Mission Statement

Na’amat Canada is a Jewish non-profit volunteer women’s organization whose goal is to improve the lives of women, children and families in Israel and Canada. We empower women and raise funds to support Na’amat Israel in the area of education and social services. 

Our Story

Long before the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, Na'amat was pioneering how women could work with men in equality and harmony, and help other women improve their families and society.

In those early years, Na'amat was called Pioneer Women. Their members were out in the fields, factories and communal kitchens, building better lives for women in Israel, even before it was a state. Golda Meir was one of its first founders and her vitality and courage live on in modern-day Na'amat - derived from the Hebrew acronym meaning Movement of Working Women and Volunteers.

Na'amat is the largest women's movement in Israel, setting the example in uplifting human rights for thousands of members in eight other countries, including chapters across Canada.

We don't just support our peers with fun social gatherings and fundraising. Many of us get to meet the women and families we help on their own turf, whether at the renowned Glickman Centre for the Prevention of Domestic Violence in Israel, or at women's shelters across Canada when we deliver school supplies for their children.

We've been to vocational schools in Israel talking to teens who might have turned to crime if not for Na'amat, and to feasts prepared by Druze women thankful for the support of our womens' rights' centres. And, some of us even get to toss a wedge of earth at ground-breaking ceremonies for Na'amat's growing network of daycare centres, now at close to 200.

Our members all have different viewpoints and talents. But we all share a wonder at the dedication of Na'amat's staff and volunteers, and pride in being part of this international sisterhood. Won't you join us!

Our Ideals:

We, the members of Na'amat Canada, pledge to:
  • Enhance and safeguard the status of women, children and families in Israel and in Canada
  • Empower the individual through advocacy and education
  • Foster mutual respect in a diverse society
  • Respond to humanitarian concerns in an evolving social environment
  • Inspire our youth with Zionism and a sense of social justice
  • Promote Jewish identity to ensure Jewish continuity
  • Strengthen the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora, and within our communities
  • Support the State of Israel as a secure, democratic and pluralistic society and homeland for the Jewish people

 

Our History: