Eastern decorative traditions. Wiley’s World Stage: Israel, exhibited at the Jewish Museum in New York in 2012, captures the often overlooked religious and ethnic diversity and interconnectedness of contemporary Israeli society. In this seminar-style session, we will explore these arresting portraits and the issues they engage.
“You don’t look Jewish…” What does this phrase mean? Why do we still use it? How does the idea of “looking” Jewish create invisible, unspoken boundaries for the Jewish community? There have always been Jewish people of color, and there have always been tensions, joys and opportunities in the confrontation with that reality. This interactive panel discussion will give space for an honest and open conversation about racial diversity in our community.
Theology and the way we conceptualize the divine influence all aspects of Jewish life: from our worship to the way our organizations and institutions appear and operate. Classically, the field of theology has been governed by male voices, and therefore the way that people thought about and talked about God was in terms of male attributes. Rather than creating new ways of looking at God, through language and imagery, feminist theologians look within Jewish tradition to reclaim pre-existing ideas and use tradition as a basis for revolutionary ways of thinking. Come explore how feminist theology is not only theology conceptualized by women and for women, but instead is theology for everyone.
This session is made possible by funds from The Covenant Foundation.
Join Meryl for a fun-filled time of singing, dancing, and silliness! Music is a wonderful tool for creating rituals, learning Hebrew vocabulary, and enhancing Shabbat and holidays. Parents will learn new Jewish songs (or perhaps enjoy singing along to old favorites!) that they can bring home to their families. Knowledge of Hebrew and possession of a beautiful singing voice are NOT required! This session is geared toward children 5 years old and under with an adult.
In Israel, debate and dissent are seen as legitimate expressions of care and engagement in Israel’s vibrant political conversation. However, such discussions in the American Jewish community often result in hurtful judgment and high emotions. Shutting down conversation should not be an option on an issue so central to our identity. How can we have constructive conversations about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that don’t end in shouting matches? In these sessions participants will learn a proven approach to navigating such sensitive conversations, including “The 3 No’s” (the 3 areas that most often lead to conflict), how to sidestep pitfalls, and how to facilitate a more constructive discussion.
Hate crimes are very different from other types of criminal activity: crimes based on one’s identity (both real and perceived) are intentionally very personal. By design, they are committed to send messages to entire communities, making them reverberate beyond the individual victim, and they can (and often do) erupt if t not addressed properly. There is now a nationwide push for comprehensive hate crimes statutes in every state. Come learn about the state-to-state differences in hate crimes and what more we can all do moving forward.
In the 1930s and 40’s Jewish dancing was in vogue. After the formation of the state of Israel a new kind of dancing became very popular, and Eastern European Jewish dancing almost disappeared. "Hava Nagila" is one dance that spans both eras. In this session, we will learn and do both kinds of dances and in that way help revive Jewish dancing.
Prevention and treatment of inherited diseases have advanced exponentially as we learn more about their genetic bases. However in many cases prevention relies on discarding embryos or terminating pregnancies. If we can alter the genetics that cause the disease so that the defective gene is no longer present in family members, then the disease disappears from that family forever. Why would we not want to do this and what does Judaism have to do with these decisions? What are the risks and what else might we want to do with these technologies once we know how to use them? Where should we fear to tread?
As peace negotiations are frozen, international courts and multilateral procedures are becoming the new war. Security Council Resolutions at the United Nations, accusations in the international criminal court, potential cases in the International Court of Justice, and arrest warrants in national courts in Europe are some of the new tools. How do both parties use these institutions offensively and defensively? What is the future of lawfare and how will it change politics and military operations?
In this discussion panel about Jewish social justice, we will hear from representatives of three Jewish social justice advocacy organizations in the New Orleans community: AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps: New Orleans; Bend the Arc: New Orleans; and the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) New Orleans. The panel of activists will be discussing the issues that their respective organizations are engaged in. Learn how Jewish values inform their work, and why.
Panelists: Dani Levine (AVODAH), Jakob Rosenzweig (Bend the Arc), and Michelle Erenberg (National Council of Jewish Women)
Moderator: Alison McCrary (New Orleans Independent Police Monitor)
Photographer, video artist, printmaker, and former dancer, Leona Strassberg Steiner has lived half her life in Israel and half in the United States. In this session we will explore different ways that we may open our hearts and minds to imagine the other (Palestinians, refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan). We will begin our journey by examining some art pieces Leona has created to help us see and accept the other as ourselves. We will then explore the other using different techniques; meditating on openness, and seeing how we ourselves can be seen as the other. If time allows, we will create collages of our experience. No art knowledge is required for this session; the only thing you need to bring is an open heart and mind.
Come learn about how technological innovations are enhancing modern Jewish life and let's explore how they are hindering modern Jewish life as well. We will examine Facebook, Twitter, JDate, viral videos, Times of Israel, and more to find out how the advancement of technology is changing the Jewish world.
From the Passover Seder to the Shabbat table, wine plays a significant role in Jewish practice. In addition to its ritual purposes, wine and other alcoholic beverages can bring people together but also tear them apart. Together, we will explore and engage with the multiple voices in talmudic thought on the consumption of wine. We’ll gain some new insight into wine while seeing how rabbinic perspectives on wine can be just as diverse as those in contemporary society.
Kosher wine will be served during the session.
The 1948 War of Independence was fought from the Galilee to the Negev against native and invading Arab armies. The Israelis built, organized, and somehow equipped the first Jewish Army in two thousand years, with its nucleus being members of Britain's Jewish Brigade. Colorful leaders such as Ben-Gurion and Moshe Dayan, the Mufti of Jerusalem and King Abdullah, determined the course of the war. This session will analyze the role of these leaders and the battles during the war. Israeli courage and skill produced victory, of a sort.
