Yiddish Herbalism Series
March 22nd, April 19th, May 24th, June 5th
This monthly series centers on Yiddish culture and plant-folk practice. Each month will focus on a different plant and its uses, from garlic to rose, exploring its historical uses, and working with the plant in medicinal, spiritual, and creative ways. Through poetry, song, language, and our hands, we will care for and be cared by community-reclaimed industrial land in Strathcona (the traditionally working class Jewish neighbourhood), that also asks us what it means to co-steward shared green space in the urban context we live in.
Yiddish culture is deeply entwined with earth-based ritual and spiritual connection with the plant world. In this program, we are honouring and exploring that. This program combines beginner Yiddish language learning (all levels are welcome) with earth-based Yiddish folklore, culture, and re-connection. And we invite you to come with your tensions, your curiosities, and your questions. Come as an artist, a plant lover, or someone who is looking for a cozy spot to sit and drink tea. The Yiddish Garden exists as a healing space, a way to (re)connect with practice and ancestry.
Together, we aim to create a small community that will tend to this special space and build personal relationships with the plant allies we pick and plant together, whether through poetry, prayer, or our hands in the dirt. We will create protection pouches, infuse honey and tinctures, break bread, and experience the joy, sometimes grief, and comfort that come with holding the words and practices of our ancestors in our bodies, while creating our own.