Limmud Brings a Festival of Ideas, Learning and Community to Carmel Valley

Limmud Brings a Festival of Ideas, Learning and Community to Carmel Valley Nov. 8
Public invited to a full day of thought-provoking workshops, nationally recognized speakers, conversation and connection at Hidden Valley Music Seminars
CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. — What happens when a community comes together for a day to learn, question, listen, debate and discover something new?
On Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, Congregation Beth Israel will present Limmud, a joyful festival of ideas and Jewish learning at Hidden Valley Music Seminars, 104 W. Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley.
The event is open to everyone — members and non-members, people of all faiths and backgrounds, longtime learners and those simply curious to experience something new.
Registration is now open, and attendees are encouraged to register early to reserve their place and select their preferred workshops. Admission is $36 and includes the full day of programming, lunch and light refreshments.
Register at CarmelBethIsrael.org.
“Come curious. Join community. Leave inspired.” is the invitation behind the day, which will bring together 33 teachers, two featured plenary speakers and 20 workshops exploring ideas ranging from Jewish ethics and mysticism to stress, antisemitism, interfaith dialogue, sacred spaces, community engagement, end-of-life traditions, global responsibility, journalism, healing rituals and more.
Participants will build their own experience, selecting from five different workshops during each of four session blocks.
Featured Speakers
The day begins with Rabbi David Jaffe, founder of Kirva and a National Jewish Book Award-winning author, who will explore the relationship between inner spiritual life and the work of creating a more just world.
Later in the morning, Dr. Elissa Epel of UCSF, co-author of The Telomere Effect, will examine stress, cellular aging and the connections between modern science and practices that have been part of Jewish life for generations.
The remainder of the day invites participants to choose their own path through an unusually diverse lineup of conversations and workshops.
Topics include the psychology of antisemitism; trauma-informed care; Jewish end-of-life traditions; welcoming the stranger; sacred architecture; Jews in vaudeville and on Broadway; movement; Kabbalah; Jewish magic and healing traditions; interfaith relationships; Israel; global responsibility; journalism and truth; community engagement; dialogue across differences; and more.
Limmud began in London in 1980 with a simple idea: everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn. The movement has since expanded around the world, creating opportunities for people to explore Jewish life, culture and ideas through participatory learning and community.
The Carmel Valley event brings that spirit to Monterey County for a day designed not around a single lecture or point of view, but around curiosity.
A Day of Learning, Conversation and Connection
Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for coffee and the opening keynote. Workshops and plenary sessions continue throughout the day, with lunch included, before participants come back together for a closing gathering ending at approximately 4:45 p.m.
The program also carries forward the spirit of the late Seth Pollack, a longtime CSU Monterey Bay educator whose work centered on community engagement and learning. Two sessions are inspired directly by experiences and ideas connected to Pollack's life and work, and keynote speaker Rabbi David Jaffe was one of his teachers.
Organizers hope participants leave not only with new ideas, but with new connections.
No Hebrew knowledge is required. No previous Jewish education is necessary. There is no homework and no expectation that participants arrive with the same beliefs, experiences or perspectives.
Curiosity is enough.
Register Now
Space in individual workshops is limited, so advance registration is strongly encouraged.
Limmud
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
9:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
Hidden Valley Music Seminars
104 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley
Admission: $36 per person, including lunch and refreshments
REGISTER NOW AND SELECT YOUR WORKSHOPS:
CarmelBethIsrael.org
For questions or additional information, contact Congregation Beth Israel at 831-624-2015 or ShalomCBI@CarmelBethIsrael.org.
Come curious. Join community. Leave inspired.
About Congregation Beth Israel
Congregation Beth Israel serves the Jewish community of the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding region, providing opportunities for worship, learning, community, culture and connection.
MEDIA CONTACT
Congregation Beth Israel
831-624-2015
ShalomCBI@CarmelBethIsrael.org
CarmelBethIsrael.org