110 | MAY 20 • 2021
Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
Ben-Gurion in Detroit
S
eventy years ago, on May 21,
1951, the city of Detroit and its
Jewish community hosted the
Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-
Gurion, for a 36-hour visit. He was not on
holiday. Along with other Israeli leaders,
Ben-Gurion was traveling across America
for a critical Israel Bond Drive. As an
editorial in the May 18, 1951, issue of the
JN stated: “The small state
of Israel remains in danger.
Ben-Gurion’s visit here is
not a social event …
” But
his visit was a big deal.
Ben-Gurion was the first
prime minister of Israel.
Born in Poland in 1885,
he became a Zionist as a
young man and immigrated to British
Mandate Palestine in 1906. Ben-Gurion
was a self-educated person, a voracious
reader and bibliophile and, above all,
a highly skilled, determined politician,
who made the creation of Israel his life’s
mission. He served as prime minister
from 1948-1954 and 1955-1963 and was
defense minister during Israel’s War of
Independence from 1948-49. It is not an
overstatement to say that Ben-Gurion is
to Israel what George Washington is to
the United States.
Both the Detroit Jewish Chronicle and
JN covered Ben-Gurion’s visit and related
events. There are numerous reports and
editorials from the May 18 and 25, 1951
issues, which can be found in the William
Davidson Digital Archive of Detroit
Jewish History. There were also plenty
of greetings to Ben-Gurion from various
local organizations. For anyone interested
in the history of Israel and its relation to
Detroit, this is excellent reading.
Ben-Gurion, his wife, Paula, and their
entourage arrived at Willow Run Airport
on Sunday, May 20. Their motorcade
then proceeded to drive through Detroit’s
Dexter-Davidson area, the heart of the
city’s Jewish community at that time.
Everyone in the community was
invited to the official reception for Ben-
Gurion on Monday at Detroit City Hall.
Mayor Albert Cobo and Gov. G. Mennon
Williams welcomed the prime minis-
ter, who gave an address about Israel’s
status and needs. It was also pro-
claimed Ben-Gurion Day in Detroit.
Later that day, Ben-Gurion visited
the Kaiser-Fraser automobile facto-
ry in Ypsilanti — KF had recently
built a plant in Haifa, Israel —
before he headed to his next stop,
Chicago.
I found two other interesting
reports. After Ben-Gurion’s
visit, there was a story in the
May 25, 1951, Chronicle about
Norman Cottler, owner of the
Dexter-Davison Market. Cottler
knew Ben-Gurion in 1916, when
both joined the famous “Jewish
Legion” formed by the British to fight
in WWI. He gave $5,000 to kick-off
a $2 million Israel Bond drive in
Detroit — this would be $50,000 and
$20 million today.
There were also reports in both the
Chronicle and JN about an event held a
week before Ben-Gurion’s visit, a rally
for Israel’s third anniversary at the State
Fairgrounds in Detroit. On May 13,
more than 9,000 Detroiters attended the
rally. Golda Myerson was the featured
speaker. Myerson later changed her sur-
name to Meir and would be prime minis-
ter of Israel, 1960-1974.
David Ben-Gurion’s visit to Detroit
was historic and a great success. It is fur-
ther evidence of the important role that
Jewish Detroiters played in the growth of
Israel. And his visit is well-documented
and preserved in the William Davidson
Digital Archive.
Want to learn more? Go to the
DJN Foundation archives, available for free
at www.djnfoundation.org.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
Williams welcomed the prime minis-
ter, who gave an address about Israel’s
claimed Ben-Gurion Day in Detroit.
Later that day, Ben-Gurion visited
the Kaiser-Fraser automobile facto-
ry in Ypsilanti — KF had recently
before he headed to his next stop,
knew Ben-Gurion in 1916, when
about an event held a
for Israel’s third anniversary at the State
more than 9,000 Detroiters attended the
rally. Golda Myerson was the featured