Extra cash is kosher

Christmas week is usually a lean time for universities hoping to make a little extra cash through conferences while students are away. But the University of Nottingham, always looking for a swift way to make a bob or two, has for the past four years hosted a 2,000-delegate conference over the Christmas period. This year, the five-day Limmud conference saw more than 300 speakers give some 700 sessions on Jewish subjects ranging from contemplation of the Torah through yoga to the Jewish view on cloning. Unfortunately, Nottingham would not have been able to make vast profits by charging extra for its staff's services over the holidays. Limmud brought in its own catering staff - kosher, of course.