MATAV Association

MATAV Association (Hebrew: מטב עמותה לשרותי טיפול ורווחה) is an Israeli non-profit nursing and welfare organization founded in 1958 by a group of social workers. It is one of the country's veteran associations in the field of care for the elderly, providing nursing and personal care services to more than 40,000 elderly people across Israel through some 50 branches. The association employs over 30,000 nursing caregivers alongside hundreds of social workers, certified nurses, gerontologists and other professionals in the field of the third age. MATAV's services are delivered to recipients of the long-term care benefit (gemelat siud) from the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi), the Ministry of Welfare, the Fund for the Welfare of Holocaust Survivors and other commissioning bodies. Care is provided by Israeli caregivers or foreign workers, depending on the level of entitlement and need. The association also operates about 23 day centers for the elderly in cooperation with local authorities, including three unique day centers for people with mental frailty, as well as about 22 social clubs for the older population. Day center visitors benefit from transportation to and from their homes and hot meals. Beyond direct care, MATAV runs 37 supportive communities, including one integrated community for the elderly and people with disabilities and one supportive community for independent people with disabilities. Since March 2001, when the Ministry of Welfare privatized foster care services in Israel and transferred them to associations, MATAV has been selected to manage foster care services in the Northern District; today it cares for about 1,000 foster children in the north through 'MATAV Foster Care Service'. Its social activity includes unique volunteer programs and community projects such as the 'VeHadarta' program (in cooperation with the Ministry for Social Equality), the 'Now is the Time' initiative (initiated and funded by the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors), the volunteer programs 'Friends for Old Age' and 'Petting Dogs' (in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture), a mobile parent-child center, a nursing day center in Netivot, a community dental clinic in Be'er Sheva, and community apartments for people with disabilities. Since 2024 it has also provided mentoring services to beneficiaries of the Ministry of Defense and their children. MATAV is headed by CEO Lior Strasberg (since 2015) and chaired by Prof. Yossi Tamir (since 2021). The association has been ranked first in quality and professionalism in the nursing companies and nursing organizations category in a tender held by the National Insurance Institute. It is a non-profit association (amuta) rather than a listed company, and its work is closely tied to public funding and state care frameworks for the elderly in Israel.

MATAV Association (מטב עמותה לשרותי טיפול ורווחה) was founded in 1958 by a group of social workers as an Israeli nursing organization. Over the decades it grew into one of the country's veteran associations for care and welfare services for the elderly. In March 2001, the Ministry of Welfare privatized foster care services in Israel and transferred them to associations. MATAV was selected to manage foster care services in the Northern District. Today it cares for about 1,000 foster children in the north through 'MATAV Foster Care Service'. The association's leadership has changed over the years. Aliza Ofer served as CEO from 1985 to 2005, followed by Rachel Melanki (2005–2008), Yossi Anatbi (2008–2015), and Lior Strasberg (2015–present). The board chairmanship was held by Ami Bergman from 1985 to 2020, then Binyamin Gedaliah (2020–2021), and Prof. Yossi Tamir (2021–present). MATAV has been ranked first in quality and professionalism in the nursing companies and nursing organizations category in a tender held by the National Insurance Institute. It provides nursing services to recipients of the long-term care benefit from the National Insurance Institute, the Ministry of Welfare, the Fund for the Welfare of Holocaust Survivors and other commissioning bodies. Its services are delivered through about 50 branches across Israel, employing over 30,000 nursing caregivers alongside hundreds of social workers, certified nurses, gerontologists and professionals in the field of the third age. In addition to direct nursing care, MATAV operates about 23 day centers for the elderly in cooperation with local authorities, including three unique day centers for people with mental frailty, and about 22 social clubs for the older population. It also runs 37 supportive communities, including one integrated community for the elderly and people with disabilities and one supportive community for independent people with disabilities. Its social activity includes unique volunteer programs and community projects such as the 'VeHadarta' program (in cooperation with the Ministry for Social Equality), the 'Now is the Time' initiative (initiated and funded by the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors), the volunteer programs 'Friends for Old Age' and 'Petting Dogs' (in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture), a mobile parent-child center, a nursing day center in Netivot, a community dental clinic in Be'er Sheva, and community apartments for people with disabilities. Since 2024, it has provided mentoring services to beneficiaries of the Ministry of Defense and their children.

• 2024

  MATAV begins providing mentoring services to beneficiaries of the Ministry of Defense and their children.

• 2021

  Prof. Yossi Tamir becomes Chairman of the Board.

• 2020

  Binyamin Gedaliah becomes Chairman of the Board.

• 2015

  Lior Strasberg becomes CEO.

• 2008

  Yossi Anatbi becomes CEO.

• 2005

  Rachel Melanki becomes CEO.

• 2001

  Ministry of Welfare privatizes foster care services; MATAV selected to manage foster care in the Northern District.

• 1985

  Aliza Ofer becomes CEO; Ami Bergman becomes Chairman of the Board.

• 1958

  MATAV Association founded by a group of social workers.

Veteran Israeli non-profit association for nursing and welfare services for the elderly, ranked first in quality and professionalism in the National Insurance Institute tender in the nursing companies and nursing organizations category.

• Nursing and personal care network

  Services for over 40,000 elderly people through 50 branches, employing over 30,000 nursing caregivers, hundreds of social workers, certified nurses, gerontologists and professionals.

• Day centers for the elderly

  About 23 day centers operated with local authorities, including three for people with mental frailty; includes transportation and hot meals.

• Social clubs for the elderly

  About 22 clubs for the older population.

• Supportive communities

  37 supportive communities, including one integrated for elderly and disabled and one for independent disabled.

• Foster care service

  MATAV Foster Care Service manages foster care in the Northern District, caring for about 1,000 foster children.

• Social and volunteer projects

  Includes 'VeHadarta', 'Now is the Time', 'Friends for Old Age', 'Petting Dogs', mobile parent-child center, Netivot nursing day center, Be'er Sheva community dental clinic, and community apartments for people with disabilities.

• Mentoring services for Ministry of Defense beneficiaries

  Provided since 2024 to beneficiaries of the Ministry of Defense and their children.

1. 1MATAV Association official websitematav.org.il
2. 2MATAV Association on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3מטב עמותה לשרותי טיפול ורווחה – Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org