A social activist who has specialised in expanding educational opportunities for adults with special needs is to be the next chair of Limmud’s global network.
Shoshana Bloom, who has twice chaired the Limmud UK Conference, will take over next March from David Hoffman from Manchester, who has been at the helm of the international organisation for three years.
Active in Limmud since 2001, she founded the programme Limmud L’Am to integrate people with special needs into Limmud events.
In her professional life, she launched LivLuv to improve informal Jewish education opportunities for those with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
“Approaching its 40th year, Limmud is more critical than ever to the Jewish world,” Ms Bloom said. “It is where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to learn and to hold the important conversations on everything Jewish and Israel under the sun, in an atmosphere of respect, inclusion, and diversity.”
She said the organisation would provide “more entry points to Jewish engagement for people of all backgrounds, nurture new communities in more locations and develop myriad more volunteers who will lead Limmud and the wider community.”
Mr Hoffman said he was “delighted that I will be handing the baton to Shoshana, who is highly respected by other volunteers for her inclusive approach to building communities.”
Limmud has also appointed Jon Freedman, a former Department for Education and Home Office official, as its deputy director.
A graduate of the Adam Science leadership training programme, he has also served as executive director of Finchley Reform Synagogue and as education and youth co-ordinator of West London Synagogue.