NA'AMAT and the United Jewish Federation Foundation recently bestowed the first installment in a grant awarded to Karmiel and the Misgav region, in Israel's Galilee, to establish the Weiner/NA'AMAT Center for Women's Health.

The Weiner/ NA'AMAT Center is made possible by a generous grant from the Adele and Maurice Weiner/NA'AMAT Endowment Fund of the United Jewish Federation Foundation. The UJF Foundation administers more than 250 endowment funds that provide enduring financial resources to support special programs and projects not provided for through annual giving.

Hana Koval, Deputy Director of Karmiel, visited Pittsburgh to accept the check and provide an update for members of NA'AMAT USA Pittsburgh Council who oversee the Weiner Endowment Fund. She briefed them on progress on the project, including the renovation of the NA'AMAT building that will house the program and efforts to hire a full-time executive director for the program.

Karmiel and the Misgav region are Pittsburgh's partners in the innovative Jewish Agency Partnership 2000 project. Partnership 2000 builds people-to-people connections between Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities through an array of educational, cultural and economic initiatives.

The new women's health center will fill a significant void in the health services rendered in Israel's Central Galilee. The NA'AMAT/Weiner Center will serve women and girls in Karmiel and the Misgav region, making available an array of programs and services to promote awareness and prevention around health problems prevalent among women.

Programs will encompass education in the areas of childbirth, eating disorders, prevention of osteoporosis, family planning, menopause and nutrition. Additional services will include individual and group therapy for post-natal and menopausal depression; early detection of cancer, including check-ups and mammography; and support groups for cancer patients and their families.

NA'AMAT, formerly Pioneer Women, was founded in 1925 for the purpose of training women to work effectively and as equals in the development of Israel's pioneer society. Today the organization reaches out to all sectors of the community and the entire spectrum of the Israeli population through 1000 facilities, including 60 community centers and 330 day care centers providing a variety of educational, cultural and social activities, as well as supportive programs like counseling for adolescents and their families and vocational training.

Av 5761 - July 2001