Limmud Festival is made by you. One of Limmud’s core values is that participation and volunteering go hand in hand. We believe that we are all responsible for each other and for the communities we create, and we know that everyone has an important contribution to make. This year we are encouraging all our participants to build our Limmud Festival community through diverse and inclusive volunteering opportunities.
Become a Yad (Festival Volunteer)
One of the ways that Limmud Festival is made by you is through our Yad volunteering scheme. As a yad (the Hebrew word for hand), you can contribute meaningfully to the running of Festival by undertaking four hours of volunteering each day, in return for attending Festival at a reduced price.
Our scheme focuses on building a community of volunteers whilst also promoting opportunities for personal development, building on your skills and experience within Limmud and beyond. Yad roles can give you opportunities to learn new skills, and alongside your volunteering there will be social events to meet new people and feel part of a community. Read more below for what kinds of roles you can be a part of.
Please note that the Yad Volunteer Scheme is available to all adults who book a residential place. Add that you would like to be part of the Yad Volunteer Scheme when you register, and the 50% discount will be automatically applied. You will be asked on a second page to fill in information about what roles you would like, and closer to Limmud Festival the Volunteering Team will be in touch with you about your role.
What Yad roles are available?
Baby Listening
What is it?
Our team of baby listeners are responsible for monitoring allocated residential corridors to help ensure that settled-in-bed or sleeping children are safe and well. Baby listeners will encourage children to go back to bed if they wake up or contact parents directly if their child(ren) does not settle.
Shifts will be from approximately 7.30pm until 10.30pm, and Baby Listeners 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 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.
You enjoy helping out families at Limmud and ensuring parents can experience all that Festival has to offer!
Bar
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!
Catering – Dining Room
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.
Catering – Special Diets
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.
Shuk (Marketplace) and Bookshop
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.
Cafe
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.
Young and Teen Limmud Madrich/a (Youth Leader):
What is it?
Madrichol (youth leaders) 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. The YTL team writes and runs their own Peulot (sessions) that can be about anything – from science to politics, and music to volunteering. Madrichol will assist experienced presenters in running their sessions for the YTL programme.
You’ll need to be available for the entirety of Festival (Friday 22 – Wednesday 27 December and for our YTL weekend retreat, which takes place on 24-26 November. All YTL volunteers will need a DBS check, which can be arranged and funded by Limmud.
Note: this option is open to anyone aged 17+ and is run separately from the Yad scheme. There is no need to book your ticket yet, and instead please fill in this Madrichol Application form. You will then shortly receive further information about being a madrichol at Limmud Festival.
If you have already booked to be a yad and later want to transition to an 8-hour YTL Madrichol, please then fill in the Madrichol application form and let the Limmud Office know too so we can update your booking. We will contact you directly to arrange refunding the difference in the ticket price.
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 build your own program of activities and events within the larger Festival.
Young and Teen Limmud Nightclub
What is it?
They’ve been busy all day but they’re still full of energy! Help us to give our older children and tweens a chilled evening with games, arts and crafts and films. This role will not require as much structure programming or pre-Festival planning as the Madrich/a (Youth Leader) role but still allows you to be part of the amazing Young and Teen Limmud program.
Shifts will be after dinner into the early evening. All Yads will require a DBS check which can be arranged and paid for by Limmud.
This role is for you if…
You want to be involved with the amazing YTL program without the demand of planning daily activities as a Madrich/a.
You want to get the most out of the daytime and late night Festival programs by having your shifts consistently in the early evenings.
You want to create a fun and playful environment for the next generation of Limmudniks.
Participant Helpdesk
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.
Registration
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. There will also be some pre-Festival volunteering available to sort registration packs into boxes for coaches and arrival times.
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 organised and enjoy managing information efficiently.
You want to complete most of your shifts in the early part of Festival or pre-Festival and are happy to pick up shifts on an ad-hoc basis later in the week.
Nursery
What is it?
Limmud Nursery 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. All Yads working with children will need a DBS check, which can be arranged and funded via Limmud.
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.
Presenter Care
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.
Resources
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 and may need to be on your feet for the majority of your shift..
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!)
Chill Out Zone
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.
Set Up/Take Down
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 enjoy working with a big team and using your problem-solving skills.