Page 268 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

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Between Golda Meir and Ruth Dayan
"I remember the National Institutions Building well. I studied at the nearby Gymnasia Rehavia during the years of its construction, but I have another memory from the building, because I shed many tears in it" – says Ruth Dayan, who has long since passed her hundredth-year mark.
In 1949, Ruth was a young woman, who took upon herself the important national mission, which within a few years had yielded the mythic "Maskit" Company. She gathered several dozen women from the Olim settlements and helped them learn sewing and embroidery. These women learned to embroider beautiful blouses and when they returned home, they contributed to their families' livelihood.
For this purpose, a small company named "Eshet Chayil" (the name was proposed by then Colonel Moshe Dayan, Ruth's husband). The budget was given to her by the Head of the Settlement Department and the Treasurer of the Jewish Agency Levi Eshkol.
One day, Ruth Dayan arrived at Eshkol's office in the National Institutions Building, and when going up the stairs to the second floor, she encountered the Labor and Construction Minister, Golda Meir. The two knew one another. Golda stopped, looked at Ruth with an angry face and told her: "What you do with the women, I disagree with. It would be better that they go out to work in agriculture. Tell your patron Eshkol, that if he continues to assist you, I will take the roads from him," a not- so-subtle hint that she would not extend budgets for initiated works in paving roads for the Olim settlements.
Ruth tried to argue with her, but Golda moved away quickly. Tears began streaming from her eyes and so, sobbing, she entered Eshkol's room and told him of Golda's harsh words, whom she defined venomously as: "That old lady." Eshkol burst out laughing and told her, as was his custom, half in Hebrew and half in Yiddish: "A sheyne meyse [a lovely tale]. Relax Ruth. You will continue with your blessed work and I will deal with the alte dame [old lady]."
Between "Expanders" and "Reducers"
After the establishment of the state, the National institutions Building changed its function: Upon establishment of the Provisional Government and the permanent governments afterwards, the home of the "nascent government" had completed its duty. However, it turns out that this was not entirely true. According to the agreements signed between the Government of Israel and the Institutions that operated in the building – the Jewish Agency, KKL-JNF and Keren Hayesod - they would continue to operate, in a similar and dissimilar format. Unlike them, the Jewish National Council had completed its duty.
Moreover, the covenants had been signed with the various National Institutions and even laws were legislated regarding their continued operations. For instance, it was determined that the Jewish