What is Limmud NY?

In Hebrew, Limmud means "learning"—and that's what it's about. Limmud NY is a residential conference, a festival, a gathering of hundreds of Jews from all walks of life, all Jewish backgrounds, all lifestyles, and all ages. Limmud NY is four days of lectures, workshops, text-study sessions, discussions, exhibits, performances and much more—all planned by a community of volunteers.

What are Limmud NY's values & objectives?

Learning: To nurture and support people in their Jewish discovery, providing them with informal mentorship and educational experiences.

Volunteerism & Leadership: To foster a strong volunteer corps who, through planning, implementing, and attending our annual event, find new ways of building their Jewish identity and connecting to community.

Diversity: To provide a wide variety of Jews with numerous points-of-connection to Jewish life, including intellectual, spiritual, emotional, familial, and communal.

Who attends?

Anyone from the New York area who is interested in Jewish learning, from every age group and background, is welcome at Limmud NY: Singles, couples, kids, parents, students, homemakers, retirees; artists, lawyers, teachers, computer programmers, business executives, doctors, poets; Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazic Jews; gay Jews and straight Jews; interfaith families. Some participants have been Jewishly involved their whole lives. Others are just beginning to explore their Jewish journeys.

How many participants attended the fourth annual Limmud NY in January 2008?        

870 people of all ages and all Jewish backgrounds.

Where was Limmud NY 2008 held?

In Ellenville, NY at the Nevele Grande Resort, just a 90-minute drive from New York City.

How is Limmud NY different from other Jewish educational programs?

It’s the first and largest multi-day, multi-generational, non-denominational Jewish learning conference in North America that is planned almost entirely by volunteers. 

Who are Limmud NY’s presenters?

Every year they are different. Over 135 presenters from around the world, including scholars of text, artists, professors, musicians, rabbis, poets, activists, and performers, lead more than 350 sessions. Participants are encouraged to present their own work, and presenters attend others sessions, modeling how we can all be both ‘presenters’ and ‘participants’ in Jewish communal life. To see presenters from past conferences, click here.

Where do we plan to go from here?

Limmud NY hopes that its community of volunteers – individuals who want to shape their Jewish experience – continues to grow.  In addition, we are growing beyond the local community.  Through a grant from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, we have begun to work with leadership from Los Angeles, Boulder/Denver, and Atlanta who are adapting the Limmud model to their own communities. 

How was Limmud NY founded?

Limmud NY was established by six volunteers who were inspired by the annual Limmud Conference in England. UJA-Federation of NY—through a grant from the Picower Foundation—provided funds and staff time to seed the creation of Limmud NY. Additionally, Limmud NY became one of the select residents of Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas. The first Limmud NY conference was held in January 2005.

How is Limmud NY supported?

More than 90 volunteers devote their time to planning and creating Limmud NY. In addition, Limmud NY is supported financially by UJA-Federation of NY through a grant from the Picower Foundation, as well as the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and many other generous foundations and individuals.