Decades after meeting and falling in love as teenagers at Muss High School Israel (Muss), Miami Beach philanthropists Nicole and Michael Simkins are helping ensure future generations of students can experience the transformative study abroad program with the support they need to thrive.
The Simkins Family Foundation has made the lead gift toward the creation of the new Simkins Wellness Center, a planned campus hub that will bring medical, mental health, nutritional, and wellness resources together under one roof.
High school sweethearts, Nicole and Michael first met while attending Muss as teenagers and fell in love during the program, beginning a lifelong connection to Muss and its mission. Years later, their children would attend the same program where their family’s story began.
“The experience gave all of us such a strong connection to Israel, to our Jewish identity, and obviously, to each other,” Nicole said. “We wanted to give back because Muss has given our family so much.”
The longtime Jewish National Fund-USA supporters were drawn to the idea of creating a space at Muss centered on mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being—aspects of health that Nicole and Michael are deeply passionate about.
“Mental wellness and spirituality are hugely important in our lives, and as parents, we think about it even more when it comes to our children,” Michael said. “We wanted to help create something that will be there to support students during such formative years.”
Conversations with Jewish National Fund-USA about the challenges facing the younger generation soon expanded that idea into a much larger vision: a comprehensive center designed to care for students throughout their time in Israel.
“Young people today are navigating so much—academic pressure, social pressure, expectations from others and from themselves,” Nicole said. “We can’t remove those pressures, but we can give them the tools to navigate them in a healthy way.”
The planned Simkins Wellness Center will include medical exam rooms, isolation rooms, private counseling offices, an outdoor respite area, and a flexible wellness studio. The studio is envisioned as a space for yoga, stretching, and other wellness activities, while quiet areas will offer students space for mindfulness, reflection, and focused study. An allergy-friendly teaching kitchen will also help students explore the connection between nutrition and well-being.
The Simkins Wellness Center is envisioned not only as a place students can turn to when they need care, but also as a resource for developing healthy habits they can carry with them long after they leave Israel.
“Whether through meditation, mindfulness, Kabbalah, or other spiritual practices, we hope students learn how to manage stress, quiet their minds, and develop a greater sense of purpose,” Michael said.
“These are not just tools for their time at Muss,” Nicole added. “They are tools they can carry with them throughout their entire lives.”
The Simkins Family Foundation is also helping Jewish National Fund-USA build broader philanthropic support for the Simkins Wellness Center as the organization works toward its $2.5 million fundraising goal.
“There’s something incredibly meaningful about Nicole and Michael giving back to the place where their own story began,” said Gabrielle Goldfarb Doochin, Jewish National Fund-USA’s associate director of Miami. “Their generosity will help Muss welcome and support more students, providing an environment that prioritizes their mental health and well-being as they experience Israel and deepen their connection to the country.”
For Nicole and Michael, the project brings their relationship with Muss full circle. They hope the Simkins Wellness Center will help future students strengthen their ties to the land and people of Israel while giving them the tools to grow into confident, resilient young adults.
“Muss is part of the legacy we are building as a family—a place that shaped Michael and me, and is now shaping our children,” Nicole said. “Supporting the Simkins Wellness Center allows us to help carry that legacy forward, so that future generations can find their own sense of belonging, connection, and strength at Muss, just as we did.”
The project includes a range of additional philanthropic and naming opportunities, including spaces within the center dedicated to counseling, medical care, mindfulness, nutrition, and student wellness.
To learn more about supporting the Simkins Wellness Center, contact Gabrielle Goldfarb Doochin at ggoldfarb@jnf.org.
About Jewish National Fund-USA
For 125 years, Jewish National Fund-USA has helped strengthen the land and people of Israel by investing in the communities, infrastructure, and leadership that shape the country’s future. Our work is focused on making Israel’s North and South places where families can build full, vibrant lives with access to medical care, emergency response, water solutions, parks, playgrounds, jobs, and economic opportunity. Working with our donors and partners, we support underpopulated communities, help attract new residents, improve quality of life, and create the conditions for long-term growth. Our work reaches beyond projects on the ground. Through education, travel, and leadership opportunities, we connect Americans of all ages to Israel in meaningful and lasting ways. That vision continues with the World Zionist Village in Be’er Sheva, a global center that will bring people together to live, learn, lead, and strengthen the next generation of Zionist leadership. From urgent relief to long-term transformation, Jewish National Fund-USA is helping build a stronger future for Israel and creating lasting legacies for generations to come. Learn more at jnf.org.