Top 10 Fascinating Facts about David Ben-Gurion

Prime minister David Ben Gurion. Photo by Fritz Cohen. Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about David Ben-Gurion

David Ben-Gurion was the founder of the State of Israel. He was the first prime minister of Israel who was born on October 16^th, 1886 in Pol, Russian Empire. David Ben-Gurion later died on December 1^st, 1973 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.

He had charisma to his personality that attracted masses of people who adored him. After he retired from the government and the Israeli house of representatives, David Ben-Gurion was referred to as the ‘Father of the Nation’.

David Ben-Gurion led the Jewish community to independence from the British colonial masters. Due to his straightforwardness politically, he did not gain favor with the government of the United States and Britain. He remains a key Jewish Israeli figure. Let us now look at the Top 10 Fascinating Facts about David Ben-Gurion.

1. He had a twin brother who died at birth

Ben-Gurion’s birth certificate found in Poland in 2003 indicated that he had a twin brother who died shortly after birth. David Ben-Gurion was born in Plonsk in Congress Poland. His father Avigdor Grun was an advocate who helped his clients navigate the Imperial legal system.

2. His mother died of blood poisoning

His mother was called Scheindel. His father and mother got married on 9^th April 1876 in Plonsk. She died of blood poisoning following a stillbirth in 1897. This was her eleventh pregnancy. Avigdor Grun remarried two years after the death of his wife. Scheindel Broitman was born on November 19^th, 1854 and she died on 7^th February 1898. Ben-Gurion was only 11 years old then.

3. He formed a youth club at the age of 14

David Ben Gurion greeting General Ne Win, PM of Burma, on his visit to Israel in 1959. Photo by Moshe Pridan. Wikimedia Commons.

Together with his friends, Ben-Gurion formed a youth club called Ezra. The youth club promoted Hebrew studies and emigration to the Holy Land. It ran Hebrew classes for local youths, and in 1903, the club collected funds for the victims of the Kishinev pogrom. Ezra had 150 members within a year. This was the beginning of the Zionist belief and movement in Ben-Gurion who later on led the Jews back to Palestine.

4. He was one of the leaders of the Zionist movement

The ‘Lovers of Zion’ was a movement that encouraged the oppressed Jews in Europe to return to Israel. Ben-Gurion believed that for Jews to revive Israel as a nation, they had to move to Palestine and settle as farmers. He moved to Palestine at age 20 in 1906. In Palestine, he worked as a farmer in the Jewish agricultural settlements in Galilee and areas of Palestine. Agitated by his Zionist activity, the Turkish governors of Palestine arrested Ben-Gurion and expelled him from the Ottoman Empire.

5. He was married to Pauline Munweis

Mrs. Ben-Gurion was born on April 8^th, 1892 in Minsk, Russia. David Ben-Gurion married Pauline Munweis on December 5^th, 1917.  Pauline Munweis was an American and an anarchist who was not a zionist. They met in the United States and had three children together. He however had multiple lovers. He was constantly on her husband’s side during public appearances. Love letters addressed to his lover Regina Klapholz were auctioned at the Kedem Auction House. Ben-Gurion met Regina, a 26-year-old medical student in Vienna in the 1930s. The two corresponded and met on various occasions for over four years. His wife knew about this affair.

6. He retired from all political activities in 1970

P.M. DAVID BEN GUurion landing with an army helicopter at Hatzor to visit the excavations with Dr. Yigael Yading (On his right) Mr. Shimon Perez (left).
Photo by Moshe Pridan. Wikimedia Commons.

In 1970, Ben-Gurion retired from Knesset and all political activity. He devoted himself to writing his memoirs in Sde-Boqer, a kibbutz in the Negev, southern Israel. He published many books. The books were a collection of speeches and essays. All through his life, he had engaged in research on the history of the Jewish community in Palestine and the study of the Bible.

7. He declared the independence of Israel

Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion pins the Haganah medal on the chief of staff Chaim Laskov in Jerusalem. Photo by Moshe Pridan. Wikimedia Commons.

On May 14^th, 1948, Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel. This was the last day of the British Mandate. He was the de facto leader of the Jewish people even before independence was declared. He led the state’s military operation in the 1940 Arab-Israeli war. He ordered all militias to join hands and form one national army, the Israel Defence Forces. He further ensured all weapons were handed over to the IDF.

8. He studied law in Istanbul

Invalid association members meeting with Ben Gurion to grant him the first volume of “Against the Nazi Enemy”. Photo by Ross Photo. Wikimedia Commons.

Ben-Gurion went to Thessalonika to learn Turkish in 1911. He went to Thessalonika because it was way more affordable than studying Turkish in Istanbul. He was taught by Joseph Strumsa, a law student and he learned the language in under 8 months. This was in his preparation to study law. A year later in 1912, he was studying law in Istanbul. He registered as David Gruen Efendi at the university to escape financial constraints. World War One broke out cutting short his studies in Istanbul.

9. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage

David Ben-Gurion died of a cerebral hemorrhage in December 1973. His illness began on 18th November when he was taken to Sheba Medical Centre in Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan. His condition began deteriorating on the 23^rd of the same month and he died a few weeks later. He was buried alongside his wife at Midreshet Ben-Gurion research center in the Negev.

10. Many institutions are named after him in his honor

“David Ben-Gurion” at Ben-Gurion University. Sculpted by Don Winton. Photo by Amirber. Wikimedia Commons.

The largest airport in Israel, Ben Gurion International Airport, is named in his honor. This is the same for the university in Beersheva, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. His home in Sde Boker is a visitor’s center while his home in Tel Aviv is a museum. Numerous streets and schools thought Israel is also named after him.