Collection

PIONEER WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION (Na'amat) = Na'amat Canada, Pioneer Women Na'amat

Description Level

Fonds

Material Type

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

Env. 2 metres of textual records. - Env. 380 photographs.

Scope and Content

The majority of the collection was donated by the national office of Na'amat in 2014-2015. The pre-2014 portion of this collection consists of a box of papers donated at various times by members of the organization, a large proportion of which are newsletters, reports, and other publications. These papers include: Constitution and by-laws (1972). Minutes (1977). Report (1975). Membership lists. Correspondence (1930s and 1940s). Year book/directory (1949-1958, 1976). Bulletins (1962-1991). Kovod books (1971-1977). Convention agenda (1975). Souvenir programs (1936-1948, 1953, 1975-1976). Receipt book. 50th anniversary booklet (1975). Flyers, invitations, pamphlets, fundraising correspondence and information. Revivim Chapter Cookbook, with ring binding, undated. Programming information booklet, clippings (1941-1942, 1986-1989). (Some letters, clippings, flyers and invitations from 1940s, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto). Addition 2014: 35 large red binders of papers and photographs, the greater part of a corpus of 41 binders formerly housed at the Na'amat office. An index was supplied for the first 31 binders, going up to 1992. The material dates from 1925-2010, with the earliest material belonging to a section on the initial separation and autonomy of the group. Other material in the binders consist of: Brochures, information on conventions, circulars and reports, Israel-based projects such as community centres and day cares, Minutes of the Metropolitan Board and the National Board, publications, information on presidents and executive directors, scripts of skits, background materials. Also 'Portfolios' on various dossiers, such as Canadian Affairs and Social Action, Membership and Dues, and fundraising. Addition 2015: 2 red binders of historical documents, (Binder 3, cards and certificates; and Binder 31, skits), filling gaps in the collection donated in November 2014. Also 1 album of newsclippings (now disassembled into a folder for preservation purposes.) Two binders containing photographs; one black and white mostly 8" by 10" prints from 1981 (51 of them), with 31 contact sheets, and one of colour snapshots of a trip to Israel, presumed to be from 1978 because as it includes an Inuit art exhibit from that year which is described elsewhere (299 colour images).

Date

1925-2010.

Fonds No.

I0050

History / Biographical

Pioneer Women (now called Na'amat) was founded in America and Montreal in 1925. This women's organization, part of the Labour Zionist movement, raises funds which provide half of all social services for Israeli women, youth and children. Affiliated with Israel's Moetzet Hapoalot, they sponsor a nurses training school, children's homes, day cares, vocational and agricultural schools, and community centres which help Jewish and Arab Israelis. Aside from fundraising, they run educational and cultural activities to encourage women to be active in Israeli and Canadian affairs. Pioneer Women/Na'amat was affiliated with their American counterpart until the late 1960s, when they became an independent Canadian group. They support the Habonim-Dror Zionist youth movement, and are active in promoting women's issues, in Israel and elsewhere, by their members throughout Canada and in twelve other nations.

Custodial History

Addition was made in 2014 and 2015 by Vivian Reisler for Na'amat

Notes

Alpha-numeric designations: P14/18 and P15/13.Related groups of records: Photos in PC 1. There are also 1.6 meters (13 small boxes) of Pioneer Women / Na'amat documents in collection JPL-JC-Z. These Jewish Canadiana Zionist records from the Jewish Public Library were transferred to CJCNA in 2001 as a permanent loan. The initial box of Na'amat materials described above is now housed with this JPL-JC Pioneer Women / Na'amat collection.

Archival / Genealogical

Archival Descriptions

Repository

Canadian Jewish Archives

Less detail