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Limmud is a British-Jewish educational charity which produces a large annual winter conference and several other events around the year on the theme of Jewish learning. Limmud it is not affiliated to any strand of Judaism and markets itself as open to "anyone interested in Jewish learning".

Founded in 1980, Limmud has a very small staff and is largely run by volunteers. Limmud comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to learn," and is a name meant to reflect the goal of the organisation. The model has spread to several other countries and there are now locally-run Limmud events in the United States (New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Colorado), Canada (from Toronto), Israel, Australia, Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt/M., Munich), Hungary, Russia, South Africa and elsewhere.

Clive Lawton, its co-founder and former part time executive director, is the figure best associated with Limmud. In 2006 Limmud recruited its first full time Executive Director after a period of rapid growth. Raymond Simonson - former Director of UJIA Makor: The Centre for Informal Jewish Education - was appointed in May 2006.

Limmud Conference and other events
Limmud Conference, the organisation's flagship event, regularly attracts more than 2,000 participants, and was inspired by the CAJE conference in the United States. Other events include LimmudFest, held in August, and a yearly schedule of single day conferences. Typical of Limmud's events is that they regularly offer between 100 and 200 sessions on any one day, spanning religious, cultural and political aspects of Jewish life.

Crucially in a community that is 85% Orthodox, Limmud has been rejected by key Orthodox Figures such as Rabbi Yossi Chazan of Manchester and Organisations such as the Rabbinic Council of the Provinces and the London and Manchester and Federation Beth Dins (Rabbinic Courts.) The London Beth Din's Head Dayan (Judge,) Hannoch Ehrentreu, ruled that it is forbidden in Halachah (Jewish Law,) for Orthodox Rabbis to attend. Although now retired, this ruling had been recently re-emphasised by his successor Dayan Gelley. Despite this controversy, many Orthodox rabbis have chosen to participate in and present at Limmud events in recent years. Amongst them are R' Norman Lamm (the Chancellor of Yeshivah University), R' Shlomo Riskin (the Chief Rabbi of Efrat), R' Abraham Levy (the spiritual leader of the Spanish and Portuguese Communities), R' Nathan Lopes Cardozo, R' Joseph Telushkin, Dayan Michael Broyde, R' Michael Melchior and R' Yitz Greenberg. Participants come from right across the religious spectrum.

Limmuds in other countries
Since its inception, Limmud UK has inspired festivals in about 40 communities worldwide – each producing a unique festival while adhering to the same core values of volunteerism, diversity, and learning of Limmud UK. Each festival aims to reflect the diversity of its community by creating an accessible cross-communal and cross-generational experience.

Limmud Toronto
After years of planning by local volunteers, Limmud Toronto was first held on November 21, 2004 at York University. Over 400 participants enjoyed close to 50 sessions, including a Young Limmud program for children aged 5 to 12. Three years later on December 2nd, 2007, Limmud Toronto was held at the University of Toronto. Despite coinciding with the first major snowfall of the year, the conference drew nearly 500 enthusiastic, however late, participants. Limmud Toronto had its third conference, again at the University of Toronto, on February 15th, 2009. As of February 2010, plans are underway for Limmud 2011.

Limmud Toronto's website

Articles

 * The Jewel in European Jewry's Crown Jerusalem Post December 28, 2009
 * "It's more academic than academia" The Guardian December 16, 2008
 * A whole new, wikified Jewish world? Jerusalem Post December 31, 2007
 * "Judaism's Way of learning to Live With Christmas" The Times December 21, 2002
 * "Where Were You for Christmas?" Ha'aretz January 6, 2008
 * Deborah Lipstadt interview by Cara Wides in SomethingJewish.co.uk February 2007
 * "Limmud to be Biggest Ever" The Jewish Chronicle November 26, 2009
 * "Limmudfest Proves the Peak of Diversity" The JC September 3, 2009