Over 600 Participants in Limmud FSU Odessa
Source: Limmud FSU
The most recent Limmud FSU Festival for young Russian-speaking Jews took place in Odessa, Ukraine, at the beginning of November, 2012. More than 600 young adults from 14 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, USA and Israel, participated. Additionally, Limmud FSU successfully collaborated with the European Jewish Union bringing young adults from Germany, France, Belgium, Britain and even Gibraltar, to Odessa.
Several well-known lecturers, journalists, actors, musicians and political figures came to Odessa specially to participate in this festival of Jewish learning. Among the presenters were Andrei Makarevich, a famous Russian rock-musician, who at the Gala Opening, sang some of his songs translated into Hebrew. Other prominent speakers included Michael Goldovsky, Head of the Jewish Agency Office in Odessa; Immanuil Vitorgan, a “People’s Artist of Russia;” Greg Schneider, Executive Vice-President of the Conference for Jewish Material Claims against Germany; Yoram Dori, a senior advisor to Shimon Peres, the President of Israel; Lev Novozhenov, a famed Russian television presenter from Moscow; Reuven Din-El, the Israeli ambassador in Ukraine; Igor Geller, a noted psychologist; Iryna Rosenfeld, a popular singer from Kiev, and many others.
More than a 150 lectures, master-classes, presentations, round-table discussions, concerts and excursions were held during the conference. In accordance with Limmud FSU tradition, all the planning and organization was in the hands of an army of local volunteers.
Limmud FSU for Russian-speaking Jews was established some six years ago and tens of thousands of young people have participated. This was the second Limmud FSU conference to take place in Odessa, a major center of pre-war Jewish culture, and the fifth in Ukraine.