JewWhoTokes is an Instagram account celebrating members of the tribe who enjoy cannabis and psychedelics. JWT began in 2016 as a collection of profiles on Jewish thought leaders, creatives, and individuals who partake and/or work in the psychedelic and cannabis industries. After the October 7 attacks, it became a community for Jews who were confronting antisemitism in these industries or needed a place to come together. JWT is active on-line and IRL, hosting happy hours, weekly pre-shabbat calls that are equal parts learning and kvetching, gatherings at larger conferences, and holiday parties. JewWhoTokes is a celebration of the ecosystem born from the intersection of Judaism and alternative medicines, altered states and spiritual growth.
WEEKLY PRE-SHABBAT UNITY ZOOM
In turning darkness into light on Fridays, our pre-shabbat calls that began shortly after the October 7 attached provided some learning with a schmear of kvetch. We kept things haimish and healing, a mix of studying and schmoozing. What studied + kvetched about:
Unity call Oct 20 hosted by Jordan Isenstadt saw people sharing shock and sadness.
Betrayal call Oct 27 found participants expressing rage, dismay and fear. 
History call Nov 3 hosted by Adriana Kertzer launched with a lecture on antisemitism with a focus on anti-zionism.
Legacy call on Nov 10 had Beryl Solomon presenting on Israel's important role in the history of cannabis.
Thankful call on Nov 18 had Rabbi Zac Kamenetz teaching us how to pray and elevate our plant medicine use.
Community call on Dec 15 had Michael Mitgang, Founder and Managing Director WGD Capital, and Mara Gordon, co-founder of Aunt Zelda’s, Octopi Wellness, and Zelira Therapeutics (previously Zelda Therapeutics) talked about building Jewish community around the discovery of cannabis' healing potential.
OGs & Newbies call on Jan 5 had Ellis Soodak talking about being the 1st Jewish dispensary owner in NY and Erica "Panda" Siegal is an OG in the psychedelic world. She founded NEST Harm Reduction and SHINE Collective, the nonprofit she created to address abuse in the psychedelic space. 
Healin' & Groovin' call on Jan 10 had Charley Wininger discussing his book Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA  and Nate Landau talking about his time time in the IDF and his journey into cannabis.
Hot & Kosher call on Jan 19 had Brandon Dorsky, a cannabis attorney from California and CEO of Fruit Slabs, talked about keeping it kosher on all fronts while Allison Krongard, co-founder of Her Highness, will talk about going from orthodox to hot cannabis accessories
Shamanic Fabulous call on Jan 26 had David Paleschuck, author of Branding Bud, questioning whether the Jewish "brand" is in need of a rethink; Allison Hoots, President of Sacred Plant Alliance and attorney, introduced us to the conversation about best practices for psychedelic ceremonies; and Business shaman Lonnie Dama (psychedelic comedian Matt Ruby) offered "spirituality" and wellness "guidance."
Show & Tell call on Feb 2 organized by Jennifer Bassuk had several of us showing Judaica objects that mean something special to us. 
Dustin' Off the Cohens call on Feb 9 had psychedelic filmmaker Maxi Cohen (From Shock to Awe and Ayahuasca Diaries), Will Cohen of Tokin' Jew, and Dustin Robinson of Iter Investments and Mr Cannabis Law.
Batman & Hudi call on Feb 16 had Hudi Schorr Psy.D talking about the intersection between psychology, mindfulness, relationships, and psychedelics and Rabbi Yaakov "Batman" Cohen of Whole Kosher chatting about Kosher certification in the cannabis industry.
Plant Medicine call on Feb 23 had Talia Eisenberg of Beond, talking about her personal journey that led to working with ibogaine. Kenneth R. Weinberg, MD, founder of Cannabis Doctors of New York, talked about being a cannabis doctor. 
Humor & Growth call on March had comedian and HelloSci Com founder Sarah Rose Siskind explaining what is a psychedelic shiva and her psychedelic comedy series Drug TestRich Orloff talking about his play about underground psychedelic therapy (It's a Beautiful Wound) and sharing a poem.
Soul & System Nourishment call on March 8 had Jay Godfrey, Co-Founder of Nushama, sharing a dvar torah and talking about building a deeply Jewish ketamine healing center; and Sandy Samberg, of The Joe & Sandy Samberg Foundation, talking about going from a pediatric nurse practitioner to a macher philanthropist in the psychedelic space.
People of the Mushroom & the Book(s) call on March 15 had Bhukharan-American Markel Bababekov, founder of The Herbal Care THC in the Upper East Side in New York, Dr. Erica Zelfand, a family doctor specializing in integrative mental health and and functional family medicine, and Tom Haviv, writer, artist, and publisher (cofounder of Ayin Press).  
Power call on March 22 had Lilach Mazor Power, Israeli-American Founder and CEO of Mazor Collective, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Phoenix, Arizona; Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, Israeli-American Founder of Lab/Shul (a G-d optional, everyone friendly, artist driven synagogue); and Lauren Rudick, New York-American Managing Principal of Rudick Law Group, writer, and entrepreneur, focused in the cannabis industry and other newly regulated, emerging markets.
We ended Season 1 by shining a light on our cannabis and psychedelics Kohanim -- new, OGs and unexpected. Spiritual Leader, storyteller, vision weaver, and ritualist Rishe Groner shared a dvar torah; Yotam Polizer, Chief Executive Officer at IsraAID, shared a glimpse into how a Jewish organization dedicated to helping the world uses its experience post-Oct 7 to help Nova survivors heal; Dana Beal, the OG Kohain fighting to legalize weed, one arrest at a time, shared his greater mission: healing through ibogaine; and David Feldman, psychedelic & cannabis lawyer and consultant, talked about activism and legal skills coming together and the realities of antisemitism in our industries. 

