Devora Steinmtz, PhD (she/her)

Devora, a volunteer since 2012 on our Forestry and Grounds team, has a connection to Gould Farm that began when someone close to her spent time as a guest at the Farm over 20 years ago. This exposure ignited her fascination with Gould Farm's unique approach to recovery—integrating work, community, and healing, all anchored in nature. A scholar with a deep interest in institutional growth, Devora is captivated by how places like Gould Farm sustain their vision and culture over decades. Reflecting on how mental health treatment and the field of psychiatry have evolved over the past century, she finds it remarkable that Gould Farm has managed to preserve its core community values while adapting to change.

Initially planning to spend just three months as a volunteer at the Farm in 2012, Devora found herself staying a full year. Although her professional life eventually led her back to full-time commitments, she continues to return to Gould Farm throughout the year, working for several days or weeks at a time.

Devora contributes to a variety of tasks across the seasons. From trail maintenance to maple syrup production, housekeeping, apple collection, and running weekly trips to the town transfer station, Devora takes on tasks that are both practical and fulfilling. She especially enjoys teaching new guests how to split wood—a skill that, as she says, is “so satisfying” for many trying it for the first time. Each fall, she also leads the cherished tradition of setting up the sukkah, a structure crafted from salvaged wood from the old sugar shack and other reclaimed materials around the Farm.

Outside Gould Farm, Devora is a scholar and teacher of Jewish studies. She teaches at a rabbinical school and works at a leadership institute that cultivates leaders in the Jewish community. Her latest book, Why Rain Comes from Above, was published in March 2024. Balancing her life as a New York City-based intellectual with her hands-on contributions at the Farm, Devora finds that her time at Gould Farm serves as a counterpoint to her academic work. At Gould Farm, her presence is grounded in outdoor, physical work with her teammates, a powerful contrast to her otherwise cerebral pursuits. She values the simplicity of just being part of the community—whether sharing conversations at mealtimes or helping with practical tasks, finding joy in being, as she says, "just another set of hands" on the F&G team.

For Devora, Gould Farm embodies a timeless inclusivity, where every person finds both place and purpose. She values how seamlessly the various teams come together to create moments of community, such as during Sukkot, when the garden team provides cider, the bakery brings challah, and others decorate the table in the sukkah with flowers. These moments, where work and community blend, capture the enduring spirit of Gould Farm—a place where each contribution helps weave together a unique and welcoming whole.