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A Modern Deborah
by NATHAN ZIPRIN
(A Seven Arts Feature)
Golda Meir, who recently was
the guest of honor in Miami at the
national conference launching the
Israel Bond campaign of 1966, is
one phenomena of the times—of
the world at large, not only of Is
rael. She is as familiar on the
premises of the UN as she is to
many people in Tel Aviv or Jer
usalem. In Moscow, tens of thous
ands, defying police, sought a
glimpse of hei*. Last yea'r, visiting
Burma, she was acclaimed by
groups singing the Hatikvah in her-
honor, and she is one of these to
whom the new African nations
have delighted to pay honor.
We are a little too close to the
events of her career perhaps to
take the full measure of her worth
and, perhaps, we are also hand
icapped by the fact that she op
erates on a kind of noiseless sys
tem, so that her own personality
is not flaunted before the on
looker.
As a child, she lived in Pinsk,
a small Russian town which has
brought forth more than the
normal quota of celebrities, among
them the late Dr. Chaim Wei/.man.
but Milwaukee, where she grew up
and taught, rightfully too has a
claim on her.
The other day, a woman was
chosen as Prime Minister of a
great country in the East, but Mrs.
Ghandi is a Nehru. Golda Me'r’s
father was a poor carpenter, Moshe
Mabovich, who was glad if he
could get enough work to support
his family. He is said to have con
structed the first ice box to be
used in Pinsk, but such inven
tiveness received little reward
there. One time, however, his car
pentry served an especially useful
purpose. Golda Meir had told
about it. She remembered seeing
her father nailing boards < n the
door. There were rumors that
another pogrom on the Jews was
brewing and her father was board
ing up the house for protection.
Golda Meir has often told that
she could never erase the picture
of this incident from her mem
ory, and it doubtless explains
much of the story of her life
At one critical time, the fact
that she was American was of
great s gnificance in her life and
in the b’rth of the new state. It
was immediately after the proc
lamation of the independence of
the Jewish state. The founding
fathers of Israel had gathered and
valiantly resolved that Israel was
and of light ought to be free and
independent. But the right had to
be maintained by 700,000 Jews
facing forty million Arabs. More
serious was the weapon shortage.
It is told in the Bible that a
Jewish woman long ago inspired
the Israelites to battle their op
pressors. The Israelites, we are
told, were afraid to face the en
emy because the Canaanites pos
sessed chariots and cavalry and the
Israelites had none.
The situation was much the
same in 1948 and Golda Meir took
off for America to see if she could
raise money to buy arms. A prev J
ious emissary had returned telling
the Israeli, leaders that little could
be expected from American Jewry.
They had their own problems,
which absorbed them, it was said,
and moreover there was a general
questioning about the new Israel's
ability to withstand the Arab mil
lions. Even those most sympathetic
to her mission warned her against
a realistic presentation of the sit
uation.
However. Golda Meir took coun
sel only of her self. Like a proph
etess she spoke. She would not
minimize the difficulties nor trim
her speech to suit any faction.
No white flag of the Jewish com
munity of her land, she said, would
be raised for the Mufti. That de
cision. she declared, had been
taken and it would not be changed.
What Americans could decide, she
counselled, was whether her peo
ple would be victorious or not.
It is recorded in the Bible that
'ii the case of Deborah a thunder
storm broke forth and overran the
banks of the Kishon, causing the
mud to stall the Canaanite char
iots and cavalry. In the case of
Golda Meir, her speech was like
a thunderstorm in its effect. There
was a rain of contributions from
all America and Golda Meir went
back to Israel with 50 million dol
lars to save the Jewish State.
Golda Meir has written a rad
iant page in the history of srael
holding some of the highest posts
a nation can give to the deserving.
She was ambassador to Russia.
Minister of Labor, Foreign Min
ister, and one of the original
founders of Israel Bonds. In Mil
waukee she had been’ a, school
teacher .and, in the parlance of
the 'school teacher, we may say
that in whatever capacity she per
formed. she got a grade A.
Golda Meir has recently resign
ed from the post as Foreign Min
ister, but this does not mean that
he has withdrawn from political
life. In fact she only recently took
another step in that direction
when she accepted the post of sec
retary-general of the Mapai Party.
She continues to be a member of
the Knesset and a dominant fig
ure in her party.
Golda Meir's presence at the Is
rael Bond conference indicates at
tention to continue her activities in
behalf of the nation she said so
much to bring into being and to
develop.
Golda is an Israeli. But when
she comes in our midst we can't
help but receive her as one of our
own.
Spring is the time
of our responsibility, when community after community in the South hears and
heeds the call of philanthropic appeals for the many causes and imperatives
espoused by Jewish people. . .
Welfare Funds and Federations set forth during this season the need for
support of the United Jewish Appeal and scores of agencies—local, regional and
national in scope—concerned with Jewish education, Jewish religion, Jewish
charity, Jewish cultural development, Jewish survival.
We join in urging the fullest support to each and every
Jewish Welfare appeal no matter in what community you may reside
O M P A N Y
Bernard Howard
Dan Garson
Arthur Garson
4B
The Southern Israelite