Limmud had its first conference in Macedonia, drawing participants from other former Yugoslavian countries.

The Nov. 1 opening of the Jewish-identity confab brought together a crowd of 500 Jews, twice Macedonia’s estimated Jewish population of 250, according to Dina Sosberger, who organized the four-day event .

“Limmud conferences are an opportunity for the Jewish communities of the former Yugoslavia to stay connected,” she said.

Croatia and Serbia have a combined Jewish population of about 5,000, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia, like Macedonia, each have a few hundred Jews.

Limmud was launched in Britain some 30 years ago and is now active in 26 countries. — jta