PRIME MINISTER DAVID BEN-GURION (ISRAEL) - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 05/28/1955 - HFSID 87694

DAVID BEN-GURION
Typed 1955 letter: If every established Israeli family would adopt one immigrant family, Israel would become a unified nation now, not in some future generation.
TLS: "David Ben-Gurion" in Hebrew as Israel's Minister of Defense, 1 page, 6x8. HaKiryah, Israel, 1955 May 28. On letterhead with menorah seal to Devorah and Shragah Netzer, Tel-Aviv. In Hebrew, translated. Begins: "Loyal Comrades". In full: "My suggestion - I am not proposing to all the comrades to leave Tel-Aviv or Haifa, and Deganiah and go to immigrant settlements. But, if every experienced family - in our midst adopt one immigrant family - visit its house, attend to its children and help with their education - then, there would not be this feeling of different nations among us, and we would not need - and wait to future generations until various exiles become one nation. We should not falsely carry the nation's unity and the workers' unity - we should personify our daily deeds and change the ingathering of the exiles in Israel to a living reality. With fraternal greetings". David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973), who became known as "The Father of Israel", became captivated with Zionism during his youth in Poland. Born David Gruen, he adopted the ancient Hebrew name Ben-Gurion in 1906 at age 20, when he immigrated to Palestine. Ben-Gurion, who proclaimed Israel's independence on May 14, 1948, was its first leader as Chairman of the Provisional State Council (May 14-May 17, 1948). On May 17, he became Israel's first Prime Minister (1948-1953) and Chaim Weizmann became President. Ben-Gurion devoted his life to establishing a Jewish nation, and encouraged the return of Jewish people from throughout the world. After serving again as Prime Minister from 1955-1963, Ben-Gurion devoted himself to writing. He published Israel: The Years of Challenge (1963) and The Jews in Their Land (1966). Lightly creased with folds, vertical fold at the flourish of signature. Lightly soiled. Pencil note (unknown hand) at lower right margin, two file holes at blank right edge. Overall, fine condition.