FAQs
Why should I consider taking a class? What kind of things will I learn and what will it be like?
In Naomi’s classes you’re likely to encounter ideas you’ve never thought of before, and also, to come across information that feels like you know it in your bones.
She make spaces that are unabashedly pro-Semitic, without being anti-anyone else, which is a balm in these tumultuous times. Leaving politics, family baggage, religious awkwardness out of it, we get into an aspect of Jewish culture that is rich and sustaining.
You can learn practical, culturally resonant ways to use plants for your benefit and pleasure. In her classes you’ll see images, learn history, explore botany. You will understand, by looking through the specific lens of Jewish culture, the universal experience of intimate relationship with the botanical world. You’ll have space to share your own family history, your thoughts and questions and meet others who do the same, finding community in a new place through a new set of inquiries and ideas.
Many people find this activity grounding, locating, & affiriming. As members of communities that have often been barred from owning or working the land, learning about our nature stories and uses is an act of cultural reclamation.
Try something new, it won’t kill you.
What services do you offer?
I provide well-researched, historically accurate profiles of plants featuring a wide range of aspects ranging from phytochemistry to culture, as well as innovative ideas about modern day incorporation of ancient plants and rituals in both online and in person classes. My teaching philosophy is student centered, joyful, multi-sensory, and interactive.
I regularly offer classes that individuals can enjoy. I also have a number of pre-existing classes I can lead for your group or organization, either online with slides and discussion, or in-person with interactive elements.
I also have quite a bit of experience in generating unique elements to integrate in a larger exhibition, commemoration, celebration, any sort of occasion. I have created curricula for the National Institute of Health, the State of California, etc, as well as for synagogues and Jewish Community Centers.
We’ll also be opening a small shop on this site with a limited number of herbal products and nature/Jewish themed jewelry (made by my botanist daughter) in the near future.
I do not offer clinical herbalist services.
Is everyone welcome in your classes? Do you have to be Jewish, or a particular kind of Jewish?
All people regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, level of ability or knowledge are warmly welcome.
Ethnobotany of any particular culture is fascinating precisely because it gives us a specific lens through we see universal truths.
Anyone interested in ethnobotany is welcome. Every non-Jewish ally is a treasured member of our community. Anyone with any level of Jewish heritage or conversion will be treated with the same respectful inclusion of any other member of the Jewish community. All students are requested to come to class with full respect for all, and an understanding that I present from a Jewish perspective.
I can't make it to your next class. Is there a recording?
Not all online classes will be recorded, and those that are will give notification in the class description. If a class is recorded for purchase, you can access it at past classes and workshops.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept payments directly through our website, including all major credit and debit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Additionally, we support third-party gateways like PayPal. All transactions are securely processed to ensure a smooth and safe checkout experience.
Let’s talk about money. One of the most pernicious stereotypes about Jews is that we’re all rich. My lived experience tells me otherwise, and I want to make my offerings available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. It’s also true that I’m a sole proprietor without institutional support. Therefore I offer a fair rate for my services and I also offer a work exchange. The structure of work exchange is this; our time is of equal value, you come to a 75 minute class, you provide me with 75 minutes of your effort in exchange. I can use support with social media, researching and connecting with potential hosts for my classes, that sort of thing. I am happy to make sure work exchange is accessible to people with different abilities. Please contact me to make arrangements prior to the class.
What is a "balebuste"?
A balabuste (Yiddish: בעל־הביתטע) is a Yiddish word generally translated as a fully competent, accomplished homemaker. It comes from the Hebrew ba’alat habayit or female master of the home. There's a reverence to it, a cultural pronouncement of the critical role of the person makes things heimish (Yiddish for homey), delicious, and lovely. To be a balebuste is like having a PhD. in the domestic arts, to be a maven of domestic sorcery.
The transliteration can be written many ways including:
baleboste, balabusta, balabooste, bala booste, bala boosta, balabuste, balebosta, baleboste, balabusta, balebuste, baleboosteh, Bala baya, Balabaya, balabuster, and ballabuster.