Golda Meir collection, 1904-1987. UWM Manuscript Collection 21 4 cubic ft. (9 boxes)

ABSTRACT: The collection consists largely of reproduced correspondence, press releases, photographs, and speeches pertaining to Golda Meir's political life, primarily from 1955-1974. The correspondence is usually with friends and admirers, thanking Meir and communicating their support for her. There are two folders of photocopied materials originally created by Ms. Lou Kadar, Meir's secretary, containing supportive letters to Meir, and recollections of her life. The collection also contains newsclippings, many in Hebrew, from the Jerusalem Post (1957-1983), and the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle (1973-1974), student records (1916), and numerous other papers (1947-1984) about Meir. The photographs are of Meir throughout her life, historic Jewish individuals, and the Milwaukee Jewish community. Also contained in the collection are oral history interviews with persons who knew Meir, including Yitzhak Rabin and Lou Kadar.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Golda Meir collection, 1904-1987. UWM Manuscript Collection 21.University Manuscript Collection. Archives. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection consists largely of oral history interviews and reproduced correspondence, press releases, photographs, and speeches pertaining to Golda Meir's political life, primarily from 1955-1974. Sara Tsur did most of the photocopying of materials from Israeli archives under contract for the Golda Meir Library of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Geraldine Stern and William Moritz conducted the oral history interviews found in the collection. The other materials were acquired through donations between 1987-1989.

The photocopied addresses, interviews, and press releases were originally created between 1969-1972 while Meir was prime minister.

The photocopied correspondence is usually with friends and admirers, thanking Meir and communicating their support for her. There are two folders of reproduced materials originally created by Ms. Lou Kadar, Meir's secretary, containing supportive letters to Meir, and recollections of her life.

There is a recording and transcript of Meir's interview with Mitchell Kraus on 18 July, 1972, concerning her recollections of Jacob Blaustein. The original materials are part of the Jacob Blaustein Oral History Project, located in the American Jewish Committee's William E. Wiener Oral History Library.

The Israel Radio Catalog of materials on Golda Meir (from the Israeli State Archives) is completely in Hebrew.

The collection contains newsclippings, many in Hebrew, from the Jerusalem Post (1957-1983), the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle (1973-1974), and numerous other papers (1947-1984) about Meir.

The photographs, mostly copies from Israeli archives and the government press office, are of Meir throughout her life, historic Jewish individuals, and the Milwaukee Jewish community.

Meir's student records include a recommendation from Richard Krug, principal of North Division High School, for admission to the Milwaukee Normal School, and a transcript from the latter.

The audio materials are cassette tapes except for one VHS videotape. Most of the audio materials are oral history interviews conducted by Geraldine Stern in 1981 and William Moritz in 1987. The interviewees include Yitzhak Rabin and Lou Kadar. Except for Sara Rahaby, the interviewees did not sign release forms, so they remain the holders of copyright.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Golda Meir was born in Kiev, Russia on May 3, 1898 to Moshe Yitzhak and Bluma (Neiditch) Mabovitch. Golda was one of eight children, four boys and four girls. Five siblings died in childhood; Golda, Sheyne and Zipka were the only three to survive to adulthood.

In 1903 Golda's father left for the United States; the rest of the family moved to Pinsk to live with Golda's mother's family. Golda's father settled for a while in New York City, but relocated to Milwaukee in 1905 with the help of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

In 1906 the rest of the family came to the United States and settled with Golda's father in Milwaukee. Golda attended the Fourth Street Grade School in Milwaukee and graduated in 1912 and was valedictorian of her class. In the autumn of 1912 she started North Division High School, but because she felt persecuted by her parents’ opposition to her going to high school she ran away to Denver to join her sister, who was there taking a cure at a tuberculosis sanatorium. She did not return to Milwaukee until late 1914 or early 1915, at which time she re-entered North Division. She graduated in 1916. In 1916 she entered the Wisconsin State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) to prepare for a career in teaching. She attended only one year, during which she was vice-president of her class.

In 1917, Golda took a position at a Yiddish-speaking Folks Schule. While at the Folks Schule, she came more closely into contact with the ideals of Labor Zionism. In 1913, she began dating Morris Meyerson; they married on December 24, 1917. She did not Hebraicize her name to Meir until 1956, when she did so at the urging of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion at the time she was appointed Foreign Minister.

