Yaffa Maritz

Yaffa Maritz is an Israel-born psychotherapist, who is a passionate voice for peace in the Middle East. A founding member of Find Common Ground, an interfaith group that promotes Middle East peace, Maritz is also the founder and clinical director of Listening Mothers, a program within Family Services in Seattle that encourages emotional bonding between new mothers and babies. She was instrumental in developing the Stroum Jewish Community Center’s Parenting Center and sits on the board of The Foundation for Early Learning. Though she has lived in the United States for 22 years, her connections to Israel are strong. She served in the Intelligence Unit of the Israeli Defense Forces and graduated from Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a degree in social work.