PAST EVENTS 

High + Mighty Hannukah Bash | December 12, 2023
JewWhoTokes, co-organized a Hannkkah party at the House of Cannabis in NYC with Shelby Poole of Betty Bloom, Jordan Isenstadt of Marino PR, with the support of Tokin' Jew. There was a DJ, kosher food, so much weed it felt like manna from heaven, and so many yids! We spun the dreidel, sparked up good vibes, and munched on enormous latkes that even Judah would approve of.  Sponsors: Eaton Botanicals, Feuerstein Kulick, HPI Farma / Dank By Definition, Gary G./ 2Js, Plant Medicine Law Group, AE Global, Union Square Travel Agency, Florist Farms, Jenny Loves Me, Hunter + Esquire, Marino PR, Ayrloom, Popped NYC, Rolling Stoned / The Hash Bell, and Tokin' Jew. 

Bagel Bash at MJBizCon | November 30, 2023
A brunch sponsored by Feuerstein Kulick LLP gathered over 200 Jews in in Las Vegas during MJBizCon. 

Jewish Joint | January 29, 2023
JewWhoTokes sponsored The Jewish Joint, a panel and comedy show celebrating the work of Jews in the cannabis industry. The panelists: BenTzion Temer, David Hess, Ethan Zohn, Lindsay Dolash, Dr. Lynn Parodneck, and Stu Zakim discussed the future of cannabis in New York State and nationally. We laughed, networked, and ate. Sponsors: Plant Medicine Law Group, The HotBox with Danit Sibs, Mini-J’s, Kooosher, The Green Room, Tokin Jew, New Amsterdam Cannabis, Pure Nectar Premium, Popped NYC, ISPIRE, Kingfisher: THC Infused Syrup, Burning Bush, KIPPS, Fu's Flowers, oHHo Plants with Benefits, and qb.

Am Yisrael High Exhibit | May 5, 2022
JewWhoTokes was featured in the exhibit Am Yisrael High: The Story of Jews and Cannabis at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Adriana spoke on the opening night panel moderated by curator Eddy Portnoy, alongside Madison Margolin, Ed Rosenthal, and Rabbi/Dr. Yosef Glassman (May 5, 2022). JewWhoTokes then hosted an afterparty that brought all the OGs together!

