In the Histadrut Garden (“Ginat Hahistadrut”), at the heart of Tel Aviv, lies the only statue honoring a real woman in the city, Golda Meir Statue, the fourth prime minister of Israel and still the only female who served in this position.
Golda Meir (1978-1898) was born to a liberal Jewish family in Kyiv, the Russian Empire (nowadays Ukraine). As a child, she witnessed antisemitism firsthand, and the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Early in her childhood, Meir showed her leadership skills by organizing a fundraiser to pay for the class textbooks. At 14, refusing her parents’ wish to marry and find a job instead of attending high school, she left to live with her sister in Denver, CO. Inspired by her sister’s commitment to Zionism, she became an active member of Zionist organizations. She graduated from the teachers’ college at Milwaukee State Normal School, married in 1917, and in 1921 emigrated to Mandatory Palestine.
The couple settled in a Kibbutz, and Meir became their representative in the Histadrut, the General Federation of Labour (established in December 1920 in Mandatory Palestine). Three years later, they left the Kibbutz, and Meir became more involved in local politics. She was elected the secretary of Moetzet HaPoalot (Working Women’s Council, renamed later Na’amat) and later head of the Jewish Agency Political Department.
On May 14th, 1948, she was one of 24 signatories (including two women) of the Israeli Declaration of Independence and started to serve in different positions in the New Israeli government.
She served as Minister of Labour (1949-1956), Foreign Minister (1956-1966), Minister of Internal Affairs in 1970, and the 4th Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974). In 1973, following the Yom Kippur War, she won the election without a majority, so she resigned. She died four years later from cancer.
The statue depicts Meir sitting on a bench, wearing her famous outfit, gazing towards the ground. Next to Meir is a sitting statue of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister. He also wears his famous outfit, but unlike Meir, he looks forward. Next to each statue lies a plaque on the ground with their Hebrew name and title.
Next to the Histadrut garden is the headquarters of Na’amat and the Histadrut, of which Meir and Ben-Gurion were among their leaders. The bronze statues were created by renowned artists and partners Varda Givoli and Ilan Gelber. The dedication took place on May 9th, 2021, in the presence of the chairmen and the chairwoman of the Histadrut, Na’amat, Jewish Agency for Israel, as well as family members of Meir and Ben-Gurion.
A bust of Meir stands in Beer Sheva, Israel, and in Manhattan, New York City. Her childhood home in Denver, CO, was converted into a museum about her life and legacy.
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