We are thrilled to return to our campus for an exciting day full of learning, inspiration, community, creativity, and fun. Whether this is your first Yom Limmud or your 13th, this is not a day to miss!
 
The day will include various sessions to choose from whether you want to learn more about the history of Holocaust memory, improve your communication skills, practice gentle yoga, learn about book banning and the first amendment, try on your improv skills, and more! We will join together for a community-wide session exploring Antisemitism and Hate in America today and conclude the day with “Through the Years: Interviews Celebrating LBT's 75th Anniversary.”

In classic Yom Limmud style, you will leave LBT well nourished, not only with learning, but with food! There’s breakfast…there’s lunch…there are snacks…and of course, cookies!
 
We will also offer a Religious School day of Camp on our campus for our 2-12-year-olds throughout Yom Limmud for our students to engage in their own learning and fun.

We look forward to learning with you!
Rabbi Lisa Berney, Yom Limmud Co-Chairs, Scott Greenberg and Danielle Cohen, Education Intern Tim Gaylord,
and the 2024 Yom Limmud Committee

Shabbat Morning Minyan (beginning at 9:30am)
Rabbi Scott Goldberg and Cantor Patti Linsky
Join our Shabbat Service as our clergy leads us in prayer. We so hope you’ll join in our soulful, nourishing community – in person or via livestream.  Please note that Shabbat Morning Minyan will begin at the regular start time of 9:30am.

Communication in Conflict: Practical Tools to Resolve Negative Interactions
Lee Broekman
We all have our pet peeves and triggers that cause us to shut down or lash out. Instead of addressing issues assertively, we tend to avoid confrontation or handle situations poorly. And then we feel badly about ourselves and hurt by others. Join us at this workshop to understand where healthy opposition might downward spiral to unproductive, costly conflict. Learn how to recognize conflict triggers and ace interactions by choosing beliefs, behaviors, and statements that will improve results and relationships.

Lee Broekman, professor, coach and trainer, provides communication, leadership and management guidance to professionals and teams. An expert in persuasion, presentation and interpersonal communication, Lee trains decision makers in top organizations to communicate, collaborate and innovate effectively. A communication professor for 20 years, Lee has taught courses at USC’s Annenberg and Marshall Schools, teaches presentation skills at UCLA School of Law, and is on the executive leadership faculty of the Four Seasons Hotel. Lee is the author of Stop Blocking, Start Connecting: 8 Key Skills of Successful Communicators.

Yoga: Gentle Flow & Stretch
Natalie Bennett
A slow and gentle flow practice with modifications for all levels and a thoughtful approach to safely build strength and flexibility, while reducing stress and anxiety.

Natalie has been practicing yoga for 30 years and teaching it for twelve. She has her Level 1 and Level 2 certifications through Yoga Alliance. Natalie’s classes are an eclectic mix of Hatha yoga and she welcomes all levels. Natalie is a born and raised Valley Girl and lives in Sherman Oaks with her two daughters.

What Went Wrong? The Rise and Fall of Holocaust Memory in Germany
Michael Rothberg, PhD
Germany is admired around the world for the way it has come to terms with its National Socialist past. Although it took decades to develop and met much resistance along the way, a novel and unique Holocaust memory culture did indeed develop in Germany during the 1980s and 1990s. In the past two decades, however, certain tensions and weaknesses in this “German model” of memory have become evident. The last four years, in particular, have seen acrimonious debates—some of which Michael Rothberg has participated in—about what kind ofmemory culture is appropriate to the kind of diverse society German has become. This lecture will survey the rise of German Holocaust memory and reflect on its limits—in particular, its difficulty in confronting other histories of violence beyond the Holocaust and in recognizing the varied relations that citizens and residents of Germany have to the National Socialist past.

Michael Rothberg, PhD is the 1939 Society Samuel Goetz Chair in Holocaust Studies, Chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, and Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of The Implicated Subject: Beyond Victims and Perpetrators, Multidirectional Memory: Remembering the Holocaust in the Age of Decolonization, and Traumatic Realism: The Demands of Holocaust Representation. The 2021 German translation of Multidirectional Memory prompted a national debate in the mainstream press about the relationship between the Holocaust and colonialism.

Meet Your Cousins: The Apes, Monkeys, and Lemurs 
Sharon Boorstin 
Humans are primates, the group of mammals that also includes apes, monkeys, and lemurs. They share 96 to 99 percent of our DNA! Join a virtual world tour to meet the lovable lemurs of Madagascar, the old and new-world monkeys like the “Bleeding Heart” baboons of Ethiopia and the pygmy marmosets of the Amazon. We’ll visit the swinging—and screaming—(lesser-ape) gibbons of Southeast Asia, and finally the great apes: the docile orangutans and gorillas, the brainy chimpanzees, and the “make love not war” bonobos—where females rule.

Sharon Boorstin is an instructor and chair of the advisory board at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UCLA. She has written extensively about lifestyle, travel, and food for publications including the Los Angeles Times, Bon Appetit, and Smithsonian, and is the author of the memoir/cookbook Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship (Harper-Collins, 2002.) Sharon wrote multiple screenplays for feature films and TV with her husband, Paul Boorstin. She also was the restaurant critic for the (late) LA Herald-Examiner, and a docent at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo.

Songs for the Soul: Music of Healing in Jewish Tradition
Cantor Sara Hass and Rabbi Scott Goldberg
We invite you to join Rabbi Goldberg and Cantor Hass for a session entitled Songs for the Soul: Music of Healing in Jewish Tradition. For millennia, Judaism has generated wisdom, poetry, and musical gems that enable us to feel a sense of healing during challenging times. Rabbi Goldberg and Cantor Hass will interweave Jewish texts and songs, ancient through contemporary, to create a space of comfort and healing in our community. This session will provide opportunities to learn, listen, and simply dwell. Of course, you may sing along if you would like--but no musical experience is required!

