*Download a copy of the program here.
Sunday March 10th
Israel US Eastern
13:00-13:15 7:00-7:15am J. Rivkah Asoulin Welcome (15 minutes)
13:15-13:45 7:15-7:45am Eva Ariela Lindberg Opening Connection (30 minutes)
13:45-14:00 7:45-8:00am Break (15 minutes)
14:00-15:00 8:00-9:00am Andrew Gerren: Ethnobotanical Plantwalk: Harvesting Health
Exploration of Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants in Florida and Tropical Regions and Worldwide (1 hour)
This virtual plant walk will provide an overview of the diverse flora of wild edible and medicinal plants found in Florida and throughout the tropics. Participants will learn to identify common wild plants that can be used as food and/or herbal remedies, their phytochemistry, ethnobotany, along with proper foraging techniques and safety considerations for wildcrafting. The walk aims to educate attendees on the vast herbal resources that may be available in Florida’s natural environment and thought out the tropical regions of the world.
15:00-15:15 9:00-9:15am Break (15 minutes)
15:15-16:15 9:15-10:15am Sarah Chana Silverstein: Support for Mourners-Herbs & Homeopathy (1 hour)
If only we could take away the pain of the mourner! Sadly, without a magic wand or open miracle, we can not. Also, everyone mourns differently. In this workshop, we will explore the herbs and homeopathic remedies that can help support the mourner, keep them healthy and hopefully give them strength to bring their own light into this world of darkness.
16:15-16:30 10:15-10:30am Break (15 minutes)
16:30-17:30 10:30-11:30am Prof. Efraim Lev: Arabic Medicine and Pharmacology as Practiced by Jews in Medieval Muslim Lands (1 hour)
The literature on medicine and pharmacology in medieval Muslim society is vast and detailed. Yet, study and assessment of the practical aspects of medicine and pharmacology in the Mediterranean society requires examination of authentic documents. The prescriptions, lists of Materia Medica, letters, parts of books and medical notebooks found in the Cairo Genizah are important sources of knowledge that supply us with a valuable historical dimension. This lecture will present the outcome of 20 years of research of the thousands of documents dealing with medical aspects at the Cairo Geniza, and many Arabic sources dealing especially with Jewish practitioners. The research provides a better understanding of everyday practical and theoretical Arabic medicine and pharmacology in medieval Muslim countries as well as information on various aspects of the Jewish physicians and pharmacists of that period.
17:30-17:45 11:30-11:45am Break (15 minutes)
17:45-19:15 11:45am-1:15pm Judith Hill: Culpeper’s Medicine: Herbs, Astrology, & Patient
Examination: What is Astrological Herbalism? (1.5 hours)
How and why did Culpeper and his colleagues use this complete medical system, known as “Astrologo-Physick” (Astrological Medicine)? And what did the medieval Jewish medical writers have to do with it? Judith presents a fascinating overview of the uses, general theory, “planetary energetics”, and basic history of Culpeper’s method, plus supportive science.
19:15-19:30 1:15-1:30pm Break (15 minutes)
19:30-21:30 1:30-3:30pm Matthew Wood: Doctrine of Signatures (2 hours)
A nice adjunct to “specific medicine” is the study of “signatures”–when the plant looks like the symptoms, the disease, or even the person! Also, the environmental niche of the plant is analogous to what it can help in the sick. The relationship is often one of specificity. The doctrine goes back to the most ancient times and is found in every corner of the world. The Biblical reference for it is the account in genesis where the Creator asks Adam to name every creature, and he gives them their true names. This is held by many Rabbis to refer to the doctrine of the Adam Kadmon, the human as the archetype of creation. Each creature–animal, plant–corresponds to an organ in the Grand Human, and in the little human: the signature shows us where to apply the herb. This leads us to the doctrine of “organ-specific” medicine–the herb has a special affinity and power in a specific organ–and again, is related to the specific medicine of Ibn Zuhr, Maimonides, and Scudder.
