Golda Meir: Israel’s Matriarch

by Deborah E. Lipstadt

A balanced biography of Golda Meir, who was both adored and abhorred, from award-winning author Deborah E. Lipstadt
 
“Comprehensive. . . . Always thoughtful. . . . A nuanced account of a leader whose influence endures in the Middle East.”— Kirkus Review
 
Golda Meir (1898–1978) was the first and only woman to serve as prime minister of Israel. She was born in Kiev into a childhood of poverty, hunger, and antisemitism. When she was five, her father left to find work in America, and a year later the family settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a teenager she became devoted to Labor Zionism, giving street-corner speeches, and her family’s home became a destination for Zionist emissaries. Her love for Labor Zionism was so fervent that her boyfriend, Morris Meyerson (her future husband), was often in competition with her dedication to the cause.
 
Zionism prevailed. In 1921, Golda left America for Palestine with Morris and her sister Sheyna. Though the reality of living in Palestine was far from the dream of Zionism, Meir settled on the kibbutz Merhavia and was swiftly appointed to the Histadrut (the General Organization of Hebrew Workers in Palestine). As an ally of the Zionist David Ben-Gurion, Meir played an important role in the Yishuv, the pre-state Jewish community in Palestine; proved an almost singular ability to connect and fundraise with diaspora Jewry, particularly Americans; and served in three pivotal positions following Israel’s labor secretary of the newly formed state, foreign minister, and Israel’s fourth prime minister.
 
In tracing the life of Golda Meir, acclaimed author Deborah E. Lipstadt explores the history of the Yishuv and Jewish state from the 1920s through the 1973 Yom Kippur War, all while highlighting the contradictions and complexities of a person who was only the third woman to serve as a head of state in the twentieth century.

Genres: History, Biography, Israel, Nonfiction, Politics, Judaica, Judaism

288 pages, Hardcover

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

Deborah Esther Lipstadt is an American historian and diplomat, best known as author of the books Denying the Holocaust (1993), History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier (2005), The Eichmann Trial (2011), and Antisemitism: Here and Now (2019). She has served as the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism since May 3, 2022. Since 1993 she has been the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, US.

Lipstadt was a consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. In 1994, President of the United States Bill Clinton appointed her to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and she served two terms. On July 30, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated her to be the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. She was confirmed by voice-vote on March 30, 2022, and sworn in on May 3, 2022. Lipstadt was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and balanced book about one of Israel’s most iconic leaders.

[Caren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lipstadt’s meticulously researched biography is guided by her probing question: “Who then, was the real Golda Meir?” Profiling the iconic Israeli figure from her childhood in Russia to her formative years in America, then on to her life in Israel from the pre-state Yishuv to her retirement as Prime Minister some five decades later, Lipstadt presents a comprehensive study of both the successes and failures of this remarkable woman. What is most clear in this intense discussion is the “central fiber(sic)” of Meir’s life: her total devotion to the Zionist dream realized in a socialist context”. Lipstadt sees this “unwavering, uncritical, and blinding love” as perhaps the root of her “greatest successes and her most significant failures.”

What intrigued me particularly was the analysis of her lesser-known conflict with feminists and her initial failure to accept the Mizrachi immigrant(North African) community as equals to the majority Ashkenazy population, a division/prejudice that would continue to plague Israeli society into the future. Meir’s relationships within her own political party and with her opponents, her years of sharing the dream with Ben-Gurion, and her closeness to American Jewry were detailed throughout the book with a focus on her strengths as well as her weaknesses as perceived by both the Israeli and international communities.

The reader finishes the book with a more intimate portrait of Meir, provided by the astute analysis of Lipstadt and her presentation of “Israel’s Matriarch” as perceived by both her admirers and critics.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was superb, particularly about the yishuv period between the two world wars when many of the first great generation of Jewish leaders made their way to what became Israel. The author is right: American Jews worshipped her. I was stunned to read that she was and is a controversial figure in Israel! I also tend to agree with the author that many of the complaints about her wouldn’t have been raised about a man! It does sounds to me that some of the criticism was correct about the Yom Kippur War in 1972: that the military was arrogant and told her not to worry about war. She listened to her advisers who were wrong. She also brought Israel successfully out of that war! We will see if Netanyahu, who I suspect Golda would have despised, can do the same. This is more of a 4.5 than 5 star title. There is much more I’d have like to have known. However, as the subtitle should make clear, this was a primarily political oriented biography, rather than an extensive biography of Golda. Perhaps I’ll add that to my goals for the year: more information about the history of modern Israel! Definitely recommend!!!!