The Aging Mind
Dr. Catherine Lindsay, MD
When is age-related memory loss no longer considered normal? This session will review the continuum of cognitive changes that can occur in older adults. We will define various types of cognitive impairment and cover the diagnosis and management for these conditions. We will discuss how to promote brain health and prevent cognitive decline. This session will give you practical tips for supporting a friend or family member who may be experiencing memory loss.  

Dr. Catherine Lindsay, MD is a clinical instructor in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her medical degree at the University of Utah, School of Medicine before returning to Los Angeles to complete both her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Geriatrics at UCLA. Her professional interests include osteoporosis, medical education, and dementia care. In her free time, Catherine enjoys hiking, traveling, and playing alto saxophone.    

In the Hot Seat: How the First Amendment is Shaping Today’s Conversations
Allison Lee, Kent Raygor, and Stacy Lieberman
The last two years have shown an undeniable and unprecedented attack on free expression in public education and libraries. From July 2021 to June 2023, PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans recorded 5,894 instances of book bans across 41 states. At the same time, we have witnessed an alarming increase in antisemitism and hate speech on college campuses, and growing calls to redefine what is constitutionally protected speech. Join us for an all-star panel-conversation about what it means to advocate for free speech in this moment, and learn what you can do to combat educational censorship, book bans, and hate speech.

Allison Lee serves as the Managing Director of PEN America Los Angeles, and organization dedicated to celebrating and uniting writers and reads, and defending the freedoms that make it possible. She has over thirty-years of experience in nonprofit development, community engagement, and communications. Better known to most of Leo Baeck as master rugelach-baker, congregational trip coordinator, and rabbi wrangler, Allison received her B.A. in Political Science and American Studies from Tufts University.

Kent Raygor is a partner with Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP in Los Angeles.  He is a business litigator, specializing in constitutional, media, entertainment, and intellectual property law disputes. The most significant part of his constitutional litigation experience has involved First Amendment claims under the U.S. Constitution (the right to free exercise of religion, freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the Government), and related claims under the California and other States’ constitutions.  

Stacy Lieberman is President and CEO of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles where she guides the Foundation’s philanthropic priorities to enhance the Los Angeles Public Library’s critical mission to enrich, educate, and empower every Angeleno. Building on an early career in book publishing, Stacy has held senior leadership positions at iconic L.A. institutions, including The Broad, the Autry Museum of the American West, and the Skirball Cultural Center. She received her B.A. in English and French from Tufts University—where she was one-time roommates with Allison Lee!—and her M.A. in English from Wayne State University. She is member of IKAR.

Israel after October 7: the Zionist Left and the future of Israeli Democracy
Tamar Hofnung, PhD
Prior to October 7, 2023 Israel was in the midst of an unprecedented political and constitutional crisis sparked by the right-wing government's radical plan toreform the judiciary. The pro-democracy protests that erupted brought hundredsof thousands into the streets, and created a vast activist network led by the Zionist left and center of the country. After October 7, this same networkmobilized immediately to assist the traumatized and displaced survivors –filling a void left by the Netanyahu government. While the countryis temporarily unified in the fight against Hamas, what happens after? Can thecatastrophe of October 7 renew the momentum for change, bring about differentleadership, and secure Israel’s democratic future?

Dr. Tamar Hofnung, PhD is the Israel Institute Fellow at the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Previously, Tamar was the recipient of the Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley's Sociology Department. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specializing in human rights through the joint program "Human Rights Under Pressure" with Freie Universität Berlin. Tamar’s research focuses on the dynamics that govern gender and racial equality policies in Israel and the United States. Her scholarly contributions were recognized by the Annenberg Foundation Prize in American Studies and the Jacques Nass Political Economy Prize of Excellence, awarded by the Israeli Ministry of Justice.  

Yes, and... Improv is for everyone!
Jeremy Broekman
Come join Upright Citizens Brigade alum Jeremy Broekman as he shares the basics of improvisational theater in this fun workshop showing LBTers the tools, exercises and tricks of the trade. We will empower those famous for delivering bad 'dad' jokes to transform into aspiring comedians ... or at the very least give anyone present a chance to laugh and be laughed at, I mean with :) In addition to laughter, Improv is also a great way to practice communication skills like listening, connecting, and quick thinking. Join us as we uncover how Improv exercises, skits and scene work can improv(e) our every-day life.

Jeremy Broekman has 20+ years experience as a creative director/publicist via his advertising/PR agency, BROEKMAN communications. He recently transitioned into comedy and acting with recent performances at Upright Citizens Brigade. Jeremy began his career at Universal Studios managing over 50 feature film campaigns.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Beginners
Mark Green, PhD
Have you ever wondered how Netflix guesses what movies you are going to like?  How is it possible for a computer to learn, and what does that even mean?  How worried should you be about AI, and are you worrying about the right things?  Does AI “think” differently than we do?  What does the existence of AI imply about what it means to be human?  I promise I am serious about the “for beginners” part in the title?  Come and get a user-friendly introduction to Artificial Intelligence.

Mark Green, PhD is Distinguished Research Professor of Mathematics at UCLA and Director Emeritus of the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics.  He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and chairs the National Academies’ Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics.  He is Special Advisor for Strategic Initiatives in Data Science to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activities at UCLA.  He is also a nice Jewish boy.