Many authors will present at the third annual, volunteer-driven LimmudBoston conference celebration of Jewish culture, taking place all day, Sunday, December 2, in Chestnut Hill, Mass.  Register now for LimmudBoston 2012, which includes over 90 presentations, concerts and performances inspiring Jewish lifelong learning.  Limmud is Hebrew for “study.” LimmudBoston is one of more than 50 volunteer-driven Limmud conferences throughout the world.

Brandeis University Professor Marc Brettler (pictured at left) presents twice at LimmudBoston, on “Why Do We Care about the Dead Sea Scrolls?” and “Should Jews Read the New Testament?”  Professor Brettler’s latest book, The Jewish Annotated New Testament, co-edited with Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University, shows how Jewish texts influenced New Testament writers, and explains how these writings have affected the relations of Jews and Christians over the past two thousand years.

Author Larry Ruttman of Brookline, will speak about his own Jewish journey which emerged while interviewing nearly 50 different personalities from the world of baseball for his newest book, American Jews and America’s Game, a 500-page history of American Jewish experience over the last century, as discovered through baseball.

Ruttman parallels his personal Jewish journey with stories of Jewish American baseball players, saying that he came to terms with who he is as a Jew while writing this book. He says, "Being a Jew sets you free to be the person you really are.”

New this year, the LimmudBoston Shabbat Experience expands the LimmudBoston experience with Sunday’s presenters speak in area synagogues during Shabbat preceding Sunday’s conference. All of this year’s LimmudBoston Shabbat speakers are authors including

• Rabbi Goldie Milgram, at Temple Beth David in Canton
• Anne Lapidus Lerner, of Jewish Theological Seminary, speaking in Lexington
• Siddur creator Joe Rosenstein at Temple Emanuel in Newton
• Baruch HaLevi, rabbi at his home congregation, Shirat Hayam, in Swampscott
• Shawn Zevit, visiting rabbi from the Reconstructionist and Renewal movements at Mishkan Tefila, Chestnut Hill on Friday night, at Dorshei Tzedek, West Newton on Saturday morning, and in concert at Temple Hillel B’nai Torah, West Roxbury, on Saturday night.

Discover more at LimmudBoston 2012, held this year at Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Chestnut Hill, MA.  The emerging schedule, including Camp Limmud  (ages 3-14) childcare reservation forms, early registration rates and volunteer opportunities can be found at www.LimmudBoston.org   

For more information, please contact Steffi Aronson Karp at info@LimmudBoston.org.