Linda Schoenberg, Honoree
Linda Schoenberg, VMD, Ph.D, has a passion for helping others. Having lived in Israel for a year and repeatedly visiting over the years, joining NA’AMAT was a perfect fit.
She currently serves on both the local and national Boards.
She’s certified in mat Pilates and leads Silver Sneakers classes; she leads weekly exercise and Pilates
sessions for NA’AMATmembers and others interested in being physically fit. In 1988, Linda opened the first feline-only veterinary clinic in Northeast Ohio – Just Cats Hospital.
Schoenberg says, “This has all been bashert for me. I do this out of the goodness of my heart. But I also do this a bit selfishly as it allows me to help others while enriching my own life.”
As a member of B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, she is a Torah and Haftorah reader and a member of their Sisterhood. Linda is on the local Board of JNF, a past Board member of Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland, on the Board of the Cleveland Academy of Veterinary Medicine, and is a volunteer for Cleveland Jewish Federation. Linda resides in Cleveland Heights.
The Golda Meir Award recognizes individuals who display inspirational leadership and compassionate humanitarian values enhancing our Cleveland Jewish community.
Proceeds from Today’s Event
The State of Israel was developed by pioneers who made the desert bloom and turned wastelands into farms which have provided the nation with produce since independence. Agriculture is the pride of Israel and NA’AMAT’s two youth
villages, Kanot and Ayanot.
Both youth villages focus on providing disadvantaged students the tools needed to succeed while making a positive contribution to Israeli society.
The Kanot Youth Village, founded in 1952, features a program that prepares students to enter Hebrew University’s renowned School of Veterinary Medicine and is home to an equestrian center. In addition to basic studies, the students have practical internships in the stable each week under the guidance of professional instructors. Because these students are also involved in extra-curricular and volunteer programs, they achieve higher than average academic excellence.
As a veterinarian, our Honoree has directed the proceeds from the 2023 Golda Meir Award to the Kanot Youth Village.
NA’AMAT – Empowering Women & Children
NA’AMAT (formerly Pioneer Women) began almost 100 years ago with a plea from Israel to build a well for the women working in the fields building a nation.
Today, NA’AMAT USA sister movement to NA’AMAT Israel is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the world, counting more than 300,000 members worldwide.
Along with its day care centers, NA’AMAT provides funding for technological and agricultural high schools, educational scholarships, women’s shelters, legal aid bureaus, women’s rights centers, and family health centers. It is a powerful voice in advocating for equal rights, religious freedom, and world peace.
As times have changed, so has NA’AMAT’s approaches to improving the status of women. In the twenty-first century, we are reaching out to new generations of women to join our partnership with NA’AMAT Israel to improve the lives of women, children, and families in Israel. Visit www.naamat.org for more information.
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Golda Meir Award
Golda Meir was an Israeli teacher, kibbutznik, stateswoman, politician, and the fourth prime minister of Israel. She, and other leaders of the women’s workers movement in Palestine, played conspicuous roles in the life of the organization.
We honor Golda Meir’s legacy through this Award, given to a woman of distinction, a woman who gives of her heart, time, and commitment to the Jewish community. Mrs. Meir, the National Secretary of NA’AMAT in the 1930s, said: “NA’AMAT is the first and last women’s organization for which I ever worked.”