64 October 17, 1975
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Golda's Role in Diplomacy and War
`My Life' Recalls Israeli and Zionist Architects
fl'olda Meir has written
her name indelibly in Jew-
ish history, In the state of
Israel she \will be rated
among the builders of the
redeemed Jewish homeland.
In the ranks of Zionism her
position will be among the
leaders in the struggle for
libertarian attainments.
Labor will describe her as a
champion of justice for the
tnasses of workers who rose
above the oppressive state in
which they suffered at the
time when the immigrant
from Russia who became a
Milwaukee school teacher
Was battling for higher
standards of living for the
less affluent.
This story about a great
woman has been told again
and again, and it receives
emphasis in her own words,
in "My Life," bylined Golda
Meir, published by G. P.
Putnam's Sons.
She had not kept a diary
and her story is from mem-
ory and, of course, from
available records of the
history of Zionism, the la-
bor movement, Socialism
and the experiences re-
lated to Israel and the
years that preceded state-
hood during the struggle
with Great Britain and the
Arab opposition.
Therefore, the written
story is like her role of
spokesman for Jewry; it is
told simply, factually, with-
out reservations, except in
instances or occurrences
which, for diplomatic rea-
sons, must not be made pub-
lic at this time.
It would have been so
much more valuable if she
had kept a diary. There are
shortcomings that may well
be considered inevitable un-
der the conditions of her
work on her life. Unques-
tionably, -the concluding
chapter which deals with
the tragic events of the Yom
Kippur War assumes much
significance. It is a heart-
rending story of travail for
Israel, of a surprise setback
caused by refusal to yield to
demands for pre-emptive
strikes. The people's suffer-
ings from the war's losses
are recorded by Mrs. Meir
with anguish.
But the then prime minis-
ter of Israel declares her
conviction that, for the sake
of retaining the friendship
of the United States and
obviating the blame that
Israel strikes first, it was
wise not to pre-empt.
The notable accounts
she gives of her meetings
with President Nixon, her
faith in his sincerity,
therefore, provides most
valuable evidence of the
friendship she helped ce-
ment between Israel and
the United States. Of
great historic significance,
therefore, is this assertion
she makes in the course of
her chronicling the Golda
Meir-Richard Nixon-Is-
rael-U. S. relations:
"However history judges
Richard Nixon — and it is
probable that the verdict
will be very harsh — it must
also be put on the record
forever that he did not break
a single one of the promises
he made to us."
The recollections of the
Nixon role during the Yom
Kippur War, her confidence
that the President acted
firmly and courageously in
Israel's behalf, that he had
ordered the war supplies to
assist and save Israel during
the early and tragic days of
that war are worth reading,
recording, emphasizing.
Yet, there may be differ-
ences of views with the for-
mer prime minister on her
own role. It was dramati-
cally defined in Chaim Her-
zog's book on that war.
There are notable omissions
in her story. Is it possible
that the name of General
Ariel "Arik" Sharon could
have been omitted from her
story inadvertently, or was
it deliberate? Perhaps there
are other facts which she
should have recorded. That's
what the reader has to suf-
fer from — the lack of a
diary which could not have
been erased.
Gen. Sharon, now a severe
critic of the Rabin adminis-
tration, was the hero of the
post Yom Kippur surprise
attack on Israel. He led in
the crossing of the Suez and
he surrounded the Egyptian
Third Army. Why was he
forgotten in the analyses?
Chaim Herzog's book on
"The War of Atonement"
did not overlook his role.
Nevertheless, "My
Life" is Golda's life as she
retraces her recollections
and it emerges as a story
of great significance be-
cause it embraces the
steps to statehood, the bat-
tle for Zionist attainments,
the personal sacrifices
when she and her husband
— and her sister Shana
who inspired her in child-
hood to Zionism and labor
Socialism — all combine to
make the autobiography a
great work for this and
future generations.
Mrs. iVIeir's experiences in
Russia, as Israel's first am-
bassado• from Israel to the
Kremlin, are related in an
especially moving descrip-
tion in one of the most inter-
esting chapters in her book.
The noted labor Zionist, the
Socialist who objected to
having a rabbi officiate at
her marriage to Morris
Meyerson in Milwaukee and
who conceded on having
Rabbi Schonfeld perform
the ceremony — this lady
went to the Moscow syn-
agogue, with staff members
carrying siddurim and tal-
eisim, there on a second visit
to be greeted by tens of
thousands of Russian Jews
who saw in her coming to
the Russian capital a sym-
bol of redemption.
Impressive also is the, out-
lined analysis by Mrs. Meir
of the incoming immigrants
to Israel after the Holo-
caust, the new freedoms
won by those who escaped
the Nazi terror. The empha-
sis here, with emotion and
enthusiasm, is on the mass
settlement of the Yemenite
Jews, the Magic Carpet mi-
gration from virtual death
in a land of oppression to a
new life.
with President Richard M. Nixon at the
Whip
Mrs. Meir's participation
in arousing world Jewish
opinion in support of the
great movement stemming
from Zionism was especially
expanded after she had wit-
nessed the callousness of
the world's statesmen who,
at Evian, where she was an
observer, refused to open
doors to safety for Jews con-
demned to die at the hands
of the Hitlerites.
Of course, the personal
aspects in the Meir story
are vitally interesting. Her
activities for Histadrut,
her Zionist devotions,
provide inspiration for
delving into the history of
the movement that domi-
nated her life.
It is interesting that Mrs.