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was maybe more detail than I bargained for - Having seen the recent film Golda I was looking for some background information on her as I knew very little about her. I was interested to learn that she spent some of her teenage years living in Milwaukee with her family. I got bogged down with the number of names of people in some of the later chapters. It was I think a fairly balanced book - it addressed both her flaws and her successes. And it is pointed out that a lot of the criticism leveled at her would not have been leveled at a man. Something to think about. A remarkable woman to accomplish all that she did and she seems to have had a real gift for public speaking, often speaking without notes.

[Donna Pfeiffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot more about the beginnings of Israel as a country and this controversial, yet strong woman. She was born in Russia at the time of the cruel Cossack reign, probably resulting in giving her the impotence to crusade courageously for her people. She not only fought and accomplished huge milestones for the establishment of the country of Israel, but also achieved these accomplishments as a woman in a man's world. Sad to see that not much has changed regarding the world's acceptance of the Jewish people throughout history.
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[Anna Finer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book! Very informative and interesting, as well as easy to follow. Would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about Israel’s foundations and influential leaders.

[Claudette Germain · Rating 5 out of 5]

You get to know the iconic Israel figure, primarily a political oriented biography. Strong woman with many accomplishments in a man’s world. Informative and interesting read.

[Helga Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lipstadt wrote a nuanced approach of a woman that was adored and abhorred. She was a leader who greatly influenced Israel during its inception. She was born in Kiev into poverty. Her family left to find work in America and settled in Milwaukee, Wi. She became interested in Zionism at an early age. In 1921, she moved to Palestine with Morris Meyerson, her husband and sister, Sheyna. She settled in a Kibbutz and became involved with Zionist, David Ben Gurion and played an important role in the Yishuv (pre-Israel community in Palestine). She connected with diaspora American Jewry and served as labor secretary of the newly formed state, foreign minister, and Israel’s 4th Prime Minister.

Lipstadt portrays, Golda Meir as a true pivotal figure in Israel. She was pragmatic and sometimes an inflexible leader but devoted to the Zionist mission. She was a gifted orator, negotiator, pragmatic and devoted to Zionism. She is described as a leader whose influence endured in the Middle East and led the country through the Yom Kippur War where many Israelis were killed. She retired after the War.

Lipstadt provided an enlightening view of Golda Meir, of a Prime Minister of Israel with an insight of this remarkable complex woman with attention to her as a woman and devoted to Israel and Zionism.

[Corie Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written! Gives a very good and unbiased history of Golda Meir. Deborah Lipstadt gave great, easy to understand, historical context when describing Golda's life, which influenced her and her decision making. Highly recommend for everyone to read!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, fine, I'll return this to the library since it's overdue, even though I didn't finish it. Far enough to know, though, that it's not my favorite Golda Meir biography. I guess I'm a Golda scholar now, as I've read two extremely vast other biographies about her in full-- those were the Elinor Burkett (my favorite) and Francine Klagsbrun (best in audio award goes to). I decided to read this one solely because an actually flattering photo of Golda was chosen for the cover, which is hard to come by. I was intrigued about what an author who would choose this photo would have to say.

At first, I thought it wasn't covering any new ground, and not giving any more detail than the biopic film, A Woman Called Golda, absurdly cast with Ingrid Bergman in "ugly makeup." But, I've determined that this book has its place among the Goldas, in that it's by far the slimmest volume ever; and it sort of orbits around a specific thesis related to Golda's place in feminist history and how she was scrutinized for her parenting and "womanly" duties while trying to balance her career as a literal founder of a nation (she was kinda busy).

