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In February 2024, life-size bronze statues of Paula and David Ben-Gurion, sculpted by Shira Zelwer, were unveiled outside Ben-Gurion House on Ben-Gurion Boulevard in Tel Aviv
Paula Ben-Gurion Explained
Paula Ben-Gurion (née Munweis) (he|פולה בן-גוריון; 8 April 1892[2][3] - 29 January 1968) was the wife of David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
Biography
Paula Munweis was born in Minsk, then part of the Russian Empire, the daughter of Samuel Munweis and Bertha Bloch.
A feisty woman, she had no qualms about asking her husband to wash the dishes. She was trained as a nurse at Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey and worked in a New York gynaecological clinic.[4][5] David Ben-Gurion met her at the home of her employer and Poale Zion supporter Dr Samuel Ellsberg in summer of 1915. Ben-Gurion credited her influence in tempering his decisions, but her core outlook retained anarchist undertones, emphasizing individual freedom over institutional power.[15] She expressed secular disdain for religious authority, once telling a visiting rabbi, "I hate rabbis, they are all hypocrites," reflecting a broader rejection of clerical influence in politics.[29]Throughout her life in Israel, Paula Ben-Gurion's views evolved to tacit endorsement of the state's socialist framework, as evidenced by her endurance of pioneer hardships and family life amid political turmoil, yet she never fully embraced fervent Zionism.
The Enduring Community: The Jews of Newark and Metrowest. David's immersion in crisis management, including clandestine meetings and negotiations, led to prolonged absences, prompting Paula to voice frustrations in private correspondence about the personal costs of his dedication to Zionism. Residing in Tel Aviv, Paula Ben-Gurion shouldered primary responsibility for their three children—Geula, Amos, and Renana—while David Ben-Gurion, serving as secretary-general of the Histadrut labor federation from 1921, focused on organizing Jewish self-defense through the Haganah and advancing Zionist political objectives.
This unwavering personal support contributed to David's ability to lead the Yishuv through escalating tensions toward the end of the Mandate in 1948.[3][26]
Family Dynamics Amid Political Turmoil
During the British Mandate over Palestine, the Ben-Gurion family endured the impacts of escalating intercommunal violence, including the 1929 riots that killed 133 Jews and injured hundreds more across the region.Alon .
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David Ben Gurion met her at the home of his friend, Samuel Bonchek on a visit to New York City. Bernard . She had no interest in Israel. She was bemused by her husband's interest in yoga and when his tutor, the famous Moshé Feldenkrais would show up she would say: "Here comes Mr. Hocus Pocus."Paula is buried with her husband at the Ben-Gurion Tomb National Park in Midreshet Ben-Gurion in Israel's Negev desert.
In 1958, David Ben-Gurion published his letters to her: Letters to Paula and the Children.
Legacy and commemoration
A number of schools and institutions in Israel are named for her.
He left Paula three months pregnant. She supported David's escalating responsibilities—coordinating illegal immigration amid British restrictions and preparing for potential conflict—by maintaining domestic order and offering emotional resilience amid reports of the Holocaust's devastation reaching Palestine by the early 1940s.[3][26]Throughout the period, Paula accompanied David to public appearances and private meetings, serving as a constant companion that bolstered his political endeavors in the face of Mandate-era constraints like the 1939 White Paper limiting Jewish immigration and land purchases.
Their letters from this period reveal mutual dependence, with David acknowledging her sacrifices yet defending his commitments, underscoring how political turmoil both tested and tempered their bond.[19]
Role in Israeli Statehood
Backing Ben-Gurion's Leadership
Paula Ben-Gurion provided essential domestic and emotional support to David Ben-Gurion during his premierships from 1948 to 1953 and 1955 to 1963, managing household affairs to enable his undivided focus on state governance.She was bemused by her husband's interest in yoga and when his tutor, the famous Moshé Feldenkrais would show up she would say: "Here comes Mr. Hocus Pocus."
Ben-Gurion published a book for her: Letters to Paula and the Children in 1958. "America is better, why do we need the land of Israel?"[9] They had three children, Geula, Amos and Renana.
The Ben-Gurion household reflected this austerity, with David prioritizing Histadrut labor organizing over personal comforts, leaving Paula to manage domestic survival amid frequent shortages.Security threats intensified these hardships, as Arab-Jewish tensions erupted in the 1920 Nebi Musa riots and 1921 Jaffa disturbances, displacing residents and claiming dozens of Jewish lives in the very port city where they resided.[15] Despite such volatility, Paula supported the family's Zionist commitment by maintaining stability at home, enabling David's immersion in building Jewish self-reliance through worker cooperatives and defense preparations.
Postal . 25 July 2016 .
Paula was raised in the United States and was known for her acerbic tongue. She handled cooking and shopping for the family and visiting delegations, often preparing meals in a modest kitchen dinette while David occasionally assisted with dishes.[14]Her devotion extended to shielding David from daily distractions, such as rarely stepping away from the telephone during his absences and delivering coffee via Thermos to late-night Knesset sessions.
Throughout their marriage she had to endure Ben-Gurion's long absences abroad and recurring suspicions, sometimes justified, about his relationships with other women.[10] She was known for her acerbic tongue.