Events and Activities Ideas:
Golda Meir Becomes Prime Minister of Israel - February 26 1969
When considering the great female leaders of the 20th century, it is impossible to leave out Golda Meir. Golda’s contributions in building and running the State of Israel cannot be understated. Golda Meir is a shining example of feminism and inspiration for women.
Background: Golda Meir
Golda was born Golda Mabovitz in Kiev, Russia in 1898. Extreme poverty caused the Mabovitz family to emigrate to the United States in 1906 and settle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Childhood memories of the Russian pogroms influenced Golda to get involved with the Zionist movement. While in high school, she joined the Workers of Zion Group (Poalei Zion), a Labor Zionist group.
In 1921, Golda and her husband, Morris Myerson, moved to Palestine and joined Kibbutz Merhavyah. Although Golda quickly become accustomed to the hard conditions of kibbutz life, she soon found herself involved more with political and social efforts.
In 1928, she became executive secretary of the Woman's Labor Union (Mo'ezet ha-Po'alot). From 1932 to 1934, Golda served as an emissary to the Pioneer Women's Organization in the United States. Upon her return to Palestine in 1934, she assumed a position within the executive committee of Histadrut. Later, she became the head of the political department of Histadrut.
When the British imprisoned many of the senior level Jewish community leaders in 1946, Golda replaced Moshe Sharett as the head of the Jewish Agency's Political Department until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
In 1948, David Ben-Gurion appointed Golda as a member of the Provisional Government. In a very dangerous but important mission, Ben-Gurion had Golda visit King Abdullah of Jordan to attempt to persuade him not to attack Israel after the departure of the British in May. As it would happen, King Abdullah had decided that his Army would attack in the war that led to Israel's independence.
In 1949, Golda returned to Russia as the Israeli Minister to Moscow. Shortly after assuming her ambassadorship in Russia, she returned to Israel and was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Mapai Party in 1949. Appointed Minister of Labor, she began many infrastructure projects, which included large scale housing projects and road building programs. She also supported the policy of unrestricted immigration of Jews to Israel.
Golda's next career move earned her the distinction of Israel's Foreign Minister. She held this position from 1956 to 1965. She was one of only a handful of women to achieve such a high government position. One of her main achievements as Foreign Minister was fostering foreign relations with the newly emerging nations of Africa. In addition, she also was successful in creating widespread mutual relations with the nations of Latin American and for strengthening US-Israel relations. During this time, she also changed her surname to Meir, her Hebrew name, meaning “to burn brightly.”
Upon her retirement from the Foreign Ministry, she became secretary-general of Mapai in 1966 and then Secretary General of the newly formed Labor Party in 1968. After the sudden death of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol on February 26, 1969, the 71 year old Golda became Israel's fourth Prime Minister. She was the first female Prime Minister for the State of Israel and only the second female Prime Minister in the world.
Golda found that she inherited many complex issues with highly deep divisions of opinion within the Knesset and general population. One of the most taxing issues of her administration was how best to deal with the occupied lands of the Six Day War of 1967.
As Prime Minister, she maintained a hard line position toward the Arab world and refused to stop the expansion of settlements within the contested territories. She instituted an open immigration policy, which opened the door to emigration of thousands of Russian Jews to Israel.
The 1973 Yom Kippur War was the most critical episode of her administration. The aftermath of this war led to an investigative probe, which pointed to a gross underestimation of Arab intentions by the IDF and the government. Her administration was largely blamed for making Israel more vulnerable to attacks by Syria and Egypt.
Although she was able to form a new government after the December 1973 elections, she could not get her cabinet to agree on policies, so Golda resigned from the post of Prime Minster and effectively ended her life in public service in 1974. Four short years later on December 8, 1978, Golda Meir passed away in Jerusalem.
Golda Meir was someone who believed deeply in the Zionist dream, and she
devoted her entire life to the fulfillment of that dream – the development of
the State of Israel. Golda is regarded by many as one of the greatest female
leaders in the history of modern mankind. She was an inspiration to the people
of Israel and a model for women the world over. She proved that gender doesn't
limit who you are or what you can achieve.
Event Ideas:
1) Women in Israel – One cannot understate the accomplishments of Golda Meir. She is a testament to what women can achieve. An interesting discussion that you can facilitate is one regarding the Women in the Middle East or the role of women in the Israeli Defense Forces. Approach the Women's Studies Department or your campus feminist group to co-sponsor the event.2) Women in Government – Golda spent her entire life in public service. The landscape of government, in general, has radically changed over the past 20 years. More and more women have risen to executive positions in government and Congress. Invite a prominent member of government to speak on your campus. Also, don't forget about the Israeli Government through its embassies and consulates for speakers.
3) Excellence in Action – Golda was the world's second female Prime Minister and one of only a handful of females to achieve such a high position on the world stage. Certainly, she didn't get there by mistake.
If you are looking for a different way to focus on leadership development within your group or on your campus, host a study group or leadership retreat focusing on great female leaders. The key is to look at what made these individuals successful. What skills, talents and events enabled them to reach such high “status?”
If you want to expand the scope, look towards the Women's Studies and Judaic Studies departments for co-sponsorship. You may get professors to volunteer their time and knowledge to make this event successful. Also, don't forget your local feminist and Hadassah chapters.
Alternative Dates:
Women's History MonthInternational Women's Day
Golda Meir Birthday
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Resources:
World Zionist OrganizationJewish Agency
Information Department, Israel Embassy and Consulates
This article also belongs to the following subjects:
Israel
>
Politics
People
>
1948-Today: Modern Zionist Age
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