Ultimately, I didn't like the authoritativeness with which the author proclaims at face value that Golda had romantic affairs with multiple certain individuals, without providing evidence to back that up. Francine Klagsbrun, who also went into great detail about this, also somehow failed to provide evidence. Maybe it's true, and maybe these biographers know it's true from poring through primary source materials, but if so, they haven't shared those with us. Klagsbrun's whole basis for it was letters in which Golda's close male colleagues and friends wrote very affectionately to her, completely ignoring that that was how people spoke to each other in writing during the time period. Neither biographer ever tells of a time when Golda said she had a romantic affair with these people, or when they said they did with her, or any witnesses to so much as one kiss. And the thing is, I'm not interested in that. That's why, in addition to Elinor Burkett's biography being the most readable and rivetingly written, it also doesn't speculate on that topic--instead focusing on what mattered. This book also gets a little bit dry and puts you to sleep, in spite of being so succinct in length. I'm on the fence as to why we needed this additional Golda biography. Hell, Klagsbrun's is the hugest of all of them in scope and research, and it was only published six years ago. But, if you don't have a lot of time to read about Golda, but have a little more time than the movie, you don't need a forklift for this one. I suppose it also, in contrast to all the others, tries to be just about her personally rather than also about the entire history of Israel. But you see, the trouble and the whole point is that you cannot separate the two.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and concise biography. One thing I love about the Jewish people, though I don't think it's exclusive to us, is the ability to confront the bad with the good. Perhaps this stems from our own Torah, where even the 'righteous' are often fully realized people who aren't perfect and do bad--we don't have a religious foundation based on perfectionism in character, so it's easier for us to discuss the bad with the good without expecting complete disregard for a person if they show the slightest complexity.
Golda Meir, in Deborah E. Lipstadt's biography, was a highly complex person. I enjoyed reading about her, and felt some kinship in her, in that she chose her own path in life despite those around her who attempted to set her goals. But she was also deeply problematic in other aspects--her thoughts that Palestinian Arabs were not an actual people, racist tendencies towards the Mizrahi Jews, and even authoritative actions towards those in her life and cabinet. But she also was powerfully devoted to the Jewish people. She forced the new Israeli government to make paid maternity leave law even in 1948 (one of the first countries ever), even though she was highly critical of feminism and women. She demanded social security be implemented even as the state struggled with finances, but she also believe that Mizrahi (Arab/North African Jews) didn't need any special considerations (despite her being the one who demanded the Israeli government to allow them to immigrate without limitations in the 1950s). She was the first woman elected democratically to lead a country, even though her term as Prime Minister was full of uncompromising decisions.
In short, she was a fully realized person. With great successes and disappointing failures. And I enjoyed being able to be presented with a full picture of someone who is often larger than life.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my rabbi mentioned this biography in his Kol Nidre sermon about the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war, I went home and started reading it. I learned many new things about the years leading up to the creation of the state! In combination with Arc of a Covenant (see below), this book has given me a much more fleshed-out picture of that time. Always a fan of Deborah Lipstadt, I appreciate her balanced portrayal of one of Israel’s formative Labor Zionists and the few instances when she injected humor into her text. Not necessarily the best wife and mother, Meir built her own future with almost no support and with most people underestimating her. She was instrumental in building the social infrastructure of the state, as well as uniquely talented in connecting with American Jews to invoke a sense of shared responsibility. I enjoyed reading about the different perceptions that Israelis held about her, as well as their list of criticisms. Ultimately, she lived by her values and beliefs and spoke truth to power, and Lipstadt wonders in her Epilogue whether a man with her talents would have faced the same criticisms.

“Golda built her career on a synthesis of a variety of impulses: the fears she internalized in Russia, the unique life lessons she encountered in America, her profound sense of Jewish impotence during the Holocaust, her deep-seated conviction that Arabs want to deny Israel the right to exist, and her sense of betrayal by foreigners, whom she perceived as being ready to generously tell Israel what to do while being unwilling to help it at critical moments. Ultimately, all these strains were wound around a central fiber: her total devotion to the Zionist dream realized in a socialist context. For Golda, Zionism, socialism, and the equality that she fervently believed was embedded therein remained the foundations of her life.“

You can read more of my reviews here:
https://www.poeticaperture.com/2023/0...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Golda Meir: Israel’s Matriarch by Deborah E. Lipstadt. I am the big fan of Deborah Libstadt's writing, and when faced with a choice of reading this book, of 250 or so pages compared to Gol'da Meirs own memoir, either approaching or over 1000 pages, the choice was obvious. It is refreshing to read a book about a much admired historical figure that is decidedly neutral and is hagiography. The subject was a flawed human being and the book is not perfect either.

