Jewish – My Favorite Trees

January 23, 2024

Episode 94: The Myrtle

The Myrtle is a small Mediterranean tree with significance tied to just about every culture of that region–due in large part to how fragrant the plant is. It enlivens Jewish holidays, protects one from curses, and is a display of love and beauty so powerful that it can start wars. Help me ring in the Jewish Tree New Year by learning how this fragrant tree can be so significant and how it shows up in our lives today.

Tons of bonus content is available on my Patreon! (patreon.com/MyFavoriteTrees)
Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Script Editing and Social Media is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/plant/myrtle

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9933039/

https://www.uicnmed.org/nabp/database/HTM/PDF/p47.pdf

https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2018/06/28/myrtle-the-provenance-and-meaning-of-a-plant/

https://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/index-plant-of-the-month/the-myrtle/

https://reformjudaism.org/sukkot-diversity-and-unity-how-each-us-four-species

https://aqua-oleum.co.uk/2022/02/14/myrtle-symbol-of-love-and-beauty/

August 9, 2022July 15, 2022

Episode 56: The Almond

This is the first part of a new miniseries focused on nut trees! Almonds are considered the largest nut crop in the world, but are they actually even nuts? Find out how this popular food traveled from Persia to California and learn the legends that have lead the almond to be found in our snack mixes, milks, and flours. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @treepodcast.

Sources:

https://www.alcademics.com/2016/07/the-difference-between-bitter-almonds-sweet-almonds-and-stone-fruit-seeds.html

https://farmtogether.com/learn/blog/a-brief-history-of-almonds

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128141380000150

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dulcis

https://lifeinsaudiarabia.net/see-almonds-in-a-dream-islam/

https://sewjewish.com/2016/01/05/almond-blossoms-a-jewish-symbol-of-hope-and-renewal/

https://www.greeknewsagenda.gr/topics/culture-society/7413-almond-trees

https://www.britannica.com/plant/almond

https://www.almonds.com/why-almonds/growing-good/water-wise

https://www.paesta.psu.edu/podcast/how-much-water-does-it-really-take-grow-almonds-paesta-podcast-series-episode-43

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-bitter-truth-scientists-sequence-the-almond-genome/

https://seggiano.com/inspiration/almonds/

https://www.almonds.com/why-almonds/global-history

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-proven-benefits-of-almonds#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9

January 11, 2022January 11, 2022

Episode 41: The Olive Tree

Sundown on January the 16th marks the beginning of Tu B’Shevat 2022. For the second year in a row, I’ve decided to celebrate this Jewish Tree New Year by covering one of the Seven Species of Israel. This time, it’s the olive’s turn. Olive trees have held importance to humans for thousands of years—not just as a food source but also for the many uses of olive oil as well as the tree’s symbol of peace and prosperity. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @treepodcast.