MS 193 The Baltimore Council, NA’AMAT USA Collection
The Baltimore Council, NA’AMAT USA Collection
1951-2009
MS 193
Jewish Museum of Maryland
ACCESS AND PROVENANCE
The Baltimore Council, NA’AMAT USA Collection was donated to the Jewish Museum of Maryland in 2009 and 2010 as accession 2009.56 and 2010.21 by Dorothy Drazen Margolis and Gilda Kahn on behalf of NA’AMAT. The collection was processed by Jennifer Vess with the assistance of Bernie Raynor and Alan Blumberg in 2011.
Access to the collection is unrestricted and is available to researchers at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the Jewish Museum of Maryland before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures.
HISTORICAL NOTE
NA’AMAT we found in 1921 as Moetzet Hapoalot (the Working Women’s council) in Palestine. Since its founding, NA’AMAT has supported programs and activities to assist women and their families, and to advance the opportunities and status of women in Israel. Today it is the largest women’s organization in Israel with related organization in 12 other countries including the US.
Pioneer Women, the Women’s Labor Zionist Oranization of America, Inc. (now know as NA’AMAT USA) first formed in New York in 1925 to assist Israeli women and their families. The first chapter in Baltimore was established in 1926 as Club 1 by Chana Berlin, Fannie Drazen, Belle Kwash, Pearl Lehman, Sarah Schein, Sadie Schkloven and Rose Seidel (all members of Paole Zion). Club 1 became the Golda Meir Chapter and over the years other chapters have been established in Baltimore. The Baltimore Council, NA’AMAT USA coordinates the Baltimore Chapters. NA’AMAT USA has the goal of “enhancing the status of women, children and families in the United States and Israel.” Programs cover education, welfare, social services, etc.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Baltimore Council, NA’AMAT USA Collection contains programs, clippings, letters, brochures, invitations, certificates, ads, etc. related to the work of NA’AMAT at the local and national level. The collection is divided into four series:
Series I. Office Files, n.d., 1959-2007 contains files from the NA’AMAT office including press releases, ads, brochures, letters, clippings, certificates and posters, etc. The file names reflect the organization given to the materials at the NA’AMAT office, but the folders have been reordered into alphabetical order.
Series II. NA’AMAT Woman, 1990-2009 is an incomplete run of NA’AMAT Woman: Magazine of NA’AMAT USA, the Women’s Labor Zionist Organization of America. Issues from the years 1991-1992, 1994-1995, and 1997 are missing.
Series III. Event Programs and Invitations, 1951-2007 contains programs from the Baltimore Council’s annual anniversary and donor dinners and dances as well as a few invitations for luncheons and programs for NA’AMAT USA dinners.