What better person to speak to before Tu B’Shevat than someone who doesn’t just assist in growing the population of the community but also feeds them with the produce he cultivates?
Illustration by Lea Kron
I can’t think of many professions that don’t require hours and hours of the day, but all the more so for a doctor who’s constantly on call for his patients’ births! Physician, husband, and father are expected job descriptions for this active member of Klal Yisrael. Documentary filmmaker, author, and backyard farmer are hobbies that are not only out of the box, but full-time jobs in themselves.
What better person to speak to before Tu B’Shevat than someone who doesn’t just assist in growing the population of the community but also feeds them with the produce he cultivates? Meet Dr. Jonathan Herman, who takes the term “renaissance man” to another level.
I actually don’t cook much. My mother, a”h, was an excellent cook and exposed us to all different types of food from around the world. The history of gardening, though, goes back to my father, a”h. After a hard day’s work, he loved to go to the backyard, where he tended to a small vegetable patch. I guess it was a little infectious, as all five of us kids now have vegetable gardens.
My big push came about during Covid. I like to say I’m a Covid farmer. When a patient came to the office at the beginning of Covid and spread Covid through the whole office, I was relegated to my bedroom, and spent some time watching videos about growing cucumbers and tomatoes. One thing led to the other, and suddenly I was becoming a novice-cum-expert on cultivating and growing.
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