Two Limmud Galil activists took an active part in Limmud Fest in the Peak District in the UK Aug. 20-25 - Elana Levi and Ofer Shamir of the Partnership 2000 Confrontation Line - Great Britain region.

Limmud Fest is a mini-Limmud Conference - out of doors and much more informal than the annual December Conference, and very suited to our Israeli delegates from the Galil. As the first "Limmud" to be created outside of the UK, Limmud Galil continues to be a leader in adapting the Limmud Fest to the Galilee with TiyulLimmud in 2007 and 2008. The unique Limmud concept has now expanded to over forty communities throughout the world.
Elana Levi reports on her their experience:

At the close of the English summer Ofer Shamir and I set out as delegates of Limmud Galil and the Jewish Agency Partnership 2000 to experience limmud (study) and hiking in the magnificent natural surroundings of northern England. Prior to the Fest we joined 20 Limmudniks from throughout the world in London, who - like us - have initiated Limmud conferences in their home countries, in a seminar of Limmud International. Sessions dealt with understanding the Limmud phenomenon, its impact on communities, marketing, programming, volunteerism, and other issues vital to Limmud teams. Together we learned from one another and from the Limmud UK team, and exchanged ideas before traveling together through the pastoral English countryside to Cliff College.

At the "Limmud Fest" event there were dozens of sessions on many varied topics connected to Judaism and activities in nature, like sleeping in tents and a barbecue….vegetarian-style!

As representatives of Israel we presented three sessions for our Fest brothers. One session was HevrutTeva  - a hevruta (text study together) on the relationship of man and his environment and the commandment to care for our environment, so it will care for us. The Pita-Tabun session, HaMotzi lechem min ha'aretz - blessing on the bread - included baking pita bread on a tabun brought from the Galilee through strict Israeli security checks and even stricter British regulations on open fires. All ages enjoyed kneading the dough by hand, baking their creations on the tabun over a fire, and eating with butter and chocolate spread from Israel.

The third session was a personal Shacharit - Elana led an early morning Shacharit in nature, with song, prayer and music. Participants expressed a personal prayer in notes, which Ofer brought back to Israel and took to Jerusalem to place in the Kotel (Western Wall). Limmud Fest friends from all over the world were especially touched to receive the attached photo of Ofer at the Wall.

The Limmud Fest experience was exciting, enjoyable and unforgettable.