Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel
Russian-born Golda Meir (1898-1978), who would become the fourth Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974), grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a youth, she created a fundraising project that successfully raised money for textbooks to be given to Milwaukee classmates who could not afford them.
At the age of 15, she left Milwaukee for Denver because, at that time in Milwaukee, married women were not allowed to be teachers. Though she was not married yet, her parents had already chosen a husband for her, in keeping with their Jewish tradition. She aspired for more in her life. In time, she would become Israel’s first woman prime minister and the third woman to hold that title worldwide, after Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Sri Lanka) and Indira Ghandi (India).
Golda Meir’s bestselling autobiography, My Life, speaks to her aspirations, accomplishments, and thoughts about world politics and government philosophies. In it, she states that Denver was where her true education began. Her remarkable story became a staple in homes around the world.
Her Denver Home
It is fitting that the home where Golda Meir lived is now part of the campus of the Auraria Higher Education Center in Denver. It is her only known US residence. You can read about it here: https://www.ahec.edu/auraria/golda-meir-house. According to its website, the Center:
“…provides a comprehensive and unique program that examines the role and meaning of leadership in both public affairs and the arts. The Center conveys its message that leadership matters at all levels of civic life through conferences, an academic course of study and guest speakers.
“Established in 1993, the Center is a nonpartisan, educational project. The not-for-profit Center is connected to the Political Science Department at MSU Denver and offers programming for the historic Golda Meir House and Museum located on the Auraria Campus in Denver. Because Golda Meir was twice an immigrant to new lands before becoming a world leader, the Center pays particular attention to the idea that leadership can emerge from the most unlikely places.”
The Golda Meir House Museum is the fourth stop on our Colorado Author Adventures Trail.
Patricia Smart
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