Na’amat Canada Elects Vice President From Calgary

(AJNews) – There is much cause for celebration amongst members and supporters of Na’amat Canada in Calgary and Edmonton as they bask in the afterglow of the organization’s November election when Susan Inhaber made history, becoming the first known Albertan to ascend to the national vice presidency of Na’amat (formerly Pioneer Women).

Like Na’amat organizations around the globe, Na’amat Canada and its affiliates in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal support projects in Israel that strengthen women and families. Alberta chapters mirror those projects locally helping to strengthen similar good works here at home.

Notably, says Inhaber, Na’amat, an acronym for Nashim Ovdot U’Mitnadvot – Movement of Working Women and Volunteers – is the largest Jewish women’s organization in Israel. One of its early founders was Golda Myerson – later known as Golda Meir –  who served as secretary general of the organization and went on to become Israel’s first and only woman prime minister. According to documents in the archives of the Jewish Archives and Historical Society of Edmonton and Southern Alberta (JAHSENA) members of the first Edmonton chapter were inspired by Meir whom they met when she visited the city in 1936.

Na’amat is deeply rooted in Labour Zionism and remains a force to be reckoned with on women’s rights in Israel. Representatives of Na’amat Israel regularly liaise with Members of the Knesset, advocate for fair labour laws for Israeli women and provide leadership in the fight against domestic violence. Na’amat chapters are currently active in Israel, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and Belgium.

In approximately three years, Inhaber will ascend to the national presidency marking another important first for Alberta. Only one other Western Canadian has presided over the organization – Eva Natch, of Winnipeg, served as Na’amat Canada president during the mid-1970s.

Physician Sandi Seigel, who became the organization’s national president in November, hails from Hamilton, Ontario.

Na’amat Canada Edmonton has three chapters: Aviva (Barbara Wiseman, president) Tikvah (Maya Feldman, president), and Chevra (Yuliya Massarsky and Caitlin Bar-Nur, co-presidents). There are about 35 members.

The president of Na’amat Canada Edmonton, Darlene Bushewsky, expressed delight at Inhaber’s election as a national vice president.  “We’ve never had a VP or president from Alberta,” Bushewsky said. “We are excited for the future of Na’amat.  Both Susan and Sandi have a vision during this time of change.”

Pioneer Women programs in Edmonton include Hamentaschen for Seniors and financial support for seniors’ programs provided by Jewish Family Service and the Jewish Drop-In Centre. Na’amat Edmonton participates in the Basically Babies program, providing donations of baby items, financial support and hands-on volunteering in support of mothers in need who are referred by a variety of local social services organizations. A much-loved tradition within the Jewish community is Na’amat Edmonton’s annual Sukkah Hop. According to Bushewsky, there are approximately 35 Na’amat members in Edmonton.

A nice synergy has been developing between the Edmonto and Calgary chapters, aided in large part by the need of both organizations to pivot to online activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has blurred borders somewhat, easing endeavours such as a Western Leadership Seminar that took place via Zoom last month, bringing Na’amat members in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary together in shared activities.