Limmud in the UK 2007 - From Shira Landau

As I write, a group of attractive English GenXers are sipping beer flipping through the enormous Limmud Conference booklet. I can't actually tell if they are attractive or if it is just those damm cute accents. Regardless there is an energy...a palbable vibe of anticipation- in the air right now. Shabbat has just ended, culimiating in a totally organic Israeli song fest, led by former band members of THE FOOLS OF PROPHECY- platinum selling Israeli artists.The official Limmud UK conference will start tomorrow. Our current group of 400 Limmud Shabbaton participants will morph into 2300+ Limmud UK revelers in less then 24 hours! Today, it being Shabbat and I being the spirtually inclined, semi hippie that I am - consisted of two totally different but equally satisfying Shabbat meditation sessions. One was led by Shira Kline, a beautifully talented singer and star of StorahTelling with multicolored hair and a desire to inspire. She led us through a series of Jewish chanting- the kind I had been craving for some time now. As way of background- I spent this past summer at a Buddihst monostary up in Marin county.( this is where my semi hippie side becomes apparent) I loved everything about the experience but felt allienated by the Kirtan chanting. Although I am at times challenging of Jewish conventions, I am overall, pretty set on my monothestics world view. I therefore found the devotional chanting to Tibetan gods and goddess a bit problematic. However, I was totally engaged by the devotional nature of the Kirtan and I wondered where this kind of inspired prayer could be found in Judaism. I began to seach for those who blended the devotional nature of Kirtan with Jewish psalms and poerty. Everything I found seemed inauthentic and shallow. However, Shira Kline, at Limmud UK got it right. She was/is able to integrate the very present and mindful nature of kirtan with the very alligned and deep Jewish liturgy. My second Limmud UK mediation teacher did not have multicolored hair but rather sported a velvet black Kippah. He had prepared a very thorough list of Jewish texts that referenced mediation. Together we discussed the Rabbinical understanding of the differentiation between prayer and meditation and he postulated that the Amidah was designed as the ultimate mediation experience. A lively discussion arose as to why mediation is not a key and integral part of Jewish experience in the twenty first century. Many in the group seemed to crave for its return. The session ended with the following quote from Exodus: "The entire people saw the thunder" What does it mean to see thunder? How can you get to a place in your life where you see thunder? As I sign off on this entry a beautiful woman's voice is piercing through the bar as part of the open mic session. So far I can say that Limmud, more than anything, is an eclectic mixture of voices, ideas, cravings,backgrounds, and accents. Not only English accents for that matter. Swedish accents. German accents. Argentinian accents. Israel iaccents and last but certainly not least Turkish accents from the lovely Limmud Turkey delegation! So much more coming soon!