Pioneer Women

Founded in New York City in 1925, the Pioneer Women are a global Labor Zionist organization. In 1933, Golda Meir was traveling in the United States speaking for the National Pioneer Women. When she arrived in Youngstown, she met with women at the home of Ann Bradlin and helped organize the city’s first chapter of Pioneer Women. Charter members of the chapter included: Mrs. Anne Bradlin – organizer and president, Mrs. Sophie Abramovitz, Mrs. Bessie Agrenovitz, Mrs. Thelma Barth, Mrs. Hattie Berman, Mrs. Gutel Bloch, Mrs. Bluma Coplovitz, Mrs. Lena Chasanoff, Mrs. Helen Cohn, Mrs. Jennie Eidelman, Mrs. Pauline Fagin, Mrs. Leah Fine, Mrs. Ida Finesilver, Mrs. Brina Gateman, Mrs. Anne Gorsky, Mrs. Lillian Harshman, Mrs. Anne Jurow, Mrs. Anne Levoff, Mrs. Libby Livingstone, Mrs. Temma Loefsky, Mrs. Yetta Matlas, Mrs. Mary Nichols, Mrs. Alice Padvo, Mrs. Rachel Pianin, Mrs. Emma Pincus, Mrs. Rose Pincus, Mrs. Libby Raginsky, Mrs. Ella Rosky, Mrs. Dora Sacolick, Mrs. Sophie Silver, Mrs. Lena Simon, Mrs. Vera Slavin, Mrs. Helen Starn, and Mrs. Anna White.

From its inception, Pioneer Women attempted to conduct all organizational matters in Yiddish, with programs focused on Hebrew singing, games, and weekly reports on Palestine. However, as membership grew so did the tendency to carry out more business in English. In 1982, Pioneer Women changed its name to Pioneer Women / Na’Amat. The name is an acronym for the Hebrew words meaning “Movement of Working Women and Volunteers”, reflecting its continued cooperation with Labor Zionist movements around the world. In Israel, Pioneer Women remains one of the largest women’s organizations.[1]

[1]The MVHS collection contains the organization’s Annual Donor Luncheon Programs for 1942, 1955, 1959, 1962, 1969, 1971, and 1972 through 1990. Irving Ozer, et al. These Are the Names: The History of the Jews of Greater Youngstown, Ohio 1865-1990 (Youngstown, OH: 1994), 69-71.

Above: Pioneer Women Youngstown Council 1958 front cover. Acc. No. JA94-840P-1, MVHS Collection.

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society educates and promotes an interest in the history of the Mahoning Valley by collecting, preserving, and developing material representative of the people who have inhabited the region.

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