Volunteering at Limmud Festival

Our Yads (helping hands) are the backbone of Festival and deliver a wide range of key services. Check out the different Yad roles available below. A sliding scale of discounts are available to Yads, from 0 to 50%. Please select the discount level that is right for you – choosing a lower discount is a fantastic way to support Limmud and be part of our volunteering culture at the same time. This scheme is only available for residential participants. 

There are two different options for Yad places at Limmud Festival: 

• Be a Full Festival Yad including over Shabbat to receive up to 50% across your whole booking. (Limited number available.) 
• Be a Yad from Sunday to Wednesday only and receive up to 50% off your place for those dates. You can still come for Shabbat or arrive Early Check in on Saturday night at full price. 

You can see the variety of roles here for more information

To support a Festival-wide culture of volunteering and enable the smooth production and delivery of the event by supporting with odd jobs here and there, we are bringing together a group of participants who would like to help out in a more flexible way, as and when they can. No discount is available for our ad hoc volunteers. We will create an ‘ad hoc’ volunteer Whatsapp group to respond to real time on-site needs during the event.

If you’re aged 20-32, you can be part of Limmud’s Young Leaders Programme. For more information, click HERE and apply before you book your Festival ticket. Once accepted you can then book your ticket with a discount code. YLP participants pay a heavily subsidised price of £150 for the full Festival.

• What is it?
  • Our team of baby listeners are responsible for monitoring allocated residential corridors where children are sleeping. The main purpose of this role to ensure children are safe and supervised, particularly in the case of an emergency. The volunteers will be responsible for supporting with any evacuation procedures, should they be necessary.
  • Shifts will be from approximately 7.30pm until 10.30pm, and will always be allocated in pairs or small groups.
  • A DBS check is required but Limmud can organise this at no charge to our volunteers via the Limmud Office. This restricts this role to UK/EEA residents.
• This role is for you if…
  • You want to get the most out of the daytime at Festival and guarantee your shifts will always be in the evening.
  • You’d like to carry out your shifts in a quiet space with an opportunity to unwind from the day, catch up on some work or read a good book.
  • You want to complete your shifts with a smaller number of other Yads, and want an opportunity to volunteer with specific friends or other participants.
  • You want a role that has a short list of clear tasks, which can be much more predictable than other Yad positions.

What is it?

Want to help give the evenings a great atmosphere? Come and join us on the bar! Serve drinks, snacks and chat to participants in a bubbly atmosphere. You’ll always be surrounded by good music and great people. What more could you want from Limmud?

Shifts range from early evening until the early hours, with a larger group of Yads volunteering together in each shift. No prior experience necessary as full training is provided.

This role is for you if…

You want a high-energy role in a loud and busy environment, where you’ll get to be the centre of the social scene.

You want to keep your daytime free at Festival and guarantee your shifts will always be in the evening. You’d enjoy being part of a large team of Yads.

You’re happy to spend all of your shift on your feet and be alert late at night.

You want to learn or develop the skills for serving at a bar, and get a chance to create your own daily cocktails!

What is it?

The café sells hot drinks and refreshments made to order to participants throughout the day. Our cafe Yads offer a friendly face to participants between sessions and for those who have chosen to take a break to enjoy a refreshment. This role is great if you want social shifts during the daytime and a free evening to enjoy everything that Festival has to offer. You will need to meet the demands of busy periods in between sessions and participants who are in a rush to get from one place to another.

Barista training will be provided to all café Yads!

This role is for you if…

You want a social role with a larger team of other Yads, in a lively environment.

You want to learn or already know how to make different types of coffees and hot drinks.

You want energetic shifts during the daytime and a free evening to enjoy everything that Festival has to offer.

What is it?

We know that Jews love to eat, and as a dining room volunteer you will get to help feed Limmudniks on a daily basis – what could be more important? You will be responsible for helping to manage the queues and to be a welcoming face to our many hungry participants.

Dining room shifts will be during breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. You will not be required to cook or serve food as part of this role.

This role is for you if…

You want an opportunity to experience all parts of the Limmud programme by having shifts at different times each day.

You’d enjoy interacting with nearly every Limmud participant in a busy, social environment.

You want a role with a small number of clear tasks, but which still allows you to use your initiative and be assertive.

You are comfortable spending most of your shift on your feet.

What is it?

A key part of making Limmud accessible to all is making sure every participant has their dietary requirements met and is able to enjoy a safe and filling dining experience at Festival.
This is primarily a pre-Festival role where you will work closely with the Catering team to gather dietary requirements from participants, and then a small amount of shift time at Festival to make sure the Catering team has all the information they need at mealtimes to support participants.

This role is for you if…

You want to get more out of Festival by completing your Yad requirements earlier in November/December.

You are organised and enjoy handling important information.

You want an opportunity to see more of how Festival Team runs and plans in the run-up to Festival.

You enjoy communicating with a broad range of participants to gather their information and support their requirements.

What is it?

We’re looking for people to help facilitate a quiet, relaxed space at festival for when all the sights and sounds of Limmud can feel a bit overwhelming. Your job will be to welcome people as they come in, keep the space running smoothly, and make sure the snacks stay topped up.

This role is for you if…

You enjoy meeting new people.

You’d rather work in a quieter space that still lets you interact with participants.

You’re happy to work in a smaller team.

What is it?

