Every May, Maxim Staffing celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), which honors the contributions of the Jewish-American population in the US. We spoke with Meka Shibou, Vice President of Clinical Operations, about her Jewish heritage, her role at Maxim, and what JAHM means to her and her family.

“I think for me, JAHM is about creating awareness about others that may be different from you or your family and celebrating different holidays in diverse ways. Understanding each other and our differences is crucial in creating a sense of belonging in our community and at our places of work.”

Meka’s grandparents were both holocaust survivors who fled to Canada where they met, built new roots while falling in love, and then started a family.

Despite her deeply rooted childhood in Judaism, Meka actually attended a Catholic, all-girls, high school to play hockey. The school itself was actually very open and inclusive to Meka knowing her Jewish background and beliefs.

“It’s important to celebrate and learn about everyone’s heritage and the interesting history behind it. It’s really neat to be able to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of people in American history from all walks of life.”

After university, Meka moved down to the US for better work opportunities as a nurse and has been here since.

“I moved to the US and away from my family in my early twenties and lost a lot of traditions and holiday celebrations that I was accustomed to growing up Jewish. Now that I have a daughter I am looking to recreate some of those experiences for her and get back in touch with my Jewish roots.”

Meka is raising her daughter with Jewish and Christian values and beliefs. When speaking more about her Jewish roots, we asked what her favorite traditions or holidays are.

“My favorite holiday to celebrate has always been Passover, which just occurred because it is based on a story from the Torah about Moses freeing the Hebrew slaves. Commonly, Jewish people celebrate this by having a ceremony of food, wine, singing, and storytelling that gets the family and friends together and is really fun for everyone. I think my daughter is very lucky to be able to experience both Christian and Jewish traditions and learn about the antiquity that has created these customs.”

Meka started with the company as a Clinical Manager with a Maxim Healthcare Services office. Her role today focuses on supporting the business from a clinical perspective, including:

  • Supporting internal clinicians and HCPs
  • Bridging the HCPs to the client and to our business operators
  • Educate the business on clinical needs
  • Evaluate and improve quality and safety practices to protect Maxim, our clients, and our HCPs
  • Ensuring our QUALITY is a competitive differentiator

We are committed to sharing the stories of our team members, highlighting their accomplishments, and celebrating our differences! To learn more about the contribution of Jewish people in our country, visit the official website of Jewish American Heritage Month.