Monday March 11th
Israel US Eastern
10:30-11:30 4:30-5:30am Nir Avraham: Galilee Plantwalk (1 hour)
The Israeli flora consist of about 2700 species, many of them are culinary or medicinal. This huge variety in such a small land represents the footprints of ancient civilization and nomadic visitors. Most of the Israeli flora represent the Mediterranean climate, so we can find known herbs such as Melissa, or endemic one such as Jerusalem Sage (Salvia hierosolymitana) and many herbs that adapted from far away such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Join me on a long distance HerbWalk, where we will meet our friends in person.
11:30-11:45 5:30-5:45am Break (15 minutes)
11:45-12:45 5:45-6:45am Yael Cnaan: Anxiety and Depression: Guidelines for Herbal Treatment and CaseStudies (1 hour)
Herbal treatment can be very effective in supporting emotional issues, especially when the right herbs are used. In this class, I will present the model of The Six Tissue States regarding the nervous system as a tool for choosing herbs, while underlining each herb’s specific indications. We will discuss three case studies to help demonstrate the considerations in creating an appropriate herbal formula.
12:45-14:15 6:45-8:15am Break (1.5 hour)
14:15-15:15 8:15-9:15am Chava Dagan: Herbal Medicine vs. Vaccination for Animals (1 hour)
Let’s look into raising our animals through an ancient paradigm known as herbal medicine. The modern progressive pharmaceutical model of caring for our pets raises many more questions and concerns than ever before. So much so that we are coming full circle and returning to the ways of our wise ancestors.
15:15-15:30 9:15-9:30am Break (15 minutes)
15:30-16:30 9:30-10:30am Mishi Harari: Pines of Paradise (1 hour)
Pines are everywhere and yet their incredible properties are largely unknown. Together, we will explore these magnificent trees, their medicinal and nutritious qualities and how to tell the difference between pine and other coniferous trees, like spruce. If you have ever stepped into a forest full of pine trees and taken a deep breath, inhaling their wonderful aroma, you know how magical they can be. You won’t want to miss this class!
16:30-16:45 10:30-10:45am Break (15 minutes)
16:45-17:45 10:45-11:45am Gilla Weiss: Mothering the mother (1 hour)
Mothering the mother is a class that delves into healing ourselves through nourishing herbs and foods. Discover traditional postpartum herbal care and ancient recipes. Learn ways to infuse our modern birth and postpartum culture with the wisdom of our ancestors.
17:45-18:00 11:45am-12:00pm Break (15 minutes)
18:00-19:30 12:00-1:30pm Heather Shelton: Adding Cannabis to the Herbalist Toolbox (1.5 hours)
Cannabis medicine is herbal medicine and who do clients want to help them? Their herbalist. In this class we will discuss supporting patients in their cannabis journey, the important information herbalists need to know when working with this plant, as well as practical tools for working with cannabis and clients. We will also cover the criteria Heather uses to choose safe cannabis products for clients. Resources provided.
19:30-19:45 1:30-1:45pm Break (15 minutes)
19:45-21:45 1:45-3:45pm Susun S. Weed: Come Home to Your Healthy Self the Wise Woman Way (2 hours)
Make sense of medicine and get the care that’s best for you by understanding the three traditions of healing. Thrive and become whole in the nourishing Wise Woman Tradition. Get balanced and detoxed in the Heroic Tradition. Learn how you measure up and get fixed in the Scientific Tradition. Susun will decode allopathy and homeopathy. She will show you how to discern East from West. With story, song, and joy, Susun will show us the patterns within ourselves — and our healers — that underlie our beliefs about health and healing. This workshop lays a foundation for clear choices, allowing you to maintain and regain optimum health.
Tuesday March 12
Israel US Eastern
9:30-10:30 3:30-4:30am Shayna Judelman The Great Change: Greeting Menopause with Herbal Support for Mind and Body (1 hour)
Together we will explore herbs and formulas that support the hormonal shift of menopause and ease common symptoms that arise during this transitional period, such as hot flashes, increased anxiety, insomnia, weight gain and more.
