Don't miss the only Sydney opportunity to hear two of the top presenters from Limmud Oz Melbourne.

Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Professor of Talmud at New York University. He received his B.A. from Oberlin College, his M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the Columbia University. His scholarship focuses on Talmudic stories, the development of Jewish law, and topics in Jewish ethics.

He will be speaking from 5:45pm - 6:35pm on Storytellers and the art of Talmudic storytelling.

This session we will examine the narrative art of Talmudic stories, with close attention to structure, wordplay, irony, figurative language and the use of biblical verses. We explore how the Talmudic storytellers communicated their didactic messages and how stories relate to their Talmudic contexts, including the relationship between Talmudic law and story.

Joshua Shanes is Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Center for Israel Studies at the College of Charleston. He has published widely on modern Jewish politics and religion - as well as antisemitism and contemporary American politics - in a wide range of academic and popular journals.

He will be talking on The Politics of Antisemitism from 6:45pm - 7:35pm.
Antisemitism – anti-Jewish animosity, rhetoric, and violence – has increased dramatically in recent years. At the same time, confusion over its definition has led to misunderstandings and, in some cases, cynical political exploitation of the charge. Joshua Shanes will review the history of antisemitism, the myths and lies that lay at its heart, with a particular focus on its contemporary political exploitation in the United States.