Written by Jeannie S.
When Steve and Maya Tenenbaum became empty nesters last year, it wasn’t just a lifestyle change. It was an invitation to rediscover parts of themselves they’d set aside while raising their three children. And this included athletics. The couple met 25 years ago at a gym in Thousand Oaks, California, and that early connection with fitness has remained an important part of their bond.
This summer, the couple will travel to Israel to compete in their first-ever Maccabiah. Steve will play pickleball, and Maya will compete in swimming. It’s a full-circle moment for the two lifelong athletes who had both heard of the Maccabiah as kids, but are only now stepping into the arena at the age of 53 and 48.
“Maccabiah was first and foremost on my mind,” Maya said. “I thought, I’m getting back into sports, and I’ve always been involved with different facets of the Jewish community but not Maccabiah. I just thought those are two areas that I want to grow even more in my life, and Maccabiah is the perfect combination.”
Steve’s athletic journey spans decades. As a teenager growing up in California, he was captain of both the football and wrestling teams, ran track, and later played rugby and crew in college at UC Santa Barbara. While living abroad for a semester, he even joined an American football team in England. About ten years ago, he picked up pickleball.
Steve is also a practicing internal medicine physician, specializing in general preventative care. But for him, a life well-lived means staying committed to body, mind, and spirit.
“I study medicine because that’s my profession and I study Judaism and other than that, I’m either working, with my family, or having a little sport time,” he said.
Maya brings her own deep connection to both sport and a Jewish identity. A competitive figure skater from the age of three, she later took up dance and swimming, while also growing up in California. Swimming competitively in high school, she’s always felt at ease in the water. “Water has always been really important to me—it’s been really healing,” she said. “In fact, my name, Maya, is Aramaic for water.”
Maya’s passion for Israel is deeply personal. Her parents fled persecution in Poland, and this history has shaped her perspective of Jewish belonging.
“Israel is so meaningful to me,” she said. “My parents’ story, even building on our history in the Holocaust, really underscores that as Jews, we can make our home in many places, but only as long as we are tolerated there. At its foundation, Israel is really our only home that we have as a sure thing.”
Steve feels much the same way. The Maccabiah is more than a competition. It’s a celebration of Jewish strength and unity, especially meaningful given his family history. His father survived the concentration camps as a teenager, an experience that has shaped Steve’s outlook on life.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the enthusiasm of young Jewish athletes compete—the brotherhood of all of us,” he said. “We are one people, one soul, we are Am Israel. Thousands of Jewish people in unison doing something beautiful is amazing so that’s the experience I’m hoping to have.”
The couple’s shared journey to Maccabiah is rooted in resilience, gratitude, and the desire to contribute to something greater than themselves.
“There’s an overwhelming feeling of pride that our people are staying strong, and Maccabiah hasn’t changed. We are staying strong, and we are carrying on,” Maya said.
Jeannie S. studied Human Development at Cornell University and Information Science at the University of Michigan, with a passion for using technology to foster connection and community. She works to connect with Gen Z audiences through her series, Gen Z Mentality, collaborating with brands to tell stories that resonate. An advocate for elevating Gen Z voices, Jeannie is driven by her interest in authentic storytelling, lifestyle content, and creating meaningful conversations through compelling content. Follow her work @genzmentality on TikTok, or connect with her on LinkedIn.