First my quibbles. The book contained few of Golda Meir's noteworthy quotes. Her quotes and sayings were a large part of her legacy to the world. That is one of the reasons I give the book a 4 rather than a 5. That being said, this book contains much in the way of new information about the founding of Israel and the lead up to Israel's creation that I did not know. I read voraciously about Israel because I'm proud of my Jewish Heritage. I had previously read biographies of David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin, and the autobiography of Moshe Dayan. I was afraid there would not be very much new and I was surprised.

A word about this author. Professor Lipstad specializes in the study of Holocaust denial. She wrote a creditable and recommended work outside of her field of particular expertise.

[Valeri Drach · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a 1962 meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meir, President Kennedy said, “I understand, Mrs. Meir. Don’t worry . Nothing will happen to Israel.” Meir had just said to him, “If we should lose our sovereignty again, those of us who would remain alive—and there wouldn’t be very many—would be dispersed once more. But we no longer have that great reservoir we once had of our religion, our culture and our faith.” After losing 6,000,000 Jews in places and cultures where they once thought they could thrive the Meir who would become Prime Minister in 1969, knew the survivors needed a country. She fought before there was a nation , with Britain, during WWIi to allow refugees to be let in to Palestine to blunt ears. This is an excellent biography about a brave, relentless woman who wanted to save her people. She knew when to compromise with world leaders and when to hang tough. Her leadership is missed especially this very day in history.

[Karen Shilvock-Cinefro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books on famous people tend to put them on a pedestal. This book, however, is well researched and appears to be an honest and open presentation. It is very important to read history and biographies as they bring in a perspective of current events and even future thoughts. This book in particular can greatly be associated with what has been happening now, as with the attack in Israel in the anniversary of the Yom Kipper War. If you are interested in the Middle East and the Israel conflict I recommend this read.

[Simon Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very balanced. Golda was amazing at building the state, but had her weaknesses. Conflicted about not being a good wife and mother. Ambitious but not wanting to appear so. Incredible ability to connect to an audience, but also capable of being very cold and nasty. Undeniably an incredibly able and committed Zionist and socialist.

[Stephanie Davis-novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good biography if you’re not looking for a really detailed account or don’t have time for something more in-depth. And I say that not as a put-down by any means - not everyone has the time or interest for an exhaustive portrait, and that was not Lipstadt’s goal anyway. But if you are looking for that detail, I’d recommend Francine Klagsbrun’s biography.

[Sylvia Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tough look at Golda’s life using previous biographies and primary sources. Lipstadt examines Golda’s actions in light of her critics and supporters. She creates a more lively persona in the early chapters and is more discursive in her descriptions of Golda’s political career. I thought she punctured some myths and left the reader with both admiration and questions. A good read.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting lens to view the history of Israel through.
The contrast between the progressiveness of kibbutzs contrasted with her later antifeminism and discrimination against Mizrahi Jews and Arabs was striking and felt timely.
An impressive amount of energy

[Erit Yellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and studied quite a bit on Golda Meir and this is by far the best book on her. So fair and just. I want to get a copy for everyone I know!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely engaging history of Golda Meir within the context of the history of Israel - and all of the political and international implications. Deborah Lipstadt is a master of history and writing.

[Cameron Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there had been more about the Yom Kippur War than just 5 pages.

[Claude Vecht-Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written biography.

[K L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable, interesting account of a remarkable woman.

[NovelShongololo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that strives to present a balanced narrative and assists in contextualising some key moments from Golda's autobiography.

[Angela Natenzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I learned so much about this powerful woman!!

[Tyler J Hinds · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.6