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Paula (Munweis or Monbesz) Ben-Gurion (d. 1968) was the Russian-born wife of David Ben-Gurion the founding Prime Minister of Israel. They had three children together: Geula, Amos and Renana.
Paula was raised in the United States and was known for her "acerbic tongue". She was fluent in Yiddish, English, and Hebrew. Ben-Gurion met his future wife, Paula Munweis, who was a nurse and an active member of the Poalei Zion Zionist organization, in the home of his friend, Samuel Bonchek on a visit to New York City. They married in 1917 at New York City's Municipal Building before returning to Palestine where Ben-Gurion enlisted as a soldier in the new Jewish Legion of World War I.
She was a fiesty woman and famous for not being afraid to ask her husband to wash the dishes indicative of their Zionist and socialist zeal. She was bemused by her husband's interest in yogaYoga meaning union or yoking in Sanskrit, is the primary focus of Hinduism's diverse religious activities. Yoga is a science of the body, the mind, the consciousness and the soul. Yoga is a teaching of wisdom and knowledge which has been transmitted to ma and when his tutor, the famous Moshe 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 1958Events January January 1 Treaty of Rome founding the EU is implemented January 4 Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from its orbit (launched on October 4 1957) January 8 14 year old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship January 18 Armed Lumbee Nat. A number of schools and institutions in Israel were named for her.
Paula had some important US relatives too: "At the April 3 press conference announcing that the Grammy Awards will return to New York City in February 2003, CBSCBS Columbia Broadcasting System is a major radio and television network in the United States. CBS was one of the three commercial television networks that dominated broadcasting in the United States before the rise of cable television. In the days of rad president & CEO Leslie Moonves told the Forward that he is the great-nephew of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Moonves's grandfather's sister was Paula (Munweis) Ben-Gurion, a nurse and Po'aley Tzion member, whom Ben-Gurion married in 1917." [1]
Ben-Gurion, Paula
Ben-Gurion, Paula
