THE IMA FOUNDATION
The inspiration of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation began with matriarch Golbahar Aviva Hachami Nazarian, fondly known as "Ima." She led two very full lives filled with love, compassion, and aspirations: in Iran where she married, lost her husband at a very young age, and raised two young sons as a single mother and a seamstress; and in Israel where she was a wife, grandmother, hospital volunteer, friend and neighbor. Wherever she was, Ima touched the lives of many through her kindness, her strength, and ultimately, through her perseverance. Her love of Israel and joy for life left a deep imprint on the lives of many. As a symbol of the family's love for her, Younes and Soraya Nazarian and their family established the Ima Foundation in her honor and as her legacy - in memory of their mother and grandmother.
The Ima Foundation is based in Tel Aviv, Israel and serves as the regional office of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation.
The Ima Foundation's efforts are focused exclusively on Israel. The Foundation aims to support Israel's people by investing in their future. Education is seen as the most important vehicle to narrow Israel's social and economic gaps. Through education, Israel's citizens can thereby ensure their country's place among the world's leading nations.
The Nazarian Family's philanthropic investments in Israel, although initiated through a need to give back to the family's Jewish and Iranian roots, have now grown into a need to bring about change. With education remaining the main vehicle for transformation, the Ima Foundation seeks to serve as the purveyor of meaningful change through its longstanding relationships with key educational and arts institutions.
