The photograph shows Golda Meir, minister of Labour, giving the first maternity grant in Israel in 1954 at Hadassah Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem to new mother Rachel Mizrachi. Just several hours earlier, on that same morning of April 1, the Knesset had passed the National Insurance Law. Golda Meir is shown smiling at the new mother who is in bed with the new-born baby beside her. There is a vase of flowers on the bedside table.
On the back of the picture is the stamp of the photographer, David Rubinger, and the Hebrew handwriting gives a brief description of the picture.
Would You Like to Know More?
Golda Meir as Minister of Labour - In 1949, Golda Meir was elected to the first Knesset (Israeli Parliament) as a member of the leading Mapai party. Prime Minister Ben-Gurion invited her to be deputy prime minister. She declined and was instead appointed minister of labour. As minister of labour, Golda created large infrastructure projects (including housing) to deal with the vast number of new immigrants arriving in Israel. She was also involved in initiating social legislation such as the maternity grant and the National Insurance Law, which protected the rights of vulnerable workers.
David Rubinger - David Rubinger was a famous Israeli photographer and many of his photographs depict important events in the State of Israel. One of his most famous photographs is that of three Israeli paratroopers beside the Kotel in 1967.
Connection to the Parashat Shemot
In Parashat Shemot, the Torah details the beginnings of slavery, as well as Moses’ journey from “The Prince of Egypt” to the first person to communicate directly with God since his great-great grandfather Yaakov. At the start of the parasha (weekly Torah reading), we learn about the orders that the midwives received from Pharaoh to drown Jewish boys at birth. The midwives refused to obey and instead claimed that the Jewish mothers had all already given birth by the time they arrived.
