Here are the answers to some of the questions about Limmud Festival that people have been asking, and more info on how you can get involved.
Where is Festival this year?
This year, all sessions will be under one roof in the Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel.
Are you offering online access to Festival?
This year’s festival will be an in-person event.
Where will I be staying?
Limmud will have exclusive use of the Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel. For bookings of Full Festival (Friday-Wednesday), Short Stay (Sunday-Wednesday) or Short Stay with Saturday Night Check-in (Saturday-Wednesday), we have accommodation available at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel.
This year, we are also offering a premium stay at the Crowne Plaza nearby, a 4* recently renovated hotel. This option will include daily room cleaning, staying in recently renovated rooms overlooking the lake.
If you are coming for any other days, these are Non Residential bookings and you will need to arrange your own accommodation. We recommend the ibis Styles Birmingham NEC (3* hotel, 15 minutes walk away) or the Moxy Birmingham NEC (4* Marriot boutique hotel, 5 minutes walk away). Mention Limmud Festival for your Limmud rate.
Click here to see the accommodation information pages for further details.
How will I get around if I am staying off-site?
If you have driven to Festival, ample (free) parking space is available at the Hilton. The nearest coach and train station is Birmingham International Airport. Please note during the Christmas period and bank holidays, there will be a reduced service.
There are also electric car charging stations opposite the Hilton for all your charging needs.
I’m worried that I’ll get lost!
We will have clear signage and maps on site to enable easy navigation, which we review and update every year with our enhanced knowledge and experience of running Festival on this site.
What about the programme?
The programme is shaping up to be just as amazing and engaging as ever. We have a variety of programming and social spaces to meet different needs and styles of session. From lectures, panel debates and discussions, to workshops, classes and discos, there will be something for everyone. Click here to keep an eye on our programme page for presenter announcements and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest news.
Can I present a session?
It is a core Limmud value that all presenters are participants and all participants can be presenters.
For this reason, any participant can choose to offer a session when booking their Festival place by simply checking the “I would like to present a session” box on the registration form, and submitting the follow-up forms that will be automatically sent out when booking is completed. We will do our best to ensure that those who offer to present a session at Limmud Festival will be included in the programme.
The deadline for applying to present a session is 14 September 2023. For more information, please email execprogramming@limmud.org.
Is there any financial assistance available?
We are committed to ensuring that Limmud Festival is affordable and accessible to all, particularly during the current cost of living crisis. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, UK residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from our bursary fund. Confidential bursary requests are made as part of the regular Festival registration form and will be handled with discretion. You won’t need to pay anything when you register and will be contacted by the Limmud staff team with more information about your request.
Festival fees can also be paid in installments for a one-time £5 administration fee.
To discuss financial assistance options further, please contact the Limmud office on +442031151620.
I have additional needs, what about me?
Participant care is always central to our events – please complete the “medical, access, or other requirements” section of the registration form and the Festival team will endeavor to accommodate your needs. Participants with additional needs will also be contacted before Festival to ensure their needs are met. If you have any further questions, please contact our Limmud Office by clicking here to email office@limmud.org.
I’m coming with my children, what about my family’s needs?
Every year at Festival, families make up a vital part of the event. Children are the future of Limmud and we love seeing them around the site. This year, as with Festival 2022, families will be staying under one roof at the Hilton. Click here to visit our families page to find out more about bringing your children to Limmud Festival.
What will Shabbat at Festival be like?
Shabbat at Limmud Festival is always a fun and relaxed affair. It’s a great chance to get settled in, meet people and ease yourself into the programme. The Shabbat programme this year will be an exciting mix of history, art, culture and Jewish learning, with the added ‘Shabbat spice’ making everyone feel included in one big Limmud community.
Click here to find out more about Shabbat at Limmud Festival here.
What if I can’t come for the whole event?
This year we will be offering the option to attend Limmud Sunday to Wednesday plus an early Saturday night check in, as well as flexible non-residential day places. Please click here to see the pricing page for all available options for this year.
I’m worried about security at the event
As in previous years, Limmud Festival will be supported by the Community Security Trust (CST) who will be working closely with our firm SQR who are providing 24/7 security throughout our event. The CST and SQR are working closely with West Midlands Police and the NEC security, whom we have met with as part of our Festival planning. You can help our security team to help us, by always wearing your Limmud ID badge, and by ensuring you do not leave any unattended items around the site.
Sounds great, how can I get involved and help?
Limmud is run almost entirely by volunteers, and we’ll need lots of people to help with all aspects of the event. There are plenty of ways to get involved either before or during Festival. You can do everything from helping to direct people around the hotel on the first day of Festival, to coordinating all the plans for families, and everything in between – there are lots of ways you can get involved. Click here to check out our volunteering options.
Can I bring my pets?
As much as we believe that Limmud should be for everyone, unfortunately this does not yet extend to pets. Only registered service dogs will be permitted on site and please let us know if you are bringing one. Please make suitable arrangements for other pets to be cared for whilst you are away.
How is Limmud Festival going to impact the environment?
This year, for the first time ever, Limmud Festival aims to be a net zero event. This means that all our presenter and participant travel, hotel electricity and catering will be off-set by our Carbon Neutral strategic plan.
Limmud Festival has also built local partnerships in Birmingham to give back to the community through our event. These include a clean up canal session during Festival, and a partnership with Event Cycle, who will turn our unwanted event waste and give it a second life.
Check out our Net Zero Limmud page for more info.