In the beginning
Na'amat's roots go back to the early 20th century, after young Jewish pioneers came to Palestine to reclaim the land and create a Jewish national life in their ancestral home. Among these pioneers were women who embraced the Labour Zionist philosophy of co-operative living and shared responsibility.
At a time when most women were relegated to kitchen and child-rearing duties, these founding women worked side by side with men, turning swamps and desert into livable towns and fertile farmland. But their idealism went beyond “full partnership in the fields.” They dreamed of a country with an informed, productive society and equal opportunity for all of its citizens in every area of life.
In 1921, they formed Moetzet Hapoalot (Council of Working Women) and came to be known as the Pioneer Women's Organization (later, renamed Na'amat). With the help of friends in Canada, the United States and Europe, they set about translating dreams into reality.
Chaverot in North America
In 1924 a severe water shortage was threatening to destroy a Jerusalem tree nursery that was being nurtured by a woman named Rachel Yanait. To save it, Rachel had to build a well. A small group of women in Canada and the United States rallied to her support and came through with the funds. The gesture forged a spirit of sisterhood leading to the birth of The Pioneer Women's Organization of North America in 1925. In 1966 Pioneer Women became two autonomous organizations in Canada and the United States. Na'amat Canada's spirit of sisterhood and commitment to the land of Israel thrives to this day.
Laying the Groundwork
During the 1920s and 1930s, Na'amat laid the groundwork for Israel's modern social services network-- creating training farms for girls and opening hostels and vocational classes for young women living in the city. Na'amat also pioneered a concept called “day care,” for children whose mothers were working to build the land and its economy.
Former Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meyerson Meir, was one of Na'amat's earliest members. As Na'amat's National Secretary in the 1930's, Golda proudly wrote that the organization was "the first and last women's organization for which I ever worked."
In Canada, Na'amat members held lively meetings in their homes to raise awareness of, and support for, the budding Jewish homeland. Among their initiatives during this period was the launch of a Zionist youth movement, Habonim D'ror.
Enhancing the Status of Women
1940s Na'amat lobbied for more generous maternity leave laws, the creation of daycare centres near places of employment and legislation guaranteeing equal pay for equal work.
1950s Na'amat Canada organized an annual International Women's Day in Montreal where women from various ethnic and Canadian organizations shared their thoughts about key issues of the day.
1960s Na'amat was among the few organizations to promote post-secondary education for women and launched a Perpetual Scholarship Fund to send financially disadvantaged Israeli women to college
or university.
1960s and 1970s Na'amat expanded its activities in Canada through participation in such organizations as the Voice of Women and the Consumers Association of Canada. Shalom receptions were held for newly-elected women members of Parliament. Petitions were circulated for the Canadian Committee for the Control of Radiation Hazards.
1980s Na'amat Canada organized a series of leadership seminars to encourage the bonds of sisterhood and to mould the leaders of tomorrow. Seminars continue to be planned locally, nationally,
and in Israel, on a rotating schedule.
1990s Na'amat established five Centers for the Treatment and Prevention of Violence in the Family, and built the Glickman Center, a shelter for battered women. The organization also helped thousands of
immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union get a new start in Israel.
Today Na'amat Canada members are successfully raising funds to support a broad spectrum of social, educational and advocacy services in Israel and Canada. We now have third generation Na'amat women thanks to mothers and grandmothers passing on their ideals and dreams.
