community LimmudFest New Orleans offering 100 sessions in “Big Tent” of Jewish learning New Orleans’ Big Tent of Jewish learning, LimmudFest, will have hundreds of attendees sampling about 100 presentations along 10 learning tracks the weekend of March 16. Several national and international presenters will be in town, joining a wide range of local experts that includes a burlesque performer to a Beatles expert to a culinary queen. Registration begins at 5 p.m. at Gates of Prayer in Metairie, where there will be Reform, Conservative and Orthodox services under one roof starting at 6:15 p.m., along with a prayer, song and dance option, led by Rabbi T’mimah Ickovits. Everyone will convene for dinner at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Shabbat Tisch at 8:45 p.m. On March 17, Conservative, Orthodox and “Creative” services will begin at 9 a.m., and a Reform service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Lunch follows at 11:45 a.m, then the first sessions will start at 12:45 p.m., with the final sessions starting at 4:30 p.m., followed by the third Shabbat meal at 5:45 p.m. Among the 4:30 p.m. presentations is “They Like Us! They Really Like Us? Christian Zionism in the South,” led by Southern Jewish Life
publisher Larry Brook. Evening programs will shift to the Uptown Jewish Community Center at 8 p.m. (see sidebar). On March 18, single-day registration begins at the Uptown JCC at 8:30 a.m., with sessions starting at 9 a.m. There will be a break for lunch at 12:30 p.m., including a book signing with presenters who are authors, and tours of the newly-expanded JCC. Sessions resume at 1:30 p.m. and continue until the 5 p.m. closing program. SJL file photo An international movement, LimmudFest 2016 Limmud has conferences in 80 communities around the world. Limmud oper- and babysitting will be available for ages 1 to 3. ates on the core value that everyone is a learner Trixie Minx will present “Under the Big Top: and everyone can be a teacher, and sessions are Jews in the Circus, Burlesque, and the Variety designed to be interactive. All presenters are Arts.” At the forefront of the New Orleans Burvolunteering their time, and the organizers are lesque Revival, Minx is a leader in the preseralso volunteers. vation and innovation of the art of tease. As a Programming is available for all levels and performer she is best known for incorporating experiences of Jewish learning. Young Limmud comedy into her classic style of dance. She is programming will be available for ages 4 to 12, also recognized as a premiere burlesque pro-
Barbecues. Ice cream socials. Sunday brunch. Shabbat dinners. Your own place to study, hang out and grow in your faith. Since 1934, Bama Hillel has been a welcoming home for Jewish students on the UA campus. Today, more than 700 students call it their Bama home!
March 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 19