Four years ago, I received a short bio about a then-15-year-old girl named Maya, from Nashville’s Partnership2Gether (P2G) region of Hadera-Eiron in Israel. I had no idea that opening our home to her for one week would impact us in ways I could never have imagined.
From the moment Maya arrived, she fit seamlessly into our family. By the time she returned to Israel, she was family. Both of my daughters cried as we dropped her off at the airport, as did I. But it wasn’t a goodbye, and our relationship has only strengthened since.
Since that day, we video message with her every week and have shared many milestones together despite the miles between us. Maya phoned us in to her high-school graduation, shared photos all dressed up before prom, and celebrated with her when she was accepted into the highly competitive Jewish Agency for Israel ShinShin gap-year program.
We’ve also cried with her on October 7th, and again this past spring when Iran attacked Israel. Maya video called us from her bomb shelter as sirens blared, and she was too afraid to sleep. Experiencing moments like these allow us to see what life is truly like for Israelis, beyond the noise of social media and conflicting news stories.
Today, Maya is 18 and spending the year in Toronto as a ShinShin, one of the select chosen for this prestigious program. She is thriving, and we couldn’t be prouder.
Hosting Maya changed our lives in immeasurable ways. It strengthened our Jewish identity, deepened our understanding of life in Israel, and gave us a family member on the other side of the world. I am grateful every day that we said “yes.”
Now, I’m thrilled to help other families experience the same.
This spring, Nashville will welcome six teens from our P2G region of Hadera-Eiron, March 17–24. We are seeking welcoming families to host them.
What’s required to host:
A teen currently living at home
A private room with a door and a bed
Transportation help in the mornings and evenings
Providing most meals
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To learn more, join an informational Zoom session on December 7 at 11:00 a.m. CT, or reach out directly with questions jessica@jewishnashville.org
Partnership2Gether (P2G) is funded by Jewish Federations and powered by the Jewish Agency for Israel. It builds meaningful, people-to-people connections between Jewish communities worldwide and partner regions in Israel. Nashville’s partnership with Hadera-Eiron has sparked thousands of enduring relationships like ours with Maya, through in-person and virtual programs.
