On the Jewish History of Garlic

Through nature-based Jewish education, Shoresh leads, inspires, and empowers our community to be shomrei adamah, Hebrew for “protectors of the earth.” As a form of Jewish nature connection, Shoresh tends a garlic patch at Bela Farm, where participants plant, harvest, bundle, and cure organic garlic bulbs.

In the Koffler Arts exhibition, Botannica Tirannica by Giselle Beiguelman, one series of AI-generated prints called Poisonous, Noxious and Suspicious focuses on garlic and fungus as both have Antisemitic associations. Garlic, native to middle Asia, was brought initially to Europe by returning Christian crusaders. But garlic became associated with Jewish people who – after forced exile from Israel by the Roman Empire – settled in the Levant and migrated further west to the Iberian peninsula and into northern Europe.

During this program, Tiferet Nashman, Executive Director at Shoresh, will share more about Jewish herbal and culinary traditions and folklore involving garlic.

Shoresh will also have a Pop-up Shop selling sustainable products that are gifts from the earth, including raw honey, beeswax Shabbat, Havdalah, and Chanukah candles, and more.

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