Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

78 | JULY 27 • 2023 

A Woman of Distinction
W

e often hear about the men who were instrumental in Israeli history — Herzl, 
Weizmann, Ben-Gurion and many more. However, we don’t hear as much 
about significant Israeli women from the past beyond Golda Meir, or perhaps, 
more recently, Hollywood Star Gal Gadot. 
One Israeli woman who first made her mark nearly 70 years ago was Ruth Dayan. 
I found some very interesting stories about her in the historic pages of the William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit.
Ruth (nee Schwartz) Dayan was a sabra born in Haifa in 1917, the daughter of Russian 
parents who immigrated to what was then part of the Ottoman Empire during the Second 
Aliyah (1904-1914). The family moved to England in 1919, and then returned to Mandate 
Palestine when Ruth was 8 years old. Ten years later, she moved to Nahalal 
where she met her future husband, Moshe Dayan. They married in 1935. 
Moshe Dayan was the world-famous Israeli soldier/politician with the 
iconic eye patch. He lost his left eye in 1941 during World War II fighting 
with the British army. Dayan was most famous as a leader of Israel Defense 
Forces during Israel’s War of Independence (1948) and as Minister of 
Defense during the Six-Day War (1967). But Moshe was not an easy guy 
to live with. Ruth and Moshe divorced in 1972.
Ruth Dayan was a leader beyond the shadow of her 
famous husband. In particular, she founded Maskit, Israel’s first 
fashion house, in 1954. The general Hebrew definition of Maskit 
is “something small and beautiful,” such as an ornament or figu-
rine.
Maskit featured designs inspired by the cultural heritage of 
both Israeli Jews and Arabs. Dayan saw that immigrant women brought 
their skills with handcrafted garments and other items to Israel. She 
was instrumental in bringing these fashions and handicrafts to a 
modern market. Along the way, she encouraged women — Jews, 
Druze, Bedouin, Palestinian and others — to develop their skills 
and become family providers. By the 1960s, Maskit was a global 
success.
Dayan was a prominent supporter of peace efforts and charita-
ble causes. She was also a controversial figure because of her con-
nections with Palestinians and her outspoken critiques of certain 
Israeli — and American — policies. Dayan was never shy with her 
opinion. 
Dayan often visited Detroit to promote Maskit and to support Israel. Her first visit was as the 
headliner for an Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel Emergency Fund meeting, where she discussed 
the problems of Jews in the world and Israel (Feb. 26, 1971). On this trip, Dayan also met with 
Detroit women. See “Mrs. Dayan Inspires AJC Women” (March 12, 1971). In 1975, she made a special appearance on Channel 2 
television (Oct. 1975). Dayan also spoke at Adat Shalom and Shaarey Zedek.
Ruth Dayan left an important legacy in Israel as a businesswoman, author and social activist. 
She received the Yigal Allon Award, the Israeli Medal of Distinction and an honorary decorate from Ben-Gurion University, to 
name just a few of her honors. Moreover, Maskit is still in business today.
Upon Ruth Dayan’s passing at the age of 103 in 2021, then Israeli President Reuven Rivlin stated that she was “an outstanding 
woman and a role model for entrepreneurs, who had a boundless love for this place and its people, whomever they may be.” A fine 
legacy, indeed. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, available for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

