Community and Online Resources
Come join us at the Jewish Herbalist Network! We meet monthly (roughly) and run democratically, it’s totally sliding scale donation to attend, anyone can teach. You don’t have to define as an herbalist to attend. There are many people there who really know their stuff, there are others who are totally new and just want to listen and learn, it’s all welcome. To get yourself on the mailing list e-mail the wonderful steward of our group Liel at liel@jewishfarmernetwork.org. Tell them I sent ya, they’ll get you on the list.
Learn about the journey of a Bay area Jewish man from a "hippie Chabad" family, making aliyah & creating a TCM and Qi Gong practice in Israel, in this article from the Jerusalem Post titled, The Young Chabad Herbalist.
Flavors of the Diaspora Resource Sheet
People
You know that expression, “They wrote the book on that!” to describe someone who is completely erudite in their subject? Well this amazing couple really did write the the book on it - twice! Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel have such a skill set between them - herbalism, long careers as research librarians, linguistics, visual art, it’s ridiculous how talented this lovely couple is. Here is where you start when you begin to educate yourself about Jewish herbalism in the Old World.
Naomi Spector is a Jewish plant historian of great skill. She shares the stories, insights and practices with us beautifully as an author, and as a warm, knowledgeable, accessible, educator.
Dr. Jon Greenberg is a wonderful biblical ethnobotany educator and author. I had the pleasure of taking one of his walks at the UC Botanical Garden, and if you have a chance to attend his lectures in nature, do it.
Looking for a Jewish clinical herbalist? Rivka Schwartz is a balebuste with a deep understanding of Jewish culture, the foodways, and herbal medicine. She consults with clients anywhere via Zoom and leads events and teaches in her home state of New Hampshire. She also teaches online, and provides amazing notes and resources as part of her classes.
Lia Leibman is a warm and knowledgeable Jewish herbalist based in the East Bay of California. She also leads classes and provides herbal first aid for groups in fun and approachable ways, underpinned with a deep understanding of clinical herbalism.
Rabbi Jonathan Seidel, PhD., is the only non-plant professional in this section, but his knowledge of Jewish food history, conceptions of the role of magic and gender in Jewish culture are so outstanding he had to be included. Check out his offerings as the Rosh Yeshiva of Aquarian Minyan.