Summary Information
Golda Meir Collection
1904-1987
UWM Manuscript Collection 21
- 4 cubic ft. (9 boxes, including 26 audio cassettes, 2 mini-cassettes, and 1 videocassette)
- 32 safety film negatives
- 1 portrait painting
- 156 digital files (33 GB)
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)
The collection consists largely of reproduced correspondence,
press releases, photographs, and speeches pertaining to Golda Meir's political life,
primarily from 1955 to 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.
English, Hebrew
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-mil-uwmmss0021 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
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.
Scope and Content Note
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 photocopied
transcript from the latter.
Most of the audio cassettes 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.
Arrangement of the Materials
The files are organized alphabetically by subject, then chronologically.
Preferred Citation
Citation Guide for Primary Sources
Alternate Format
Selections from this collection are included in the UWM Libraries' digital collection,
Picturing Golda Meir: Photographs from the Collection at the UWM
Libraries.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Researchers must use digital access copies for the audio records which have been
digitized. There are no other access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is
open to all members of the public in accordance with state law.
Meir's student records are open in accordance with a letter of authorization from the UWM
Office of Legal Affairs.
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).
Oral history interviewees, except Sara Rahaby, remain the holders of copyright to their
recollections.
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.
Oral History Interviews of the Golda Meir History Project were recorded in Jerusalem,
presumably with the assistance of Elmer Winter, and donated to the UWM Libraries in April
1981.
Etta Ottenstein donated one photograph of Golda Meir to the collection in May 2003.
Joan Seiger donated the painting of Golda Meir by Morris Bronzweig in March 2006
(2005-054).
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.
In October 2011, Heather Hoff removed 32 safety film negatives and placed them with other
safety film negatives. In May 2015, Christel Maass separated two mini-cassettes from
accession 2000-037 and added them to this collection.
George Blood L.P digitized the audio cassette recordings in August 2015. Audio
preservation master files were created as 96 kHz/24-bit resolution 2 channel broadcast
.wav files. Audio access copies were created as 44 kHz/192 kbps bit rate 2 channel .mp3
files.
Contents List
|
Addresses, Interviews, and Press Releases
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
1969 February-April
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
1969 May-July
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3
|
1969 August-September
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
4
|
1969 October
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
5
|
1969 November
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
6
|
1969 December
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
1
|
1970 January-March
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
2
|
1970 April-June
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
3
|
1970 July-September
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
4
|
1970 October-November
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
5
|
1970 December
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
6
|
1971 January-April
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|
|
Box
3
Folder
1
|
1971 May-August
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
2
|
1971 September-October
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
1972 January-April
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
4
|
1972 May-August
|
|
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Box
3
Folder
5
|
1972 September-October
|
|
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Box
3
Folder
6
|
1972 November-December
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
25
|
Addresses to Knesset, Speeches, and Interviews of Meir (including Meir at a
dinner for foreign correspondents in London, Meir at the Knesset during a discussion on
Soviet Jewry, a broadcast from the U.S., children of Milwaukee receiving Meir, interview
on American TV, interview on Norwegian TV)
Audio cassette
|
|
|
Aynor, Hanan, Interview, 1987 August 31
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
7
|
Audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital file (27 min., 23 sec.; 31 min., 34 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
9
Video
1
|
Behold Golda! An Exhibition On The Life Of Golda
Meir, undated
Videocassette (VHS)
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
1-3
|
Biographical Materials
|
|
|
Meir, Golda, Interview, 1972 July 18
: Blaustein, Jacob, Oral History Project
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
1
|
Audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
1 digital file (35 min., 17 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
4
|
Blaustein, Jacob, Oral History Project, Transcript
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
2
|
Council of Jewish Federations, General Assembly, 1977
Audio cassette
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
5-6
|
Correspondence, 1946-1978
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
7
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Death Notices and Articles, 1978
|
|
|
Dinitz, Simcha, Interview, 1987 September 3
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
9
|
Audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (28 min., 31 sec.; 15 min., 40 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
8
|
Golda The Life of Israel's Prime Minister, by
Peggy Mann, inscribed to Elmer Winter, 1989
|
|
|
Hamburger-Medzini, Regina and Lou Kadar, Interview, 1987 September
3
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
12
|
Audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (31 min., 34 sec.; 24 min., 27 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
1
|
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
8
|
Israel Radio Materials on Golda Meir, 1948-1949, 1956-1978
|
|
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Israeli Government Press Office, Photographs
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
2
|
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
3
|
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
4
|
|
|
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Jerusalem Post Newsclippings
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
9
|
1957 July-1959 December
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
10
|
1960 January-1962 December
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
11
|
1963 January-1965 December
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|
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Box
4
Folder
12
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1966 January-1968 November
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
1
|
1972 September-1973 March
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|
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Box
5
Folder
2
|
1973 April-October
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
3
|
1973 November-1974 April
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
4
|
1974 May-1975 December
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
5
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1976 January-1983 July
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
5
|
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
6
|
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
6
|
Kadar, Ms. Lou, 1949-1978
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
7
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Kadar, Ms. Lou, Remembering Golda Meir, 1979-1981
|
|
|
Medzini, Dr., Interview, 1987 August 27, September 1
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
18
|
Audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (24 min., 36 sec.; 28 min., 17 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
15
|
Medzini, Dr., Keynote Lecture, Golda Meir 25th Anniversary Commemoration, 2003
December 10
|
|
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Medzini, Mrs. Regina
|
|
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Interview with Elmer Winter, 1979
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
27-28
|
2 mini-cassettes
: The original mini-cassettes are restricted; users must use digital files available
in the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
3 digital files (15 min., 8 sec.; 14 min., 14 sec.; 15 min., 32 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
8
|
Transcript of Interivew by Elmer Winter, 1979
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
9
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Miscellaneous, undated
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
10
|
Na'amat USA, 1933-1978
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
7
|
|
|
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35 mm Safety Film Box
2
|
Negatives, undated
35 mm safety film negatives
|
|
|
4 x 5 Safety Film Box
1
|
Negatives, undated
4" x 5" safety film negatives
|
|
|
8 x 10 Safety Film Box
1
|
Negatives, undated
8" x 10" safety film negatives
|
|
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Newspaper and Periodical Clippings
|
|
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Box
5
Folder
11
|
1947-1965
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
1
|
1966-1969
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
2
|
1970-1973
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
3
|
1974-1987
|
|
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Oral History Interviews of the Golda Meir History Project, 1981
14 audio cassettes
: The original audio cassettes are restricted; users must use digital files available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Aloni, Shulamit, 1981 March 9
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
3
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
1 digital file (23 min., 46 sec.)