Do you have excellent customer service skills? In this role, you will be selling Limmud souvenirs, toiletries, and books or wares from the many Festival presenters. This is a very social role in the lively environment of the shuk space, where you may get to watch performances or book talks, and will get to interact with both presenters and participants.

Yads in this role will be operating a till, handling cash and card payments – training will be provided.

This role is for you if…

You are social and enjoy being in lively spaces interacting with lots of participants.

You are comfortable and want to gain experience comfortable managing a shop environment and handling payments efficiently.

You want to be part of a team of Yads on the same shift in an energetic environment.

What is it?

Limmud Creche provides daytime care for children aged 4 years and under. You must love toys, songs, arts and crafts, dressing up and – of course – small people! Come and join our lively, dedicated team, make new friends and help care for some of the most inspiring participants at Festival. Experience not necessary, enthusiasm essential!

Shifts will be during the daytime.

A DBS check is required but Limmud can organise this at no charge to our volunteers via the Limmud Office. This restricts this role to UK/EEA residents.

This role is for you if…

You enjoy working with young children and want to spend your volunteer hours playing in a lively environment.

You want to leave your evenings free and complete all your shifts during the daytime.

You are comfortable spending most of your shifts on your feet or sitting on the floor, and don’t mind getting messy.

You want to be a part of a medium sized team of other Yads and interact with the next generation of Limmudniks.

Room leaders will take care of nappy changes and other personal care.

What is it?

Helpdesk volunteers are the friendly face of Limmud Festival. You will answer queries from participants and liaise with other teams to resolve any challenges that arise during Festival. Questions could also be anything from where the next session will be, to what times meals are to how to contact a first aider.

Shifts will be a continuous 4 hour slot between 9am and 10pm each day. No prior knowledge or experience at Limmud is necessary as all information will be provided to you or will be available from the Participant Care team.

This role is for you if…

You want a varied role where you will interact with a large number of Festival participants, and will help them find answers to questions using the Helpdesk Handbook and other resources available to you.

You want to experience every part of Festival by having shifts at different times each day

You’d prefer a role where you can sit down for most or all of your shift.

You’ll enjoy working with a small team of other Helpdesk volunteers over a continuous shift.

What is it?

The presenters at Festival provide incredible learning experiences for all participants. From time to time, presenters need assistance with preparing their sessions. You will provide essential support either at the Presenter Helpdesk or on the move, such as advising on timing, directing presenters to session rooms and offering support with handouts. You may also be drafted in to help host our social programming sessions, from board games to quizzes, five aside football to challah baking.

Shifts are available all day, and both seated roles and roles which require moving around can be accommodated.

This role is for you if…

You enjoy problem solving and want to be the friendly face that helps presenters run their sessions smoothly.

You want an opportunity to meet the wide range of presenters giving sessions at Limmud (and perhaps to ask that cheeky question there wasn’t time for otherwise!)

You want to work with a small team of other Yads in a social but quieter environment.

You want a chance to experience as much of the Festival program as possible by having shifts at different times each day.

What is it?

This will involve registering participants upon arrival, answering queries and kickstarting their Limmud journey. This is a great way to welcome participants to Limmud and make them feel at ease when they first arrive.

The busiest periods will be on Friday afternoon and Sunday morning when most participants arrive. There will also be shifts at various times during the rest of the week, including supporting the Hallway Hub in the evenings.

This role is for you if…

You want a social volunteering role where you are the very first face many participants will see when they arrive at Festival.

You’d prefer a role where you can sit down for most or all of your shift.

You are open to shifting to a different volunteering role for the latter half of Festival.

What is it?

In this role you will organise and deliver resources to session rooms and provide basic tech support where required. All resources for sessions are stored in the Resources Room, and your job will be to manage, organise, or deliver things from this space to the right rooms for sessions. You will be in a small team of Yads for this role.

This role is for you if…

You enjoy organising and cataloguing the wide range of resources and props that are required for sessions.

You want to work in a quiet environment which still allows you to be social and interact with presenters and other volunteers.

You have experience with tech troubleshooting or setting up AV systems (though this is not a required skill!)

What is it?

We need a team of helping hands to help make sure the site is ready for Festival, and to ensure we leave site clean and intact once Festival comes to an end. This would involve everything from setting up chairs and tables and hanging decorations, to tidying up and helping to load our van once we leave.

You will be in a small team of Yads for this role and may need to be on your feet for the majority of your shift.

This role is for you if…

You don’t mind coming a bit early or staying a bit late at Festival.

You’re happy and able to do some schlepping.

You want to use your creative skills to have the site looking beautiful and Festival-ready.

You want to work with a small team of other Yads in a social but quieter environment.

Limmud Festival has a wonderful programme for young people of all ages, led by a group of dedicated Madrichim (youth leaders) who work as a team to ensure that every child attending Young and Teen Limmud (YTL) has a fantastic experience in a safe and inclusive environment. YTL Yads will assist the Madrichim in running their sessions for the YTL programme. 

A DBS check is required but Limmud can organise this at no charge to our volunteers via the Limmud Office. This restricts this role to UK/EEA residents.

This role is for you if… 

You have previous experience as a youth leader, or you think you will enjoy running activities and engaging with teenagers and young people. 

You are energetic and enthusiastic, and are looking for a role which is varied, active, and fun 

You want to work closely with a large team of other amazing YTL volunteers. 

You want to engage the next generation of Limmudniks and give them a wonderful experience!