Limmud has become one of the fastest growing phenomena in the Jewish world, one that is transforming how Jewish communities learn. Founded in the United Kingdom in 1980, Limmud has grown into Europe’s largest and most influential Jewish educational event, attracting over 2500 participants and 350 presenters from across the globe for a five-day residential festival.
Since its inception, Limmud has generated festivals in 46 communities worldwide – each producing a unique festival while adhering to the same core values of volunteerism, diversity, and learning of Limmud UK. Each festival aims to reflect the diversity of its community by creating an accessible cross-communal and cross-generational experience.
After years of planning by local volunteers, Limmud Toronto was first held on November 21, 2004 at York University. Over 400 participants enjoyed close to 50 sessions, including a Young Limmud program for children aged 5 to 12, and reported an overwhelmingly positive response.
Three years later on December 2nd, 2007, Limmud Toronto was held at the University of Toronto. Despite coinciding with the first major snowfall of the year, the conference drew nearly 500 enthusiastic, however late, participants.
Limmud Toronto held its third conference, again at the University of Toronto, on February 15th, 2009. Capped off by a wonderful cabaret show produced by Limmud's partners at the Koffler Centre of the Arts, the program offerings and the audience for Limmud Toronto continued to expand in exciting new directions.