Welcome

Welcome to the Lyons Learning Project. After some time taking stock, we are relaunching with a new website and many new programmes.

My name is Sybil Sheridan. I took over as director in October 2020 and am really excited at the opportunity to develop the project. I hope to create a programme of Jewish learning that is dynamic and accessible to everyone.

Lifelong Learning the Lyons way...

We will be offering single events, short courses and ongoing study opportunities in an environment that is open minded, egalitarian, and enquiring. Ours is a space - both virtual and actual - that will give the opportunity to extend our Jewish knowledge and engage in serious debate. We will link with other organisations in a collaborative attempt to reach different audiences. There can never be too many programmes of Jewish learning and there can never be too many people engaged in its study.

In the past, the Lyons Learning project ran the Melton Programme in the UK and presented many different textual, historical, philosophical and contemporary issue programmes. We hope to continue that tradition. So far, we have offered a talk by Rabbi Julia Neuberger on Victorian

Jewish women authors, a conversation with Jonathan Freedland on the subject of his father, Michael Freedland and, together with Jewish Renaissance, a lecture by Professor Natan Meir on the Cholera Wedding. Coming up, to formally relaunch the Project, Sir Simon Schama will give a talk, followed by a course on Jewish immigration to the UK and a very short History of God. By the summer, we hope to present a ‘Black Jewish Lives Matter’ programme.

Whether religious or secular, brainy or brawny - whatever our goals and aspirations - Talmud Torah keneged kulam: Jewish study can lead to them all.