Limmud 2024

Some of our JVS team attended the Limmud 2024 festival, where we learned, made valuable new connections, developed existing ones and gathered inspiration for future events and collaborations. Such as musical evenings, eco-friendly initiatives, and nature walks. Here are some of the workshop highlights: Naomi Verber’s (Eco-Judaism) workshop ‘the beavers are back’. Naomi highlighted the vital intersection of Jewish identity and environmental responsibility, and how this is an integral part of Jewish life. Using a fun quiz, she showed the importance of sharing positive developments as something to build on. Such as China peaking in emissions, the EU’s nature restoration law, and the return of beavers to the UK for flood management. Along a similar theme, we went to an engaging panel discussion ‘A Torah response to the climate crisis’. The speakers, which included our patron Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, explored how Torah teachings can guide our response to the climate crisis, noting that traditional laws around nature are no longer enough to address the scale of the issue. They called for a spiritual and paradigm shift in how we relate to the environment, emphasising the need for a deeper religious identity around environmentalism. The panelists stressed the importance of creating a shared language and communal action, drawing on Jewish teachings to inspire wider environmental consciousness and activism. We were happy to get outside and go on the popular fungus foray, with Michael Green of the London Funghus Network and Tilla Crowne (artist, founder and co-editor of satirical zine Private Oy). It was amazing to discover so many different funghi growing in unexpected places, a gentle reminder to get us to pay closer attention to our surroundings. Another standout was Leah Thorn’s powerful talk. As an activist and filmmaker, she shared her thought-provoking and bold film about the fast fashion industry and its devastating contribution to the climate crisis. Which also focused on how women and girls are disproportionately impacted. We met Beejhy Barhany , Vegan Ethiopian chef, activist and founder of Beta Israel North America Cultural foundation. A nonprofit, dedicated to elevating Jewish Ethiopian voices in the broader Jewish community. These experiences have inspired us to take further meaningful action for the environment, social justice and animal welfare.