Ashkenazi Herbalism with Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel
Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel have explored the world of Jewish medicinal plant healers within the communities of the Pale of Settlement in Eastern Europe, and written a book to share their findings. As trained librarians and linguists, Deatra and Adam were uniquely suited to uncover these practices that lasted from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era, hidden by language barriers and obscure documents. The book is eye-opening and includes the first materia medica of 26 plants and herbs essential to Ashkenazi folk medicine. In this interview, Deatra and Adam discuss their research process, the legacy of Ashkenazi herbalism, and how their experiences as Jews interacted with their work.
Transcending Jewish Trauma with Jo Kent Katz
Clarissa digs into a topic that has come up in many of the conversations on this podcast; Intergenerational Trauma. The study of this phenomenon is relatively new, but it’s resonated with many Jews whose ancestors’ survived violence and persecution. To take a closer look at this, she talks to Jo Kent Katz, a Therapist, Ritualist, and Political Educator. In 2020, Jo launched a website called “Transcending Jewish Trauma” to help Jews unpack and heal from inherited unconscious beliefs and behaviors associated with ancestral trauma. Included on the website is a map that explores the many manifestations of collective trauma experienced by white Ashkenazi Jews living in the US.
Jewish Ethnicity, Jewish Joy, Mizrahi Culture, and Decolonizing Jewishness, with Yasmine Esther
Clarissa talks to Yasmine Esther, a community educator, and a Bukharan, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi Jew. Yasmine’s made it her mission to inform Jews and non-Jews alike about Jewish politics and culture. With over 16 thousand followers on Instagram, Yasmine combats misconceptions and erasure of Jewish customs and history. She often shares about overlooked parts of her multifaceted culture including food, clothing, music and jewelry from her Mizrahi and Bukharin background. Yasmine also has black family members, and her educational work incorporates confronting anti-blackness and racism.
Persian Jewish Culture, Stigmas, Taboos, and Mental Health, with Nicole Nowparvar
Forty years ago, thousands of Jews fled Iran after the Islamic Revolution, settling primarily in Los Angeles. Nicole Nowparvar is a member of that Persian Jewish community. She’s a psychotherapist, and the cofounder of Chaya, a community of intimate gatherings for Jewish Iranians. In this conversation, Clarissa talks with Nicole about how social, familial, and cultural expectations shape the community and the way that Chaya is helping individuals navigate what it means to be Jewish Iranian in the U.S.