Ashkenazi Herbalism with Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel
Jewish History, Ancestry, History, Deep Dive, Culture, Diaspora, Jewish Texts, Feel Good, Yiddish, Jewish Women Clarissa Marks Jewish History, Ancestry, History, Deep Dive, Culture, Diaspora, Jewish Texts, Feel Good, Yiddish, Jewish Women Clarissa Marks

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.

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Transcending Jewish Trauma with Jo Kent Katz
American Jews, Jewish History, Ancestry, Family History, History, Deep Dive, Culture, Politics, Activism, Diaspora Clarissa Marks American Jews, Jewish History, Ancestry, Family History, History, Deep Dive, Culture, Politics, Activism, Diaspora Clarissa Marks

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.

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Jewish Ethnicity, Jewish Joy, Mizrahi Culture, and Decolonizing Jewishness, with Yasmine Esther
Intersectionality, Personal Stories, American Jews, Culture, Jews of Color, Jewish History, Diaspora, Ancestry, Family History Clarissa Marks Intersectionality, Personal Stories, American Jews, Culture, Jews of Color, Jewish History, Diaspora, Ancestry, Family History Clarissa Marks

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.

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