|
|
|
Avidar, General Josef, 1981 February 25
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
4
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (29 min., 45 sec.; 30 min., 31 sec.)
|
|
|
Avner, Yehudah, 1981 March 5
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
5-6
|
2 audio cassettes
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
3 digital files (30 min., 55 sec.; 2 min., 4 sec.; 30 min., 40 sec.)
|
|
|
Dinitz, Simcha, 1981 March 2
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
8
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Eschel, Tamar, 1981 March 2
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
10
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital file (30 min., 42 sec.; 14 min., 2 sec.)
|
|
|
Hamburger-Medzini, Regina, undated
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
11
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
1 digital file (14 min., 54 sec.)
|
|
|
Harman, Abraham, undated
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
13-14
|
2 audio cassettes
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
3 digital files (25 min., 13 sec.; 2 min., 50 sec.; 10 min., 38
sec.)
|
|
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Harman, Dr. David, 1981 February 27
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
15
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (31 min., 30 sec.; 14 min., 23 sec.)
|
|
|
Harman, Zena, 1981 March 6
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
13
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (30 min., 51 sec.; 5 min., 37 sec.)
|
|
|
Kadar, Ms. Lou, 1981 February 25
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
16
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
1 digital file (31 min., 28 sec)
|
|
|
Lambert, Anne Marie, 1981 March 4
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
17
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (30 min., 41 sec.; 2 min., 0 sec.)
|
|
|
Mizrachi, Eli, 1981 March 7
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
14
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (27 min., 42 sec.; 20 min., 7 sec.)
|
|
|
Rabin, Itzhak, 1981 March 3
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
19
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (46 min., 3 sec.; 13 min., 50 sec.)
|
|
|
Rath, Ari, 1981 March 8
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
22
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
2 digital files (30 min., 48 sec.; 14 min., 20 sec.)
|
|
|
Scherf, Zeev, 1981 March 5
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
5
|
1 audio cassette
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
1 digital file (28 min., 52 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
16
|
Painting of Golda Meir by Morris Bronzweig, 1936
1 audio cassette
|
|
|
Photographs
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
8
|
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
9
|
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
10
|
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
11
|
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
18
|
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Box
8
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
12
|
|
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Box
7
Folder
13
|
undated
: Photocopies
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
4
|
Policy Papers, 1969
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
24
|
Political Functions, Press Conferences, and Reactions to Meir's Death
(including reactions by American personalities on Meir's death, press conference with
Meir at the BBC, Meir in a TV interview answers Nasser, Meir at the assembly uniting the
Labour Party, portrait of the nominee to the Premiership, the president handing over to
Meir her letter of appointment, Meir swearing allegiance)
Audio cassette
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
5
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Press Conferences, 1957-1978
|
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Box
6
Folder
6-7
|
Press Interviews, 1957-1978
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
8
|
Publications by Golda Meir, undated
|
|
|
Rahaby, Sara, Interview, 1987 August 25
|
|
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Box
9
Audio
20-21
|
Audio cassettes
: The original audio cassette is restricted; users must use digital file available in
the Archives.
|
|
|
Electronic Folder
|
3 digital files (29 min., 7 sec.; 24 min., 34 sec.; 27 min., 33 sec.)
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
26
|
Recollections and Interviews of Meir (including interview on Norwegian TV,
interview for NBC, interview at the BBC, Meir's recollections of her father's house,
Meir on a visit to Romania)
Audio cassette
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
9-10
|
Speeches and Addresses, 1956-1974
|
|
|
Box
8
|
State of Wisconsin Proclamation Declaring Golda Meir Day,
1979
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
11
|
Student Records, 1916
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
12
|
Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, Newsclippings,
1973-1974
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
14
|
The Words and Faces of Golda Meir,
undated
Slides
|
|
|
Box
9
Audio
23
|
The Words and Faces of Golda Meir,
undated
Audio cassette
|
|
|
