Lots of great people
are often tired, stressed, sick, or suffer from common chronic health conditions.
believe the Land of Israel is important, but don’t know much about its history and natural world.
wish religious faith and rituals would make more sense in their lives.
Why? Because living life can stop us from living well and connecting to our values.
“My family needs me: how can I sit there cutting salad while the kids wait to be fed, bathed, and clothed?”
“When I’m in Israel, I’m busy with family and friends. I don’t have any time to hike the hills, as lovely as they are.”
“I want to become a more compassionate and spiritual person, but I don’t see how mumbling mountains of prayers will get me there.”
When we’re worn out and distracted, we have much less to offer God, ourselves, and others.
There is a solution:
Become a Healthy Jew.
Choose wellness — not just to feel better, but because caring for yourself is where good choices begin.
Whatever your current state of health or religious observance, you can become a Healthy Jew by putting yourself first.
God thinks you’re worth it.
Here’s how it works:
First of all, join thousands of Healthy Jews all over the world and subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.
Then explore this website’s hundreds of posts covering our three topics, each with their own tagged sections:
1. Wellness with Wisdom shows you how to:
Eat Well: what, when, and how much to eat and drink. Life coming in.
Move Well: walking, hiking, running, and stretching. Life going out.
Be Well: embrace stress and other challenges. Let go, with purpose.
Also check out our special China Study Controversy series for a deep dive into the Whole Food Plant Based diet and holistic nutrition.
2. Land of Life invites you to:
Forage in Israel: eat the plants whose ancestors were eaten by your ancestors - right here in this field or ancient site.
Walk in Israel: stories, insights, pictures, and videos that you won’t find anywhere else.
Care for Israel: value and cherish the healthy body of the Jewish people.
3. Sensible Spirituality dives into:
Choosing Wellness: the spiritual value of health - and the messages of illness and death.
Balanced Religion: fresh perspectives on Judaism and spirituality that make your life better.
Subscribers are saying:
Shmuel offers a unique perspective to health-conscious people looking for more than the latest wellness influencers' fads, with plenty of nutrition and no politics. — Karen Armstrong, The Rotten Apple
Because our body is the kli kadosh [holy container] for the awesome task of living to serve Hashem [God], it’s easy to recognize that caring for our health is an important part of serving Hashem, as the Rambam writes. I’m grateful to Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Naiman for teaching both the wisdom and practice of healthy living. — Rabbi Binyamin Jacobson, Rosh Kollel Ohr Lagolah, Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel
Great publication! The palpable love for Eretz Yisrael [Israel] is inspiring, and the discussion of health in the context of Torah is superb. We need more of this! — Rabbi Shnayor Burton, Senior Editor at Artscroll Mesorah Publications (and author of Unapologetics)
Healthy Jew is more than a newsletter.
When I’m not writing, I’m often out in Israel’s natural world — foraging, hiking, and camping.
Click here to learn how you can join me:
I recently published a book, Land of Health: Israel’s War for Wellness, which explores how Israel is the healthy body of the Jewish people and offers practical strategies for living well in challenging times.
Click here to learn more about the book and to order your copy on Amazon:
If you’re also interested in the inside story of how Healthy Jew and I have grown together over the past 2+ years, check out this post:
Finally, here are 3 more important links:
Make sure to follow my Whatsapp status and groups.
I offer Healthy Jew courses and seminars of all shapes and sizes, such as the nightly Healthy Jew class I teach in Yeshivas Lev Hatorah.
Finally, I’m a certified health coach, and can help you with a wide variety of conditions.
Now, who exactly am I?
Here’s the bullet-point version:
Name: Shmuel Chaim Naiman
36 years old guy
Orthodox Jew living in Israel
Rabbi and Torah student
Mashgiach Ruchani (spiritual mentor) at Yeshivat Lev HaTorah of Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel
walker, hiker, and runner
foraging guide
certified health counselor
founder of Healthy Jew
husband of Tamar
father of Avital, Eitan, and Achiya.
And here’s the full rundown:
I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, came to Israel at age 19 to study for a year or so, and stayed. We currently live in Ramat Bet Shemesh, which is a useful tidbit to know, as much of what I share happens in the area, often together with my nightly Healthy Jew class at the local Yeshivas Lev Hatorah.
My primary occupation has always been studying, writing, and teaching Torah. I’ve invested many years researching the areas of Jewish law and thought relevant to health and wellness, focusing particularly on the writings and intellectual traditions of the Rambam (Maimonides), Ramban (Nachmanides), and Ramchal (Luzzato). I’ve also learned these subjects from some of the world’s greatest scholars, and developed close relationships with them.
On the professional side, I completed a three-year program at Reidman College to become a Healthy Lifestyle Counselor / Natural Nutritionist, which I like to shorten to Certified Health Coach.
Over many years, I’ve accumulated knowledge and experience that inform a broad perspective on health and wellness, particularly relating to living in Israel. My interests include history, geography, hiking, archeology, and foraging for edible and medicinal plants.
I’ve always loved reading and writing: my first career involved researching and editing a wide range of topics. Although eventually I got bored and left the field, Healthy Jew draws from experience in research, writing, and critical thinking.
But I’m not a doctor or therapist, just your local health teacher and foraging guide. To learn more about what I am not, check out here.
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, please reach out to me at scnaiman@healthyjew.org. I’d love to hear from you.
Be in touch, and be well,
Shmuel Chaim
Medical Disclaimer: All content on The Healthy Jew is for informational and educational purposes only. Talk to a qualified professional before taking any action or substance that you read about here.