10:30-10:45 4:30-4:45am Break (15 minutes)
10:45-11:45 4:45-5:45am Peretz and Roni Gan: Al Alim’s Botanic Treasure Garden (1 hour)
We welcome and invite you to tour the botanic treasures of Al Alim in the ancient village of Zippori, Israel, where fruits, olive oil and wine where produced approx. 2000 yrs ago and taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, under the shade of olive trees, a wide selection medicinal and culinary herbs have been gathered for educational and research purposes, as part of Al Alim Medicinal Herb Center farm and international trade center.
11:45-12:00 5:45-6:00am Break (15 minutes)
12:00-13:30 6:00-7:30am Andrew Gerren: Empowering Men’s Health: Exploring Herbal Pathways to Nurturing Holistic Vitality (1.5 hours)
This lecture will explore how incorporating herbal remedies can help men achieve holistic health and vitality. We will discuss various herbal supplements and lifestyle changes that support physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Empowering men to take charge of their health through natural remedies and practices that nourish the whole self.
13:30-13:45 7:30-7:45am Break (15 minutes)
13:45-14:45 7:45-8:45am Esther Lachman: Mar-peh: The Bitter Mouth of Healing (1 hour)
In our modern western culture, the bitter flavor has been removed from our plates and our palates. Instead we crave the flavors of sweet, salty and spicy. In this class, we will meet ancient healers who knew and understood the value of the bitter herbs. We will explore the Artemisia family, with an emphasis on the Artemisia of Israel. In unlocking the secrets of this bitter plant,we will learn why we want and need to bring back the taste of bitter into our lives.
14:45-15:15 8:45-9:15am Break (30 minutes)
15:15-16:00 9:15-10:00am Kate Breslaw Cooking Workshop (45 minutes)
Cooking with Foraged Food with Kate Breslaw from An Integrated Life. One of the questions I get asked the most is “But how do I use nettles, what about the sting?” Join us for a fun cooking demo and learn how simple it is to use and add foraged food to your dishes. We have 3 wonderful plants on the menu.
16:00-16:15 10:00-10:15am Break (15 minutes)
16:15-17:15 10:15-11:15am J. Rivkah Asoulin and children: Raising Herbal Children: An Interactive Class for Families (1 hour)
In a virtual conference, our little ones will certainly be underfoot! Let’s spark their interest in herbal medicine in this interactive, child and parent friendly class led by ARI founder J. Rivkah Asoulin and her favorite teachers, her own children! Together we will discuss our most frequently used herbal materia medica.
17:15-17:30 11:15-11:30am Break (15 minutes)
17:30-19:00 11:30am-1:00pm Heather Shelton: Oregon’s psychedelic renaissance: Insights from Inside
(1.5 hours)
Explore insights into the psychedelic movement and lessons learned from opening the first legal psilocybin service center in the United States. Heather will talk about what psilocybin is, its history of use and how it is being utilized today in the US. She will share her experience in the field and discuss the important role that practitioners can play in the psychedelic environment.
19:00-19:15 1:00-1:15pm Break (15 minutes)
19:15-21:15 1:15-3:15pm Matthew Wood: The Medicine of Moses Maimonides (2 hours)
The concept of the “specific indication,” a symptom that leads to one or a small number of remedies, or a formula, was introduced by Abu Marwan Ibn Zuhr (1094-1162), of Seville, whose son taught the method to Moses Maimonides ((1138-1204). Ibn Zuhr was so successful as a physician that he was often accused of using magic–and we know that Maimonides was the most esteemed physician in Egypt. The method called kawass in Arabic, was more widely used and recognized in the Renaissance, and finally reaches a full expression in the “specific medicine” of Dr. John Scudder (1828-92). I have used this method extensively, and it is more useful than any other tool we possess in herbal medicine because it helps us find an exact relationship between medicine and condition.
21:15-21:30 3:15-3:30pm J. Rivkah Asoulin: Goodbye and a chance for Comments (15 minutes)