By Deb Silverthorn

Limmud North America is bringing its trademark “Festival of Jewish Ideas” program to Dallas Sunday, March 23, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. Registration is open, with kosher boxed lunches available, for the event. It will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Aaron Family JCC.

“We’re excited to celebrate Jewish life in all its forms,” said Rabbi David Singer, CEO of Limmud North America. “Coming together to learn about texts and politics, about food and philosophy, is an experience that changes lives.

“We’ve got uplifting voices joining us to connect from every angle of Jewish life,” Singer continued. “Our welcoming platform will bring together people who know each other and the opportunity to meet new people too. I’m glad to bring the magic of Limmud home to Dallas.”

Through local, national and international programs, in-person and virtually, Limmud works to connect the dots in Jewish living, elevating curiosity and embracing ongoing commitment to Jewish learning. Each year, more than 15,000 people connect from across the spectrum of religious practices and ethnic backgrounds to propel participants forward on their Jewish journeys.

In addition to the Dallas Federation, the March 23 program is presented with community partners including: congregations Anshai Torah (Plano), Beth-El (Fort Worth), Beth Shalom (Arlington), Beth Torah (Richardson), Shaare Tefilla (Dallas), Shearith Israel (Dallas), Temple Emanu-El (Dallas) and Temple Shalom (Dallas); and community partners, the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation, Dallas Jewish Historical Society, DATA of Plano, Hillels of North Texas, Intown Chabad and SMU Hillel.

The program will welcome local and visiting speakers on many diverse subjects. The event will offer 50 sessions and the opportunity for participants to share in as many as five gatherings each.

The Dallas event’s session titles, some lighthearted and others more in-depth and serious, include “From The Shtetl to The Smoker: A Jewish-Texan History of Brisket,” “Five Questions That Keep the Rabbi Up At Night,” How to Win Hearts and Change Minds: Effective Communications Strategies for Combating Antisemitism,” “Jewish Life on Campus Before and After 10/7” and “Meaningful Approaches to Individual and Family Tzedakah.”

In the past year, Limmud North America has held festival programs in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Vermont, Washington and Winnipeg, Canada. In addition, the organization hosted more than 100 programs on four continents as part of its Global Day of Jewish Learning, this year planned for Nov. 9.

At the March 23 event, Sissy Zoller, a former Limmud New York board member and a Dallas resident, will present “What’s Your Israel Story?”

“Years ago I created a show called ‘Love and Israel.’ It was performed at a Limmud event in New York. I found Limmud to be an amazing experience of Jewish learning in the broadest sense of the word,” said Zoller, a director of development for Americans for Ben-Gurion University. “It’s about meeting people; it’s about learning. All of that is through meaningful Jewish context and connections.

“In Dallas, I’ll be teaching an interactive storytelling session about creating one’s own personal Israel story,” she said, “and the opportunities we’ll have to share them in the group will be a special experience.”

Congregation Shearith Israel’s Rabbi Ari Sunshine joins the March 23 program with a conversation on “Tragedies and Miracles: Embracing an Imperfect Theological System.”

“Many of us struggle at times with our beliefs about G-d and specifically how we understand the system of Divine rewards and punishment,” Sunshine said, “how that figures into our life choices, how we process the inconsistencies of bad things happening to good people and also unexpected miracles coming to us.

“Does doing ‘good’ always mean reward and does doing ‘bad’ always mean punishment? If so, then theology would be a much simpler concept,” he added. “During this afternoon’s study we’ll come together to discuss navigating the complexity of this theological system and coming to terms with it being a part of our lives, even if it’s somewhat messy.”

Prospective sponsors wishing to join the Federation, the Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation, Ancestry Progenealogists, Jaynie Schultz and Ron Romaner, Jackie and Steve Waldman and Sissy and David Zoller in supporting the event are welcome to connect with Singer at david@limmudna.org.

“Limmud programs are a place to gather together to learn, encounter and shape ideas of our history and those that drive us toward our future,” said Rabbi Mordechai Harris, interim president and CEO of the Dallas Federation. “It’s an honor to partner with Limmud North America. We are thrilled to have David, truly a leader, here in our own backyard. He deeply understands our community, how as individuals and as a people we are invested in learning and growing together.

“Melissa Friedensohn, the Federation’s director of programs and engagement, will present a session on the findings of a recent survey of the Jewish community of Collin, Dallas, Denton and Rockwall counties,” said Harris. “How beautiful it is to come together to study text alongside plans for the growth of our community’s future.”

For more information and to purchase tickets ($25/by Feb. 28, $30/March 1-22 and $35/day of the event), please visit limmudna.org/dallasreg.