Golda was a committed Labor Zionist, and Morris was a dedicated socialist. Together, they left their jobs and moved to Palestine, where they lived at Kibbutz Merhaviah from 1921 to 1923. They later moved to Tel Aviv, where their son Menachem was born in 1924. In 1924 also the family moved to Jerusalem, where her daughter Sarah was born in 1926. Golda gradually became more involved with the Zionist movement. At the end of World War II, she took part in the negotiations with the British that resulted in the creation of the state of Israel.

In 1948 she was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

In 1948 she was appointed Minister to the Soviet Union, a post she held until 1949.

In 1949 she was appointed the first Minister of Labor in the first cabinet of the new state of Israel. She held this post until 1956, when she was appointed Foreign Minister. She held this portfolio until 1965. Among her achievements as Foreign Minister was the establishment of good relations and launching of aid programs for emerging African nations.

In 1965 she became Secretary-General of Mapai, the dominant political party in Israel at the time.

On 26 February 1969, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol died of a heart attack, at which time many members of the Knesset asked Golda to return to politics. She became prime minister of Israel with the Labor Party's support. Meir's greatest crisis came during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. While prime minister, she spent much of her time developing support for Israel by meeting with western leaders. In 1974, the Labor coalition broke up, and Meir left office. She died four years later.

ACQUISITION: The Golda Meir Library acquired or collected the materials in several accessions between 1987 and 1989. Many of the records were acquired through the generous assistance of Elmer Winter, a prominent member of the Milwaukee Jewish community. The Israeli consulate provided tapes 24-26. Etta Ottenstein donated one photograph of Golda Meir to the collection in May 2003. Joan Seiger donated additional material in April 2006 (2005-054).

PROCESSING: Tim Spindler and Mark A. Vargas processed the collection at the Archives in December 1991-February 1992. Ryan Claringbole processed accession 2005-054 in June 2006.

RELATED RESOURCE: Selections from this collection are included in the UWM Libraries' digital collection, Picturing Golda Meir: Photographs from the Collection at the UWM Libraries, at http://www.uwm.edu/Library/digilib/Golda/index.html.

OCLC AND RLIN SEARCH: In July 1992, a search in the national RLIN and OCLC databases for other Golda Meir materials revealed that the following manuscript collections were available at other repositories:

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Countries collection: Palestine files, [ca. 1914]-1950.
7.1 cubic ft.
NYNE586-672-0011
LOCATION: American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Archives

Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America.
Annual conventions, 1914-1971.
19 linear ft.
NYNE589-900-0006
LOCATION: Hadassah, Archives

Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America.
Films, [ca. 1945-1982].
ca. 40 items
NYNE589-900-0008
LOCATION: Hadassah, Archives

Jewish Museum (New York, N.Y.). National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting.
Audio and video tapes and records, [ca. 1930-1985].
ca. 1,300 items
LOCATION: Jewish Museum, National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting

Jewison, Norman, 1927- .
Papers, 1968-1978.
14.4 cubic ft.
U.S. Mss 122AN
LOCATION: State Historical Society of Wisconsin

Lerner, Max, 1902- .
Max Lerner papers, 1927-1980 (inclusive).
46 linear ft.
LOCATION: Yale University, Sterling Memorial Library, Manuscripts and Archives

Pinski, David, 1872-1959.
Papers, 1893-1949.
12 linear ft.
NYNE595-700-0204
LOCATION: YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

Reid, Ogden Rogers, 1925- .
Ogden Rogers Reid papers, 1925-1982 (inclusive).
315 linear ft.
Film HM 82 (I820) and Film HM 215 (I973)
LOCATION: Yale University, Sterling Memorial Library, Manuscripts and Archives

S., Gabrielle, 1914- .
Gabrielle S. Holocaust testimony [1984].
1 videorecording
LOCATION: Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies at Yale

Swet, Gerson, 1893-1968.
Papers, [ca. 1916]-1966.
.4 cubic ft.
NYNE590-680-0112
LOCATION: Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Turkel, David H.
Papers, [ca. 1920]-1976.
2 linear ft.
NYNE586-105-0051
LOCATION: Jewish Museum, National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting

Weill, Erna, 1904- .
Erna Weill papers, [ca. 1934-1983].
.2 linear ft.
LOCATION: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
YIVO New York collection of letters, [ca. 1800-1979].
6.2 linear ft.
NYNE595-700-0107
LOCATION: YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

• Israel--History--Sources.
• Jerusalem Post.
• Meir, Golda, 1898-1978.
• Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
• Winter, Elmer L.

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Last edited on Friday, November 10, 2006.
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