Program 2026.
Sunday 07 June 2026
10:00am
Larry David’s Torah | Adina Roth
Larry David is quintessentially American Jewish. The neuroses, the intonations, the obsessions, the preoccupations, the subject matter. And yet, he can be petty, unkind and alienating and shallow. Is this also ‘Jewish’? Beyond the entertainment, this session will ask the question, what is the Torah that Larry David might come to teach us?
News and brews: Israel update | Shahar Burla & Sharon Berger
Join some of the The Jewish Independent team for a deep dive into all the latest news in Israel and the Middle East. Bring your coffee and we will try shed light on the upcoming elections, proposed political reforms, tentative ceasefires and concerning trends in challenging times.
11:00am
Schlemiel, schlimazel: the Jewish loser in the 21st century | Jacob Sacher
“I was that schmuck, that putz, that yutz, that schmendrick, that schlemiel, that schmegegge, that schlub, that zhlob, that schmo, that schnook... Jews, we have 100 different words for loser.” — Gary Gulman
From George Costanza to Nathan Fielder, the loser has become one of the defining figures of Jewish comedy. We'll explore the history of the schlemiel (and other losers) from Yiddish folklore and literature to contemporary film and television. We'll ask why the loser is so essential to contemporary understandings of Jewish identity, and ponder whether the schlemiel is just a comic archetype, or if he (or she) represents a distinctly Jewish way of navigating life.
Queer Jewish weddings today: law and lived experience | Shoshana Gottlieb-Beker & Rahel Berkovits
What options are there for a halakhically committed person who desires love, intimacy and partnership – including marriage – with someone of their own gender? What can and do Jewish queer weddings look like today? In this session halakhic expert Rahel Berkovits and queer advocate and teacher Shoshana Gottlieb-Beker will examine these questions from the perspective of both Jewish law and lived experience. Expect honest, open conversation and some gorgeous photos from Shoshana’s wedding last year!
12:00pm
Sex and sanctity: consent and individual autonomy in sexual encounters [75 mins] | Rahel Berkovits
What does Judaism have to say about issues surrounding consent to sex? How does a person's individual desire affect their partner? What does tradition say about sex while drunk, or while partners are fighting? What values and challenges can rabbinic texts impart for us, living with modern sexual norms? In this session we will analyse texts from the Torah and Talmud through to modern responsa on issues relating to sex.
Is antizionism antisemitism? | Joshua Dabelstein
What do Jews mean when they say antisemitism — and is it the same thing institutions, activists, and the broader public mean? This session explores the growing gap between classical understandings of antisemitism and the realities of contemporary anti-Jewish hostility, examining where antizionism fits within that divide. It argues that many current misunderstandings stem from a failure to recognise antizionism as a distinct and modern form of anti-Jewish hatred rather than simply political criticism.
1:00pm - Lunch
2:00pm
Golem girls | Shoshana Gottlieb-Beker
What is going on with the resurgence of the Golem legend, and why are so many young people utterly obsessed with it? Shoshana takes you on a deep dive through Golem literature, memes and theory.
Talking with ourselves in times of alienation | Zalman Kastel, Mohamed Dukuly and Ms C Bennett
Conversations within communities and families over the last few years have been hard. In times of division, misrepresentation, polarisation, fear and hate, what we say among ourselves matters. Some internal conversations provide comfort or insight, some descend into conflict and still others feel futile. In this session Jewish and Muslim community members and bridge-builders reflect on their experiences of intra-communal communication. What has been difficult? What has worked well? What are some insights? The panelists are all deeply committed to their own communities and have participated in the work of Together For Humanity that fosters interfaith and intercultural understanding, belonging and dignity for all.
This session is the first in a set of reflections on difficult conversations. The second will broaden the lens to look at conversations between different communities.
3:00pm
Beyond bagels and lox: Yiddish as a living Jewish language | Jacob Sacher & Sarah Charak
Sure we love bagels and lox, but there is so much more to Yiddish than food names and insults! Yiddish is the language in which Ashkenazi Jews talked, argued, dreamed and lived for a thousand years, and while it is no longer the mame loshn (mother tongue) of millions, Yiddish lives on in ultra-orthodox communities, artistic spaces, academia and beyond. Join Jacob and Sarah, two new-ish students of Yiddish, for a lightning history and linguistics tour, and leave with a deeper understanding of (your) Ashkenazi Jewish culture.
This session is presented in collaboration with the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre & National Library.
Talking with others in times of alienation | Zalman Kastel, Mohamed Dukuly, Ms C Bennett and Kate Xavier
In times of division, misrepresentation, polarisation, fear and hate, talking to members of other communities is often frustrating and fraught. Having brave conversations is not easy. In this session Jewish, Christian and Muslim community members and bridge-builders reflect on their experiences of inter-communal communication. What has been difficult? What has worked? What are some insights? The panelists are all deeply committed to their own communities and have participated in the work of Together For Humanity that fosters interfaith and intercultural understanding, belonging and dignity for all.
This session is the second in a set of reflections on difficult conversations. The first focused on intra-communal conversation.
