Limmud Seattle 2019

This session explores what is going on in the world today regarding anti-Semitism by addressing the following:
• What is different about anti-semitism today, both in our country and around the world?
• Why is anti-semitism happening? Why is it growing?
• What can we do about it? Can we learn anything from Pittsburgh?

What are your hopes and dreams for your Jewish family? What values and traditions do you want to pass on? What kind of Jewish identity do you want to help your children develop? How are you going to do it? Just like any other part of parenting, these things don’t happen on their own! Join us to think intentionally about your goals, and hear from a variety of parents about their goals and choices that helped them achieve those goals, such as Jewish preschool, day school, summer camp, synagogue engagement, home based choices, travel and more.

Rites of passage are few and far between in our culture, which makes a bar or bat mitzvah a unique cultural opportunity as well as a religious one. While you may have an idea of the “typical” bar or bat mitzvah ceremony and celebration, there are MANY paths that look quite different depending on your family, child, and goals. This session will help you imagine what’s possible, clarify what’s important for your family, and learn from the stories of families who have successfully navigated that process, including those who don’t believe in G-d, are dyslexic, are artists, or didn’t want a rite of passage in a big social setting.

Many Israelis see Judaism as primarily a tool to preserve Diaspora Jewish identity, and of secondary importance in the Jewish State. But, some Zionist thinkers imagine the future of Israel as the center of world Jewish civilization, deeply rooted in Jewish values and practices. Is Israeli Judaism forever fated to swing between radical secularism and ultra-Orthodoxy? We will explore how re-framing the Israel-Diaspora conversation around Jewish values could transform Israel, world Jewry and Judaism itself.