Ben-Gurion:
A Legacy
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R
eferred to by the revered
and respected title "Haza-
ken," "the Elder," David
Ben-Gurion manifested
the inspiration and vision of the
prophets of old.
Every day at 11 a.m., regard-
less of pressures or crises of the
day, he locked his door, taking no
calls, speaking to no one. This
was his invaluable hour for con-
templation and reflection.
The vision born of these med-
ications was so sweeping and
comprehensive that today Ben-
Gurion's influence is still being
felt throughout Israel.
Ben-Gurion believed in the fu-
ture-generations that would be
born as Israelis: "I have confi-
dence in the Jewish youth. It will
not disdain trivial matters, and
will not deter from great deeds."
In keeping with his confidence
in Israel's youth, the Knesset
passed the Ben-Gurion Law in
1976, institutionalizing his homes
in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Sde
Boker as the Ben-Gurion Her-
itage Institute.
The "hut" at Sde Boker is now
visited annually by some 200,000
tourists who come to view the
personal youth, pass through the
Ben-Gurion House in Tel Aviv
annually. Another 15,000 to
20,000 youngsters, who live in
less accessible areas are visited
in the classroom by educators
from the Institute, who bring the
programs to them.
"Our aim is quite simple," says
Tel Aviv-based director Hanni
Hermolin, who is responsible for
the Institute's educational pro-
grams. "I am happy if the stu-
dents leave here knowing three
things: that he was responsible
for Israel's Declaration of Inde-
pendence, that he was the coun-
try's first Prime Minister and
Minister of Defense, and that he
was one of the principle founders
of the Israel Defense Forces."
A picture of Mahatma Gandhi,
hanging in Ben-Gurion's Sde
Boker bedroom, tells much about
the man, as does his 5,000-book
library. He bequeathed his Tel
Aviv home to the State in order
to preserve an additional library
of 20,000 volumes in philosophy,
Judaism, Israel, world cultures,
international affairs and science,
in the 11 languages he read and
spoke. Only recently computer
catalogues by Tel Aviv Univer-
sity, the library takes up the
entire second floor of the house.
"The values of the Ben-Gurion
family were such that their 'in-
dulgence' was in acquiring
books," says Mr. Hermolin. 'They
bought their home in Tel Aviv's
first workers' neighborhood in in-
stallments for 350 Palestinian
pounds (approximately $1,400).
Now situated near the city's
luxury hotels, it is hard to convey
to today's youngsters how mod-
est the home really was. So we
point out the utter simplicity of
the furnishings and the absence
of luxury items."
Mr. Hermolin strives to create
active educational programs
rather than the dry transmission
of facts. Worksheets, puzzles and
games similate the participant to
wander through the house ex-
hibits and learn on their own.
Similar programs are tailored
to the but at Sde Boker, and both
feature films and slide presenta-
tions. Children aged 9-11 are in-
troduced to Ben-Gurion through
his correspondence with children.
By reading the actual letters from
youngsters and his replies to
The casual visitor is
presented with a
wealth of interesting
materials.
them, they learn about his way
of life and his thoughts on a va-
riety of subjects. Twelve to 14-
year-olds learn about the man
from his youth in Plonsk through
the establishment of the State of
Israel. This follows Jewish his-
tory in the region, fighting the
conditions of the White Paper,
and meeting with Arab leaders.
Sixteen and 17-year-olds are
challenged to grapple with the ac-
tual issues involved in declaring
statehood. The students them-
selves present the original argu-
ments for and against the now
famous Declaration of Indepen-
dence.
For 17-year-olds, who will be
serving in the army within a
year, the emphasis is on Ben-Gu-
rion's connection with the Israel
Defense Forces. They are con-
fronted with topics such as sov-
ereignty, the IDF as a people's
army, and the IDF and peace.
The statement that greets them
as they enter the section: "Our
army has a mission not only in
times of war, but also, and maybe
especially, in times of peace: It
has to shape the character of the
youth, and through this, the char-
acter of the people."
At the end of the day each stu-
dent receives a certificate, a copy
of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, and a poster of Ben-Gu-
rion.
The casual visitor is also pre-