Location: Golda Meir Square, Manhattan, New York
Artist: Beatrice Goldfine
Golda Meir (born Golda Mabovitch) was an Israeli politician, teacher and kibbutznikit who served as the forth prime minister of Israel from 1969 until 1974. She was the first woman and still to this day to become head of government in Israel. She has lovingly been described as the "Iron Lady" of Israeli politics and the impact she made during her time has been immeasurable.
Born in Kyiv in the Russian Empire, she immigrated to Wisconsin, United States. as a child with her family in 1906, and was educated there, becoming a teacher. After getting married, she and her husband emigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1921, settling on a kibbutz. Meir was elected prime minister of Israel on 17 March 1969, after serving as labour minister and foreign minister. The world's fourth and Israel's only woman to hold the office of prime minister, and the first in any country in the Middle East, she has been described as the "Iron Lady" of Israeli Politics.
Meir was Prime Minister during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Israel was caught off guard and suffered severe losses in the first days of the war, before recovering and defeating the invading armies. Public anger at the government caused Meir's resignation the following year. She died in 1978 of Lymphona.
"Whether women are better than men - I cannot say but I can say that they are certainly not worse" - Golda Meir
There are hundreds of statues in New York City. But once you remove the ones in which female figures represent liberty and freedom, just 5 sculptures depict actual historical women. Golda Meir (1898-1978), was an Israeli teacher, stateswoman, politician and the first female Prime Minister of Israel to date. She is also the first female head of state to oversee the development of a nuclear weapons program.
The bust of Meir, by artist Beatrice Goldfine, was dedicated on October 3, 1984 at the southern end of a triangle plaza on Broadway. The bronze bust rests on a pink granite pedestal and measure a total of six and a half feet tall. Her stoic and serious expression is apparent as Goldfine apparently knew Meir personally.
