By  Renato Huarte, ROI Micro Grant recipient. Renato is a teacher at the Faculty of Humanities at Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) and Hebraica University.

One might have heard about the Limmud experience, but it is not until after you have participated in one Limmud Conference that you realize how very simple basic principles can give such great experiences.  Thanks to an ROI Micro Grant I was able to be part of Limmud Conference in UK in December 2011. Here's the story:

It was almost a last minute call. Although we have heard about a "seminar" called Limmud in Mexico, the word or concept is not quite clear. It is perceived as another "Jewish seminar". I have always thought, coming from Hashomer Hatzair, that Jewish studies do not really appeal to most secular Jews. As Meir Ya'ari said about this subject: "We tried to bring up a generation of revolutionaries and we ended up with a bunch of ignorants". As my late teacher, Rachel Hodara, once said: "Jewish texts belong not only to religious Jews, but to ALL of us, even secular people. Or else why is it that everyone had to be at Mount Sinai?"

Having this in mind and while debating at the Regional ROI Seminar in Buenos Aires about how to deal with this issue, I decided I might try the Limmud experience and maybe find an answer to what I was looking for. As soon as I came back to Mexico, I decided to apply for Limmud Conference in the UK, the original Limmud experience.

Getting there was an incredible experience because you get to feel the volunteer atmosphere.  Everyone receives his or her tag only with their names and no title attached to it. The Shabbat experience was a great open experience that coincided with Hanukkah and included all people - secular and religious (from all the different streams). The "oneg" of Shabbat was possible for me because everyone got the opportunity to be part of the Limmud experience. After Shabbat, for the rest of the week,  you receive a program with lots of simultaneous activities. They range from Jewish texts studies to Jewish cultural performances. There is always an option for your interests. Around 2500 people were there sharing their knowledge and willing to learn.

It was such a great experience, that we are now organizing Limmud México very soon. I am sure that this will enable all Mexican Jews to feel part of their own tradition in their own way in an atmosphere of openness and respect, of volunteering and learning.