“It was in Denver that my real education began.”
She only spent a little more than a year in Denver, sharing a small duplex with her sister and her sister’s family.
Born in Kiev Russia in 1898, and what is now Kiev Ukraine, her family fled to the United States to escape religious persecution. They settled in Milwaukee where Golda excelled at the local school. But her parents were interested in arranging a marriage for their “bookish“ daughter. Golda wanted to continue her education. She settled the disagreement by running away to Denver to live with her sister.
Located on what is now the Auraria campus, Golda moved into her sister’s small duplex on Julian street. That same duplex has been moved and repaired and is now a museum located on the Auraria campus.
Golda attended North High School and helped at her brother in law’s dry cleaners. Golda’s sister Sheyna and husband Sam Korngold hosted intellectual evenings, with lively and often heated discussion on women’s suffrage, Zionism, trade unions, and literature. It was during one of those evenings that Golda met Morris Meyerson, her future husband. Meyerson had strong socialist beliefs and often debated those beliefs with anyone who would listen. Golda and Morris were determined to marry and emigrate to Palestine. However Golda reconciled with her parents and returned to Milwaukee to attend a teachers college. In 1917 Golda became a naturalized citizen of the United States, and married Morris.
At the conclusion of World War I, the couple settled in a kibbutz in Palestine and raised a family.
Golda became a political activist, working tirelessly for Palestine independence. She rose through the ranks of officials, rising to become a spokesperson negotiating with Great Britian to help with the creation of the Israeli nation. She was foreign minister of Israel during the Suez Crisis and served as Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974. She worked for a peaceful, diplomatic settlement of the Mideast situation, but during her term of office, the 1972 Olympics were marred by the killing of Israeli athletes by terrorists.
She was the only female head of state for Israel, the first female head of state in the volatile Mideast region, and only the fourth female head of state in the world. Known as the Iron lady of Israeli politics, her influence contributed to the rise of influential women throughout the world.
The Golda Meir house and museum is located on the Auraria campus in Downtown Denver and is a source of information and inspiration to all. Watch the 4 minute YouTube Video about the House and Museum HERE.
Thanks to Encyclopedia Brittanica, The Golda Meir House, Denver
Written by Mary Beth Watkins
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