Meir should have referred to
"the shadow figures of Zion-
ism" and yet should have
failed to mention a few of
the very great. Of course,
she dealt with Chaim Weiz-
mann and there was one
obstructive episode in their
relationships. But how come
that Nahum Sokolov, who
functioned in her lifetime,
did not figure in her Zionist
experiences? Sokolow was
president of the World Zion-
ist Organization during the
early 1930s and he was a
power in diplomatic rela-
tions and in meetings at the
Vatican.
It is not surprising that
she should emphasize know-
ing Nahman Syrkin. The
latter's daughter, Marie
Syrkin, became one of her
closest friends and was her
biographer. And an excep-
tion from the list of those
omitted in her story is
Shmaryahu Levin whom
she admired.
She does not mention
Louis D. Brandeis, the
leader for a number of years
of the opposition movement,
the General Zionists who,
unlike the situation today,
were the leaders in world
Zionism overwhelmingly
more influential than the
present dominating force,
the labor Zionists.
An amazing omission is
the name of Nahum Gold-
mann. Also missing in the
recollections are the names
of Stephen S. Wise and
Abba Hillel Silver.
Understandably, Golda
Meir began in the labor
ranks and devoted her life to
the movement. Naturally
she referred to good friends,
wrote about the pioneering
efforts of David Ben-Gur-
ion, Moshe Sharett, Pinhas
Sapir and many others. So,
omissions of Wise and Silver
may be understandable.
But she had a big role in
the World Zionist Con-
gresses, she differed with
Nahum Goldmann at the
WZCongress in 1972 in Je-
rusalem and it was common
knowledge that she had a
share in the behind-the-
scenes manipulations to
oust Goldmann from leader-
ship.
,
Why was he additionally
rebuked by being ignored in
"My Life?"
Even more surprising is
that Golda Meir's story
has no mention of the dis-
tinguished woman Zionist
in the General Zionist
ranks, Henrietta Szold.
The personal incidents
will fascinate Golda's read-
ers and those who know a
bit of history will be in-
trigued on many scores. She
tells of the sacrifices she
made, abandoning family
associations in order to
travel for the cause, and one
of her missions was to so-
licit for the party (Poale
Zion) newspaper, the short-
lived Die Zeit. She could
have written a chapter on
that brief episode in Yiddish
journalism. Die Zeit was a
classic in Yiddish newsgath-
ering and literature. The
best writers were on its
staff. The famous Yiddish
writer and playwright,
David Pinski, wrote a series
"Solomon and His Thousand
Wives" which added popu-
larity to this newspaper
that could not gain suffi-
cient readership or enough
strength to meet competi-
tion.
Thus, the Golda Meir
story is full of drama, pa-
thos, courageous action,
step-by-step description
of a labor socialist propa-
gandist rising to very
great heights in world di-
plomacy and reaching the
heights in a role of state-
building.
In more than one sense,
"My Life" is the life
Zionist movement, r— aei,
and world Jewry in the gen-
eration of the author of this
volume which has so much
merit in this period of stress
for Israel and humanity.
—P.S.
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
... and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1975, JTA, Inc.)
• JEWISH "KNOW THYSELF": Jews in this country
know little—almost nothing—of their colorful American
Jewish history. There are good books on early American
Jewish history but they are not being read.
There are no textbooks for school children on American
Jewish history whether in English, Yiddish or Hebrew. In-
dividual episodes—like the story of the Jews who accompa-
nied Columbus, of the first group of Jews who arrived in
New Amsterdam, or of Haym Salomon, or Major Noah—
are being related in children's publications, but there is no
coherent book of American Jewish history for youngsters of
any age.
Wide-scale Jewish participation in the 1976 Bicenten-
nial celebration programs may lead to correcting this gap in
American Jewish "know thyself." All major Jewish organi-
zations, as well as the organized Jewish communities in this
country, are now completing plans for such participation.
CJFWF SURVEY: The Council of Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds is now surveying the activities by na-
tional Jewish agencies and local federations in planning for
their participation in the Bicentennial celebrations.
Leading in providing direction and material for the
planning are the American Association for Jewish Educa-
tion, the Jewish Historical Society and the National Jewish
Welfare Board. The AAJE is publishing this month a Bicen-
tennial Directory which is a sourcebook and guide listing
bibliographies, texts, film strips and other material dealing
with all aspects of the American Jewish experience. The
AAJE also has prepared for publication an anthology of
American Jewish fiction.
The American Jewish Historical Society, jointly with
the National Jewish Welfare Board, is preparing two bibli-
ographies—one dealing with American Jewish history and
the other with American Jewish biography. In addition,
they are preparing jointly a travelling historical exhibit and
are organizing a travelling public lecture series on "Jewish
Americans in Colonial Times."
The National Jewish Welfare Board is providing a
broad spectrum of program resources for local Jewish cen-
ters. The American Jewish Committee, the American Jew-
ish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith,
the Jewish Labor Committee, the Jewish War Veterans and
other community relations agencies have completed plans
for wide observance of the Bicentennial. The Synagor-ie
Council of America will guide the synagogues in celebf.,
the Bicentennial.
IMPRESSIVE PROGRAMS: By happy coincidence,
the 75th anniversary of the Jewish Federation in Philadel-
phia takes place in 1976, so that many parts of the anniver-
sary are being related to the Bicentennial. Special tours of.
Jewish historical interest are part of the Bicentennial pro-
gram. The annual General Assembly of the CJFWF—the
central body of all organized Jewish communities in the
United States and Canada—is also to be held in Philadel-
phia during the Bicentennial.
Impressive Bicentennial programs are also being devel-
oped by the Jewish communities in Chicago, Detroit, Bos-
ton, Baltimore, Washington, Cleveland, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Metropolitan New Jersey and a number of inter-
mediate and smaller communities. New York City promises
the widest Jewish participation in the Bicentennial celebra-
tion.