I have taken many courses with Dev Brous and each time have come away feeling personally refreshed, renewed and more connected to the earth, my own spirituality, and the wisdom of Judaism. Studying with Dev is a personal journey fragrant with life’s beauty.

—Rosanne Ziering

I joined Dev's Regenerative Cleanse cohort in the spring of 2021. For 7 weeks, we journaled, collaborated, and integrated Dev's robust and impassioned teachings. Dev draws from deep wells of spiritual, ancestral and intuitive knowledge and practice, seamlessly sharing inspiration and support that is both inclusive and accessible. Dev makes herself available above and beyond her offerings to ensure the best possible outcomes for program recipients. I walked away from the Omer Cleanse with a new home practice, heightened understanding of the Tree of Life teachings and a renewed relationship with nature's cycles. It was a nourishing and unforgettable experience shared with Dev; a truly unique and gifted guide.

—Denise Newman

The soilTHYME gardening workshop emanates from such an impactful, loving and care-taking place. Dev shared with us not only applicable and practical knowledge in chemical-free gardening, but also a passion and deep reverence for nature, and the psycho-spiritual relationship to the Earth. I come away from this class series with information that I can apply in our growing pre-school congregational garden, but also, perhaps more crucially, I feel excited and filled with the idea of being a caring steward to what we grow.

—Jennifer Pugsley

Dev’s eco-justice tour through the Negev was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had in Israel in the past 17 years here. What I recall most from the Bustan tour was meeting a Bedouin woman in Wadi El Na'am who spoke about the higher rates of cancer from being close to the toxic waste incinerator, and how that is a billion dollar business of importing and incinerating Europe's toxic waste.

— Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder & Executive Director, The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development

My 1st memory of Dev Brous is being totally captivated learning about her life-long passion for and commitment to bringing people - any and all people - to facilitate meaningful, connecting and inspiring experiences working in harmony with mother nature. Over the past 12 years, I have had the great pleasure of learning from Devorah, as well as teaching and speaking along side her at a plethora of workshops for community organizations and academic institutions, to national conferences and festivals. I have witnessed her win the affection of and captivate classes of gardening toddlers to groups of elders and everyone in between, and literally people from all walks of life across the entire spectrum of diversity of Los Angeles and beyond. I have experienced her rally and empower communities to grow bountiful gardens, plant orchards of abundance, and transform the landscapes of their neighborhoods, and thus their collective connection to each other and to themselves. I have been both a participant in and a teacher for a non-profit organization - and a movement - that she spearheaded to transform communities at the intersection of soil health, spiritual health and social justice. To learn with Devorah is to be brought into her world - a world of possibility and potential, of prosperity and connection, and of both the technical skills and the interconnectedness of everyone and everything that lives in our participation of them. For those of you who are called to cultivate both soil and spirit, Dev will be an unforgettable teacher, and a blessing in your life!

—Steven Wynbrandt, Founder, Wynbrandt Farms

Biodynamic Compost | Education | Workshops | Consulting

Dev’s knowledge, insight, and compassion make her an extraordinary spiritual guide and healer. The 4-part, sacred ritual series that Dev designed and customized on my behalf harnessed both plant-based and tribal wisdom based in the Jewish calendar and its traditions. This powerhouse combination gave me strength, peace, and context at a challenging personal crossroads, ushering me to a promising next chapter.

—Kathy E. (Regenerate! )

“I’m a tremendous fan and supporter of Dev’s practice. We do what we can for our family in terms of urban gardening, exploring nature, and composting at home. While what we do on our own is wonderful, it’s been a beautiful experience to take my daughters to such a magical garden setting to see and learn new things in the garden and with other families. In Dev’s classes, I can step back and let other adults and children lead the lesson. Her classes reinforce so many Jewish and personal values that are important to us: respect for nature and all things living (even worms), hard work, patience, curiosity, trying new things, and each class really is so child-focused and celebratory about whatever new task is at hand in the garden that day. Many families we’ve referred to the program may or may not be inclined to get their hands dirty at home, so very much appreciate the opportunity to hold a chicken, plant seedlings, pull up potatoes or study a worm under a magnifying glass - all it takes is showing up with their child. The relaxed atmosphere is rare for a children’s class in LA. I can’t recommend this warm, thoughtful and nurturing program highly enough, no matter your level of garden experience or faith.”