JewWhoTokes Purim Sesh & Shmooze | February 25, 2021
A celebration of cannabis and plant medicine, laughter, and reflection. Sarah Rose Siskind gave us some laughs with her stand-up comedy. Josh and Roy from the Wandering Jews podcast played a carnival game called “Cannabis Strain or Pokémon?” with a volunteer from the audience. Y-Love, the founder of TribeHerald, laid down some powerful rap verses. Joyce Gerber of the CannaMom Show shared a lovely message of support. Princess Lockeroo blew us away with their fantastic Drag Esther Extravaganza performance. Finally, Sasha Perelman recited an evocative poem, a perfect cap to a perfect evening.

Happy Hours in New York City
- March 3, 2020
- January 30, 2020
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Adriana Kertzer founded JewWhoTokes in 2016 as an Instagram account that celebrates members of the tribe who enjoy cannabis and psychedelics. JWT began as a collection of profiles on Jewish thought leaders, creatives, and individuals who partake and/or work in the psychedelic and cannabis industries. After the October 7 attacks, Adriana joined forces with different collaborators to create community for Jews who were confronting antisemitism in these industries or needed a place to come together. Together with Jordan Isenstadt, JWT began hosting weekly pre-shabbat calls that are equal parts learning and kvetching, a Bagel Bash at MJBiz, and a Hannukah Bash in New York. JewWhoTokes is a celebration of the ecosystem born from the intersection of Judaism and alternative medicines, altered states and spiritual growth.

Adriana has built a reputation as an outspoken and joyful advocate for the role “plant medicine” can play in contemporary Judaism, sometimes calling herself the Chabad of Weed or a cheerleader of psychedelic kiruv. 

Adriana received her B.A. from Brown University with dual concentration in Judaic Studies (with a focus on feminist theory and Latin American Jewish migration) and International Relations (with a focus on US-Brazil social, economic and political relations). She has a J.D. from Georgetown Law Center (where she was co-president of the Jewish Law Students Association), and an M.A. from Parsons The New School for Design. 

JewWhoTokes was featured in the exhibit Am Yisrael High: The Story of Jews and Cannabis at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Adriana spoke on the opening night panel moderated by curator Eddy Portnoy, alongside Madison Margolin, Ed Rosenthal, and Rabbi/Dr. Yosef Glassman (May 5, 2022). 

“Mentioned in the Bible and discussed in numerous traditional texts, cannabis has long been a part of Jewish life. For millennia, Jews have been buying, selling, and using cannabis for religious and medicinal purposes and as an intoxicant.” – YIVO website 

Adriana was born into a secular Zionist Ashkenazi family in Brazil with no synagogue affiliation. In fact, during her early childhood, her parents were a part of the cult PRÓ-VIDA, a “philosophical movement” and “program of mental training” founded by Dr. Celso Charuri in 1977 that purported to awaken members’ mental, psychic and spiritual capacities. As a child growing up in São Paulo, she attended daycare at Clube Hebraica (the Jewish club in São Paulo), then enrolled in a secular American school. For eight summers she attended a Christian etiquette girls camp in Hunt, TX. Adriana was not sent to Hebrew school and was only Bat Mitzvahed at age 19, while an undergraduate student at Brown University. An anti-semitic experience in Italy during her gap year between high school and college sparked a desire to learn more about her Jewish heritage. At Brown University she became a Judaic Studies major focused on feminist theory and Latin American Jewish migration, then at Georgetown Law Center she explored WWII art restitution cases and served as co-president of the Jewish Law Students Association. She has observed shabbat since 2001, married a mensch she met at a Jewish singles event hosted by AIPAC, and no longer eats bacon but can’t let go of seafood. Adriana is fascinated by contemporary Jewish culture, particularly as it relates to cannabis and psychedelics.
🔯 Members of the tribe who enjoy 🌱 or 🍄.
😉 Please answer questions here to be featured.  🕎
A sample of the diverse individuals profiled in @jewwhotokes
Using the hashtag #jewsndelics @jewwhotokes features Jewish leaders in the psychedelic space.
@jewwhotokes began as the passion project of Adriana Kertzer and has since evolved into a joyous community, hosting digital and in person events.

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