Limmud! Limmud! Limmud! Huzzah!

A quick interruption from our High Holiday coverage to give you this exciting news: Registration for Limmud NY is now open! Yaaaaay!!! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Limmud, it’s an organization that runs these awesome conferences that bring together all kinds of Jews and all kinds of Jewish learning. Basically you hang out in a resort or conference center (this year it’s in Egg Harbor Township, NJ) and from early in the morning until late at night you choose from hundreds of different classes and workshops on all kinds of subjects. Everything from Israeli dance to intensive Talmud study. There are tons of different minyanim to try out, rabbis to meet, and friends to make. It’s like Burning Man, kind of, but for people who like to rock the Torah. Here’s some info from the Limmud website: What is Limmud NY?

We are a conference, a festival, a gathering of hundreds of Jews from all walks of life, all Jewish backgrounds, all lifestyles, and all ages. Limmud is four days of lectures, workshops, text-study sessions, discussions, exhibits, performances and much more—all planned by a community of volunteers.

In Hebrew, Limmud means "learning"—and that's what it's about. An opportunity to craft your own Jewish world. Explore your connection to Jewish ideas and tradition. Meet people who share your curiosity and enthusiasm. Relax, reflect, and celebrate.

What will happen

From early in the morning until late each night, you'll have an opportunity to choose from an ongoing menu of 8-12 simultaneous sessions on topics ranging from Talmud to psychology, from film to Bible, from drama to Israeli politics. Some sessions will be given by renowned lecturers; others will be discussion groups, artist circles, or workshops. Some will be small; others will be events for the entire Limmud community. There will be time to make new friends, and time to talk with presenters, so that you can truly learn from everyone.

Immerse yourself—or dip in—as much as you choose. The learning, in all the ways it unfolds, will be nonstop, inspiring, and invigorating.

Who will be there

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. Some participants have been Jewishly involved their whole lives. Others are just beginning to explore their Jewish journeys.

For more info, click here. To register, click here. Limmud NY is awesome, and I highly recommend it to any and everyone who can make the trip. The only possible reason I’d skip it this year is if I manage to make it to Limmud UK, the crown jewel of the whole Limmud organization, held this year in University of Warwick at Coventry from 23-27 December. So sign up already! Scholarships are available, and you might even be able to convince your synagogue or minyan to sponsor some or all of your registration. And if you plan on coming, be sure to let me know—we can have a Jewcy tisch! Final note to convince you to come: my sister met her boyfriend at Limmud, and last year one night I sat on the floor in some random hallway with my friends and offered limmudniks who passed by a shot from my bottle of scotch. I got three dates out of the weekend, made some great friends and Limmud is what convinced me to apply for Yeshivat Hadar, which ended up being one of the best summers of my life. If Limmud doesn’t rock your world, you’re probably incapable of having fun.