My Life: The Iron Lady of Israel, Golda Meir - II

Golda heard the name of Theodor Herzl when her aunt came with her eyes in tears and brought the news of Herzl's death. She wrote she could remember the ' stunned silence ' that followed the news. ( Theodor Herzl had formed the Zionist Organization and promoted Jewish immigration to Palestine in an effort to form a Jewish state.2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904, was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and political activist who was the father of modern political Zionism) Her sister decided to wear only black clothes in mourning.

She stated that the Jew's strong desire for their own land existed even before the word pogrom became a part of the vocabulary of European Jewry. She wrote that most of the young revolutionaries wanted the end of the czarist regime, and the opinion was divided into two main groups. One group ( the members of the Bund or union ) believed that if socialism succeeded in Russia, it would provide a solution to the plight of Jews. They sought the Economic and Social structure of Jews to change. It would allow Jews to retain their cultural identity. (speaking Yiddish, following their customs and traditions and choice of food ) So clinging to the idea of Jewish nationhood was not necessary.

The other group the Poalei-Zion ( her sister Sheyna too was a part of this group)( Labour-Zionists ) perceived it differently, they expected the solution to be 'far-reaching and radical '. Change in economic and social structure was not enough, they believed in 'Jewish peoplehood' and 're-establishing Jewish independence'. Of course, both the movements were secret and illigal too. This was often the topic of debate and conflict too.

Golda thought that this taught her an important non-political lesson that it was not enough to have belief but one needed mental strength and energy to face the difficulties and overcome all. 'There was only one way to do anything, the right way'.

Golda's father had moved to America, spent there for 3 lonely years. He then moved from New York to Milwaukee, barely making a living there. He wanted to save money for the tickets, by the end of 1905 he could manage to send tickets for the family. Farewells, embraces and tears are the things she distinctly remembered. In the later phase of her life, she visited Russia as a representative of the Jewish state. In the lighter vein, she wrote had they known this then they could have cried less bitterly.

Thousands of families from Europe headed towards America for a better life in the new world where they would be less fearful. Golda's family had to cross the border into Galicia secretly, they had to pretend to be other people. All memorized the new names and details about the new identities. Their crossing the border was possible by bribing the police with the money her mother somehow managed to save. Most of the luggage was lost or stolen. Travelled by train, moved to many spots, and ultimately boarded a ship to reach America which was packed with immigrants from Russia. All were pale, exhausted, and scared. They traveled to a country they knew nothing about and was totally strange.

The family could reunite in Milwaukee. Golda described how overwhelmed she was with the new phase of life. New language, new food, even new sounds, and the existence of a father without whom they spent 3 years. The first thing her father did even before allowing them some time to rest, was a shopping expedition to match the American style of appearance. It was the lifestyle her father adopted to become an American Jew. Golda wrote that she was delighted with the change, the new world was very colorful and fresh, with an endless procession of cars, trolleys, and shining bicycles on the street. Women and girls dressed differently. The simple apartment looked no less than a palace. Her mother decided to run a shop, and in spite of some experiments it hardly prospered, but it was her determination that without any experience or knowledge, even without knowing the language, she took the decision. Probably she never wanted to be miserably poor again, so she really worked hard to support the family, Golda noted.

Golda had to mind the store in the absence of her mother it many times compelled her to be late for her classes which she didn't like at all, but her mother was never moved. She liked her school, made friends who left America when Golda left, and became leaders of Labour-Zionism.

Later when she was the prime minister she visited the school. When asked to talk to students, she told them that it was really not important to decide what they wanted to become, but to decide the way they wanted to live was more important. If one was honest with oneself and with friends and got involved with the causes that were good to others,not for oneself only, then it was sufficient, what one would become was just a matter of chance.
She had a great welcome at the school.