—Melissa Wilkenfeld (soilTHYME participant)

”I want to thank Dev Brous for all that she does for the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles. As Manager of the MEND Food Bank in Pacoima, I can trace my roots in food justice, gardening and healthy eating to influence from Netiya, which opened doors to the UCCE Master Gardener’s Program and the AmeriCorps VISTA program and which led to my present position at Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND). This is level of dedication to educating and supporting people to better feed themselves, to better care for themselves and its ability to motivate and spur change.”

—Adam Brooks,

MEND Foodbank Manager,

www.mendpoverty.org

"I took the Garden Course with Devorah. It quite possibly may change my life. Now that I can see the connection of all living things so clearly, and understand the impact of my choices, I want to change my career!"

—Shawn Scudder

“We began our work with Devorah four years ago when we discussed a desire to green our only outdoor patio. Both Sinai Akiba Academy and Sinai Temple were eager to find ways to bring some gardening projects to our urban setting. We have found a tremendous partner in Netiya. Devorah and her team have helped us plant an orchard of twelve fruit trees that our community maintains and shares the fruits within and around the community. With new inspiration, we then began to think about planting herbs and other food, and over the course of the last year in both middle school elective courses and after-school enrichment, we have replaced thirsty annual plants and weeds with lettuces, strawberries, kale, chard and herbs for Havdallah. Netiya has shared their expertise and passion for gardening and amazing earth-based Torah that has enlivened our community’s spirit and strengthened our collective green thumb!”

— Rabbi Andy Feig, School Rabbi, Sinai Akiba Academy

Dev has had a great impact in the Negev with the indigenous Bedouin community. She is such an inspiration and role model for many young and social entrepreneurs like myself. Her committed efforts and your endless energy when she started the Bedouin medical clinic in Wadi Al-Naam in an unrecognized region that lacks infrastructure and resources - was unprecedented. Also, her pioneering endeavors to organize a village committee served as a model for surrounding villages to also organize committees in turn. I believe she succeeded to create a group pressure system to demand our human rights, and after her inspiring work, there have since been many additional infrastructural programs in the Bedouin sector (although of course there's still a long road to go).

Dev’s energy truly teaches our young leaders what community organizing is. I was a young student and I observed how she mobilized people from different families and clans and organized people/resources to serve everyone equally. Looking back I gained so much from her leadership model, and her motivation and passion — and now I run a Bedouin nonprofit in my community, "A New Dawn in the Negev.”

— Jamal Akrinawi, A New Dawn in the Negev

"As a parent, of all the great classes I do with my children, this one is by far the most enriching experience I have with my toddler - it is equally beneficial for the parent and the child."  

-~ Marissa Nadjarian

I am so grateful for Devorah’s gardening classes - Soil Thyme and Soil Sage. I throughly enjoyed all her gardening and planting information, advice, wisdom, and spiritual correlations to the garden, the earth, our lives, and our relationships . I have wanted to build a raised bed garden for 20 years and I finally had the inspiration after enrolling in Devorah’s classes and now I am growing vegetables and fruits. I have loved learning the ways in which to enrich our gardens , which is to enrich our lives with health, connection to ourselves, the people we love, and the community. Devorah bestows heartfelt gifts in all of her teachings!

—Karen Ahmanson

Dev has managed to bring age-old traditions into modern times with her deep understanding and knowledge of gardening, composting and teaching. Dev’s garden is truly her brain. How she thinks and spiritually excises her philosophy around Mother Earth. I’ve learned more from Dev just being in her presence and watching her enthusiasm about spreading such important teachings to the young, old and everyone in between. Her inclusive spirit is what leaders are made of and I know so many will benefit from all the great work she has been doing for decades and continues to expand upon. Dev is a revolutionary, in my book, as far as knowing how important it is to be aware regarding all that surrounds us and the patience and care that is required to allow things to grow and flourish.”

—Suzie Hardy

I’ve loved spending these past few weeks gardening online with you, healing, and remembering the farming traditions of my Dad (of blessed memory). Your classes are the highlight of my week! They’ve even brought sunshine and joy back to my life and now I can deal with the disappointments from Covid-19 and the state of the world again.”

—Sheila Milov

The lessons I have learned have exceeded my expectations by a million miles.  Devorah’s ability to heal through the example of building a gardening practice is a gift from above.  In the eighteen months since I first put my hands in the soil at the NHIFP garden, I have experienced a remarkable healing in my soul. From building to planting, nurturing and harvesting, I have learned to communicate with nature and nature is communicating with me.  Devorah’s calm and evolved spirit is a force of nature.

—Dana Wells-Boyd