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The Best Father In The
World
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David and Paula Ben-Gurion had three children:
Geula - the eldest, Amos and Renana. Renana, the youngest, fondly lists the small things
that added up to the family life - helping her father wash the dishes, or removing
his shoes at the end of a hard day’s work. She recalls him washing her hair and also
clearly remembers that he liked to eat sour milk, cheese and cheese cake. The presents he
used to bring were always books. Renana recalls: "In our house no one raised
his voice in anger. I remember only one instance when father told me off. I was
5-years-old and had scribbled in his official diary."
Renana said that "The Leader of the Nation" was in no way leader at home:
"At home my mother was the boss. He was always very busy. But he was such a
considerate father!"
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Adapted from "The Jerusalem Post Supplement, Ben-Gurion
Centennial,"
He was not a regular father - he was too busy
with the affairs of the Zionist Organization or the State of Israel. He never met my
teachers, he never checked my homework, he never asked what I was doing during my free
time. Mother did all that. Since I wasn’t a very good pupil, once in a while mother
would say: "Father wants to talk to you; he is waiting for you upstairs."
"Upstairs" was his library and study. I would go with shaking knees,
but in fact, father didn’t shout at me. I remember that he used to say something like
this: "Amos, one day I’ll be an old man and then I’ll have a lot of time to
think whether or not I did enough for the education of my children. I’m sure that
I’ll find out that I hadn’t given you enough attention. This will upset me very
much. But what can I do? I’m so busy with building an independent State. Amos, please
think about this, make an effort, please be a good boy and study." |
Adapted from -
" 1986 רבוטקוא ,בירעמ לש דחוימ ףסומ
,ןייטשדלוג בד תאמ / "יבא ,ןוירוג-ןב דוד
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