4:00pm
Stephen Schwartz and the Judaic musical | Gregory Uzelac
While the musical contributions of American Jewish composer Stephen Schwartz are well-known and beloved by Jews and non-Jews alike, Schwartz's creative interactions with world religions, let alone Judaism, are less centered. This session looks at Schwartz's work through the lens of religious studies and Jewish studies, from Godspell to Prince of Egypt, ultimately highlighting the way in which themes of faith, dogma, and morality inform his work through a particularly modern, culturally Jewish modality.
If I were on the Gaza Peace Board: a real-life Giving Circle dilemma | Elisheva Madar
What does Gaza look like now, how do we rebuild it, and why is it something the Jewish diaspora and global governments should care about? Explore how philanthropy and strategic investment can help shape a more democratic, equal and peaceful future for all Israelis and Palestinians through the work of the New Israel Fund and its civil society partners. This interactive session will invite participants to grapple with real-world giving dilemmas and collectively decide how to allocate a live $1,800 grant to organisations working on the ground to rebuild Gaza.
5:00pm
Torat Hayyim: A living Torah, eternal and relevant in modern times [90 mins] | Rahel Berkovits
What is the interplay between Torah and real-life situations? How do ancient texts apply to modern times? How should historical time and place affect change within Jewish law? In this session we will explore Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits' understanding of how the halakhic system workds and the Divine partnership between God and human beings. We will look at this through the lens of Berkovits' writings on the issues of conversion and women and Jewish law.
Frequently Asked Kvetch'ns: the Jewish quiz | Dane Stern
Limmud Oz’s annual trivia is back for 2026. Expect lively rounds on Judaism, Israel, Jews in Australia and Jews around the world, plus surprise bonus rounds.
Which company makes Bissli? What are the names of Melbourne’s Jewish and Holocaust museums? Which was the most recent Best Picture Oscar winner named after someone Jewish? Create a team or we’ll find teammates for you!
Monday 08 June 2026
10:00am
We should all be hoarders: the Cairo Genizah | Shoshana Gottlieb-Beker
The discovery of the Cairo Genizah has given us priceless (often hilarious) insights into how generations of Jewish people lived throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. Let's explore what the Genizah is, why it's so cool, and some of the funnier excerpts found within it.
From Rabbi to robot: AI in Jewish law and practice | Judith Levitan
What are the dilemmas and decisions we face when cutting edge AI collides with ancient Jewish law and tradition? Can LLMs (Large Language Models) replace Rabbis or have they already? How will Judaism and Jewish practice adapt? These are some of the questions we explore in this session.
11:00am
Samuel David Luzzatto: prophet of compassionate Judaism | Benjamin Elton
One of the most outstanding figures of nineteenth century Jewish scholarship, and a brilliant representative of Italian Jewry, Samuel David Luzzatto (1800-1865) was a researcher, teacher and philosopher of Judaism. Although few could equal his intellectual achievements, covering almost every area of Jewish thought, his consistent message was to prioritise the heart over the head. He taught that the soul of Judaism is not cerebral activity, but compassion, loving kindness and concern for others and their wellbeing. This is a message we need to rediscover today.
Why are strategies to combat antisemitism failing? | Joshua Dabelstein
Why do so many efforts to combat antisemitism fail to recognise or respond to the hostility Jews are actually experiencing? This session examines how existing legal, cultural, and institutional frameworks remain fixated on older models of anti-Jewish hatred while struggling to understand antizionism and the way it operates today. It argues that more effective responses depend on recognising antizionism as a functionally distinct form of anti-Jewish hostility with its own language, logic, and permission structures.
12:00pm
Building a secure and resilient Jewish community – beyond the CSG | Mitch Burnie
Over the years through necessity our community has developed the cultural and physical infrastructure to keep us safe and happy – from Jewish schools to security and sports clubs. But as we head into an uncertain future of climate change impacted realities, how can we make sure we continue to invest in our resiliency and security? Food, energy, connection? Let’s talk about it!
Jewish abortion ethics: neither choice nor life [75 mins] | Rahel Berkovits
What do Jewish texts say about abortion? How do they conceptualise an unborn fetus – as an indepdent entity or part of the mother's body? When does life begin? Whose rights take precedence – the mother's or the fetus? In this session we will explore sources from the Talmud to modern legal rabbinic literature on this challenging topic.
1:00pm - Lunch
2:00pm
All you need is love (of Torah): the Beatles and Jewish wisdom | Tommy Sterling
What can The Beatles teach us from a Jewish perspective? Far more than nostalgia or clever wordplay. Their songs explore love, loneliness, hope, community, longing, and the search for meaning — themes that resonate deeply with Jewish wisdom. This talk looks at classic Beatles lyrics through the lens of Torah, rabbinic thought, and Jewish experience, showing how enduring popular music can open surprising paths into timeless spiritual and ethical questions.
The amazing story of Israel’s Beresheet space mission | David Shteinman
Engineer David Shteinman on will present the fascinating story of Israel's Beresheet mission – the first privately funded space mission to the Moon that landed in 2019 – and its unique Australian connection. He will cover its typical Israeli beginnings, the process of designing and developing the mission, its outcome, and the positive effect it had had on private lunar missions to this day.