Before Golda: Manya Shochat : A Biography [Paperback]

Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi (Author), Sandra Shurin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1989 | ISBN-10: 0930395077 | ISBN-13: 978-0930395070

Manya Wilbushevitz Shochat, 1879-1961, a biography which begins in Russia and progresses to the first collective of 1907 that she founded.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Manya Shochats exploits make the fantasies of modern feminists seem pale by comparison." -- Jewish Advocate, Boston, Mass.

This biography by Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi depicts the life of her friend, Manya Schochat, from her feisty childhood to her revolutionary adulthood. While growing up in Lososna, Russia, Schochat fed the hungry and bandaged the sick during Central Russia's great famine in 1898. She also helped organize a strike in 1902 which won workers higher wages and reduced work hours. In 1903 Schochat and some of her associates attempted to assassinate Minister of the Interior Vyacheslav Konstantinovich Plehve (Count Plehve), the initiator of the Jewish massacres in 1903. When some of her accomplices were caught, Schochat fled Russia to the safety of Eretz Israel (the land of Israel before it became a state in 1948). In Eretz Israel, after witnessing Jewish farmers using cheap Arab labor while unemployed Jewish workers lived in subhuman conditions, Schochat vowed to establish collective settlements managed by the Jews themselves so that the country could become truly a Jewish nation. She sought support from around the world, but few agreed with her ideas. Nevertheless, her first collective was established in 1907. Due to its success, collectives or kibbutzes thrive in Israel today. This biography is an important addition for those interested in the roots of modem Israel as well as Israel's early feminist leader, Manya Schochat. -- From Independent Publisher

Language Notes

Text: English, Hebrew (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Biblio Press (March 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930395077
• ISBN-13: 978-0930395070
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,493,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > World > Jewish > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Feminist pioneer of Israel, May 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Before Golda: Manya Shochat : A Biography (Paperback)

This is a must-read for anyone interested in feminism, Israel and/or Jewish history. You will get a real feeling of the struggles of the early zionists, particularly those of the women. Considering today's political climate, it is instructive to read about the early power struggles in the fledgling state of Israel. The writing is smooth, coherent, and doesn't read like a translation.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book for biography book report, March 15, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Before Golda: Manya Shochat : A Biography (Paperback)

I had to do a book report about a person who was one of the early Zionists. This was a really interesting book because it was one of the few I could find about a woman. Manya Shochat was very brave and had more adventures than most fictional characters. I learned a lot about the difficult times before Israel was a state. I recommend this book highly.