A Desperate Journey in the Cold January Wind
On January 19, 1948, a middle-aged woman stepped off a plane in New York wearing only light clothing against the bitter winter cold. Her entire luggage consisted of a single handbag, and her wallet contained just $10. When immigration officials questioned how she planned to support herself in America, Golda Meir simply replied: “I have family here.”
This modest arrival masked an extraordinary mission. Meir had come to raise $25 million – an astronomical sum at the time – to arm Palestine’s Jewish community against the impending invasion by five Arab nations following the UN’s partition plan approval. As financial director Eliezer Kaplan reported after his failed fundraising trip, American Jews – weary from years of Holocaust relief appeals and facing their own postwar economic challenges – were unlikely to contribute more than $5 million.
The situation in Palestine grew increasingly dire by the hour. David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, prepared to personally travel to America when Meir intervened. Her argument proved decisive: having lived in Milwaukee from age 8 to 23 before immigrating to Palestine, she spoke flawless English and understood American Jewish psychology. With characteristic urgency, she departed immediately without even returning home to pack.
The Impossible Fundraising Challenge
Meir faced daunting obstacles beyond the harsh winter. American Jewry had grown donation-fatigued after years of supporting European Jews during the Holocaust. Postwar economic uncertainty made large contributions unlikely. Previous Palestinian emissaries had already exhausted conventional appeals. The Chicago conference of the General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations, occurring just two days after her arrival, seemed an unpromising venue – its agenda packed with domestic concerns and its attendees largely non-Zionist.
Yet through persistence, Meir secured a last-minute speaking slot arranged by Henry Montor of the United Jewish Appeal. What followed on January 21 became one of the most consequential speeches in Jewish history – delivered entirely extemporaneously to America’s most influential Jewish leaders.
The Speech That Changed History
Meir’s address masterfully wove together several powerful themes:
She framed the struggle not as a regional conflict but as existential for world Jewry: “If the 700,000 Jews in Palestine survive, then the Jewish people survive… If they are destroyed, then for centuries there will be no Jewish people, no Jewish homeland.”
Vivid battle narratives brought the distant war to life, including the story of 35 young fighters who marched to certain death defending a besieged settlement, their last survivor dying with a stone in his hand after expending all ammunition.
Historical consciousness connected current sacrifices to past tragedies: the 1921, 1929, and 1936 Arab uprisings, the Holocaust’s six million victims.
A brilliant rhetorical strategy placed the decision squarely before American Jews: “You cannot decide whether we should fight… You can decide only one thing: whether we shall be victorious… The Jews of America can make that decision.”
Closing with Churchillian resolve, she declared Palestinian Jews would fight “in the Negev, in the Galilee, in Jerusalem” until the end.
The Extraordinary Response
The emotional impact proved overwhelming. As Meir spoke, attendees wept openly. When she finished, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, rushing the podium with pledges. Some left immediately to secure bank loans for donations. By afternoon’s end, the full $25 million target had been pledged.
Over the following weeks, Meir embarked on a national speaking tour, sometimes giving multiple addresses daily. The response remained consistently overwhelming. When she departed America in March 1948, the woman who arrived with $10 had secured $50 million – triple Saudi Arabia’s entire 1947 oil revenue.
Why Meir Succeeded Where Others Failed
Several factors explain this unprecedented fundraising achievement:
Personal Credibility: As an American-raised pioneer who had lived 27 years in Palestine, Meir bridged both worlds authentically.
Strategic Timing: She arrived as the UN partition plan made statehood imminent but precarious.
Masterful Storytelling: Concrete examples like the 35 martyrs made abstract needs tangible.
Appeal to Shared Destiny: She framed support not as charity but as collective survival.
Urgency: Her “now or never” messaging overcame donor fatigue.
The Military and Political Impact
These funds proved decisive in Israel’s War of Independence:
Purchased critical arms shipments from Czechoslovakia when Western nations maintained embargoes.
Financed the “Operation Balak” arms airlift that broke the siege of Jerusalem.
Enabled Haganah forces to transform from militia to national army.
Funded the covert “Operation Magic Carpet” that airlifted 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel.
As Ben-Gurion later stated: “When history judges, it will say it was a Jewish woman who won us our state.”
From Fundraiser to Founding Mother
This mission launched Meir’s political ascent:
1948-1949: Israel’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union
1949-1956: Labor Minister, overseeing massive housing projects for immigrants
1956-1966: Foreign Minister, crafting Israel’s African aid strategy
1969-1974: Israel’s fourth Prime Minister during the Yom Kippur War
Her leadership style – blunt, pragmatic, and deeply connected to ordinary Israelis – reflected lessons from 1948 about Jewish unity and determination.
Enduring Lessons for Leadership and Philanthropy
Meir’s 1948 mission offers timeless insights:
The Power of Authenticity: Her unpolished, heartfelt appeal outperformed professional fundraising pitches.
Strategic Storytelling: She made statistics human through vivid narratives.
Shared Sacrifice: Highlighting Palestinian Jews’ blood donations made financial requests seem modest.
Urgency Without Desperation: She projected certainty of victory contingent on immediate support.
Global-Local Connection: She redefined American Jews from donors to stakeholders in Jewish destiny.
The Legacy of the $10 Mission
Today, Meir’s whirlwind fundraising tour remains:
A case study in effective advocacy
A model for diaspora-homeland relations
A testament to women’s leadership in Israel’s founding
An example of how moral authority can mobilize resources
The state born from that desperate winter would grow to absorb millions more immigrants, develop world-class industries, and defend itself through subsequent wars – but historians agree its very survival in 1948 hinged on those critical months when a woman with $10 convinced American Jews to open their hearts and wallets to make history.