Cottage in the Woods 2025

Combining Rima’s artistic practice with Yelala’s knowledge of Jewish folklore and anthropology, we uncover the power and purpose of amulets, old and new.

Our guest, Rima Staines is an artist making painted talismanic doorways which open upon those Old Realms we half remember traversing in childhood and in dreams. Her work is a kind of Iconography of the Otherworld: rooted in the black earth and green ink of Story and refracting a rusted-amber light from a different and wholly Other sun.

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In this month we reclaim the revered and powerful role of handcrafters and their creations in Jewish life.

Our guests include Nina Boug Lichtenstein, whose writing has appeared in Tablet Magazine, Lilith Magazine, and The Washington Post. Her book, Sephardic Women's Voices: Out of North Africa was published in 2017.

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A delicious course, delving into the nourishment of Jewish heritage foods from across the diaspora.

Our guest, Sima Cutting co-founded The Kitchen Table in 2011, an ethical catering company focusing on farm-to-fork authenticity, with seasonal, organic, and truly local produce. After establishing the Kitchen Table’s popularity across her region, Sima has turned her attention to more personal projects, including exploring her Jewish heritage through her culinary craft.

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5, 12, 19, 26 January

Week 1: Rima and the Amulets

Rima will share stories about her journey into making amulets, and her ongoing relationship with them

Week 2: What is an Amulet?

Kohenet Rachel will explore forms and uses of amulets and protective practices in Jewish and biblical sacred texts, anthropology, and folklore studies.

Week 3: Amulet Craft

As a group we will make small amulets based on Rachel's folk practices and Rima's amulet-making practice. A creative task will be set for the week to come - you can make it fill as much or as little time as you have available. You can approach the task from a spiritual, artistic, or intellectual perspective - whatever your reason for joining us!

Week 4: Power and Purpose

We will hear from our circle about the impact of our creative task, discuss the power and purpose in our modern lives, as well as how to release what no longer serves us.

2, 9, 16, 23 February

Week 1: Meet the Weaver
What is the power of working with our hands? How did some of us modern folk become so separated from it? Might we return?

Week 2:
Who were the handcrafters of the Bible and Talmud, and why are they so fierce and wise hearted?

Week 3:
In the ancient Near East, weaving was considered a sacred and magical act, worthy of wonder and mythology. Who is the weaving goddess nestled in the text of the Torah and the ancient Temple of Jerusalem?

Week 4:
Jewish cultures around the world have moments where the wheel of the year or the cycle of life are supported by those who stitch and sew.
In Oslo, Norway, a small group of women have a maintained an old tradition of sewing circles who gather explicitly to stitch burial shrouds - tachrechem. With special guest Nina Boug Lichtenstein, we will learn about their journey, their labour, and the impact that the gatherings have had on the circle and their community.

2, 9, 16, 23 March

Week 1: The Menu
Kohenet Rachel introduces and our time together, beginning with blessings, folklore, and the place of food in Jewish cultures. We will sharrof stories and memories, and prepare for the delicious weeks to come.

Week 2: Bread
The Torah says a person does not live by bread alone. That much we know is true! Even so, making, baking, and partaking in bread is central to the connection between people in agrarian cuisines, including our own. Why do we ‘break bread’? How do we shape bread? And how is ancient sacrifice kept alive and well by Jewish breadmakers today?

Week 3: Stew
Cholent, Hamin, Chale Bibi, Doro Wat. Wherever there are Jewish communities, there is shabbes (sabbath), and wherever there is shabbes, there is the need for a succulent slow-cooked stew, so that everyone can rest from their labour. What juicy morsels will we learn from listening to tales from this potent pot?

Week 4: Sweet
These days it is easy to find a sweet treat at every corner shop. But our ancestors knew the true power of honey, sugar, and syrup. Eating something sweet is not only for the pleasure of the mouth, for the soothing of the soul. With it we invoke a good new year, the banishment of demons, and the separation of ourselves from sorrow.