When New Orleans held its Limmud conference last month, a number of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform synagogues closed for the weekend in order to focus on the event
"I saw how rabbis worked together, divvying up the roles," said Limmud's new executive director Eli Ovits, who has just returned from a month's business trip to America. "What's more, they told me that this is how they operate throughout the year."
This is hard to beat as an example of devotion to the cross-communal educational venture, even if you would not expect synagogues in a big Jewish city like London or New York to emulate the Shabbat shutdown.
Not only did New Orleans Limmud offer a choice of Shabbat services across the denominations but also one including meditation and yoga aimed at unaffiliated Jews.
One young couple he encountered had met at a Limmud in another American city. "People travel for skiing or for sports," he noted. "There are people who are willing to travel to learn."
Above me are 3,000 volunteers who are leaders of the movement
Mr Ovits, 37 - a former head of Orthodox Zionist youth movement Bnei Akiva and its adult equivalent Mizrachi in the UK - returned to London after 13 years in Israel to take up his new post in February.
With Limmud events of one kind or another taking place in over 80 communities in more than 40 countries, its international network has spread far beyond the original UK seminar for 80 educators in 1980. But although he is its senior professional, its ethic of volunteerism remains key to its success.
"The biggest revelation for American Jewish leaders is how we have a volunteer-led organisation," he said. "I am at the bottom of the 'lower-archy' and above me are 3,000 volunteers who are leaders of the movement."
One of his objectives is to show that Limmud is not simply a series of one-off events but is "about the impact we make throughout the year".
Beyond its flagship UK winter conference, it should be looking to "offer additional publications during the year. Or perhaps we should be distributing content in synagogues and Jewish schools."
It's not only about finding the best Jewish material but also ensuring the most effective way of delivering it, including digitally. For the previous two years, he was chief operations officer of an online Jewish educational outfit, JerusalemU, which specialises in film.
"The real excitement is how you connect the dots between what's happening in the UK and the rest of the world," Mr Ovits said.
"There are a lot of good things going on in the Jewish world and we need to be smarter if we are to be cutting-edge. We have to be tuning into and evaluating what works and what doesn't, both in the Jewish world and beyond - for example, in the field of volunteering.
"We can't afford to sit back and say how wonderful conference is. We need to be constantly innovating."
There are new constituencies to consider, too. "I'm finding in London that there is a large group of French Jews, of Russian Jews, people from Israel. How do we embrace them?"
Or graduates of Birthright, the free tour to Israel for young people administered here by UJIA. "How do we follow up from Birthright to Birth-responsibility - to learn, to be part of the community, to help lead it."
Part of his mission to the States was to explore new funding opportunities. Limmud UK's assets rose from £278,000 in 2010 to nearly £726,000 in 2014. But they fell back to £562,000 in 2015.
Its annual donations of £210,000 in 2015 were the lowest for a few years and leaders warned that while gifts from individuals had increased, the decline in grants from foundations represented a "potential strategic risk" to future sustainability.
Funds helped to offer back-up to the volunteer army, he explained. "I've met a lot of volunteer groups. They'd love to get more training and opportunity to share ideas. If you combine quality content and education with skilled training and opportunities for people to volunteer, you build leadership. Leaders need to be informed and empowered.
"A lot of funders I've been engaging with are passionate about what Limmud stands for and the issues we touch - Jewish peoplehood, leadership, robust Jewish identity."
Limmud events are also valued as a "safe space" where Jews from different parts of the community can collectively grapple with pressing topics - differences over Israel or engaging with the intermarried or non-shul-goers.
American Jews, he found, were increasingly worried by polarisation within the community and an attitude of "if you don't agree with me, then there is no place for you around our Shabbat table".
Although Mr Ovits believes in the principle of people paying something to go to events - "too much is free and people don't value it if they don't contribute" - he is mindful of the cost.
Around 80 per cent of Limmud UK's £1.2 million income derives from events. But it provides more than £100,000 a year in subsidies to teenagers and young adults, as well as bursaries to those who cannot afford the full price. It also covers a third of the conference ticket for rabbis.
While Limmud UK has often been accused of leaning to the religious and Zionist left, his own background is impeccably centre-ground. He grew up within the Edgware United community, has worked for JNF, the Israeli embassy, the media information NGO Project Israel and is a captain in the Israeli reserves.
In his belief that Limmud can be for all, he has even challenged members of the Charedi community "when they say Limmud isn't for them. How can you say that? It's about having a place, the only place, where strictly Orthodox and unaffiliated can be together and discuss ideas."
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