Torah of Grains

Sefirat HaOmer (the counting of the Omer) is a daily practice of counting the 49 days (7 weeks) between Passover and Shavuot. The word "omer" refers to a sheaf of grain, and during this time, our ancestors would bring a grain offering to the holy temple in honor of this grain harvest period. The time between Passover and Shavuot, or between the first barley harvest and the first wheat harvest, is a time to remember and reflect on our movement from oppression to freedom. 

Join us for a 2 part class to learn more about the role of grain in all this!

The Torah of Wheat (Toras Chittim):  From Gan Eden to Har Sinai

Wednesday, May 8th @7:30-9pm EST: 

We will examine Bread Wheat and its extended cereal family from a diverse perspective of co-Creation, agronomy, landscape ecology, and traditional Rabbinical perspectives.  Following a trail to Torah m'Sinai from our primordial seed collecting experience, we will mix and knead our way through text and schmooze topics ranging from soil ecology and Temple offerings to gluten formation and Sefiras HaOmer.  This discussion is intended to be accessible to all curious spirits.

Instructor: Ian Yosef Hertzmark is a husband, father, son, brother, friend and traditional kosher butcher.  He and his family operate Migrash Farm on 32 acres in Baltimore County, MD, growing grains and legumes, market vegetables, and rare fruits.  Under the new banner of Patapsco Grist and Seed, Yosef cleans, processes, and mills thousands of bushels of small grains annually from his farm and a network of Chesapeake growers, producing stone ground flours, cold rolled flakes, food-grade kernels and farm seed.  His latest project is Hiddr Meats VA, a vessel for community and regenerative kosher meats in the Mid Atlantic.

Torah of Rye

Wednesday, May 15th @7:30-9pm EST:

What Torah can we learn from rye, an often underappreciated grain that Jews generally connect with a deli sandwich. Thousands of years before we were making pastrami sandwiches, the rabbis considered rye one of the 5 most important grains. In this class we will talk about the halakha of rye, its cultural import to Ashkenazi and American foodways, and how this cold-hardy grain can be a value-added supplement to our sustainable farms.

Instructor: Avery Robinson is a Jewish culinary historian who has written over 100 pages on kugel. Avery has baked challah for 300+ on an open fire and worked in bakeries in Tel Aviv and NYC. Avery is a co-founder of Rye Revival, a nonprofit promoting rye as a climate change mitigation strategy, and is a co-owner of Black Rooster Food, a 100% rye sourdough bread company that follows traditional Latvian recipes and techniques. Avery is the Engagement Officer for the Natan Fund, a Jewish giving circle.

Ticket fees are refundable up to seven days before the program. After that, our team can issue you a coupon for 50% of the amount you paid to be used for a future program. Within 24 hours of the program, no refund is available. Thank you for understanding.