New Limmud chair aims for first net-zero festival in December

The new chair of the Limmud Festival wants to make it the first carbon neutral Limmud event.

Hannah Gaventa, currently working at international development organisation Palladium, is uniquely placed to deliver on Limmud’s climate change goals; her work has taken her to, among others, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria, Malaysia, Ghana, South Africa, Mexico, the Philippines, and Dominica.

Accordingly, following on from COP28 in November, (the United Nations Climate Change Conference) Limmud Festival in December will be the first to be aligned with the UK’s Net Zero Strategy.

As country director of IsraAID (an Israel-based non governmental organisation providing global relief in disaster situations) in the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, Gaventa’s team worked in partnership with UN agencies, the Clinton Foundation, the Government of Dominica, and the local community to embed climate resilient strategies in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Maria.

Limmud said: “Hannah brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, and will be leading a diverse team of talented, energetic, and creative volunteers to make Limmud Festival 2023 one to remember.”

Gaventa said: “Over the past 10 years, I have seen first-hand the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities in my work responding to disasters around the world. As Jews, we have a responsibility to ensure we actively preserve our environment for future generations to come. A single net zero Limmud Festival is one thing. A future of sustainable and environmentally conscious Limmud Festivals is the goal.”

The Limmud Festival 2023 team will use a carbon calculator tool to examine all the ways in which the festival can achieve the Net Zero goal and begin the process of creating long term strategies for future teams to develop the environmental sustainability of Limmud Festival.

Carolyn Bogush, Chair of Trustees for Limmud, said: “Limmud is always seeking opportunities to lead the community with innovation, and we are delighted that Hannah, and her team of the best and brightest community leaders, will be bringing growth and innovation to our flagship event this December.”

This year’s festival will run over the Christmas week. Dates will be announced in the coming weeks. Ticket pricing and sales will be announced in July 2023.

For more information visit https://limmud.org