A Jewish learning festival bringing Israeli political figures, comedy writers, and community activists together with the public will return to Los Angeles in January, with sessions ranging from Holocaust education to artificial intelligence.
Limmud LA announced its first speakers for the January 17–18, 2027, gathering, including former Israeli aliyah and integration minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, author Yossi Klein Halevi and Emmy-winning comedy writer Rob Kutner.
Limmud, whose name means “learning” in Hebrew, brings people of different Jewish backgrounds together to exchange ideas. Its volunteer-led approach encourages participants to share their own knowledge as well as learn from established speakers.
More than 100 presenters set to participate
Organizers said more than 100 presenters would participate, alongside children’s activities, family programming, art and a Jewish music festival. An opening celebration will take place on January 16, over the US Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Tamano-Shata, Israel’s first Ethiopian-born cabinet minister, will join a lineup that also includes Rabbi Tamar Manasseh, who founded a grassroots organization to combat gun violence on Chicago’s South Side.
Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at Jerusalem’s Shalom Hartman Institute, is the author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor. Kutner, a former writer for The Daily Show and Conan, has written a comic history of the Jewish people.
Volunteers building something 'fun, meaningful, memorable'
The festival’s return also carries a personal significance. It is being relaunched in memory of Alex Shwarzstein, who spent nearly a decade volunteering with Limmud and served as co-chair of its New York gathering.
“Our volunteers are building something fun, meaningful, and memorable,” said her father, Meyer Shwarzstein, who chairs the Los Angeles festival. “Alex would've loved it.”
Rabbi David Singer, CEO of Limmud North America, said the gathering would welcome participants across generations, backgrounds and perspectives.
“Limmud is built on the belief that every person has something to teach and something to learn,” he said.
Further speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, organizers said. The venue will be shared with registered participants.