Bilha Frankel-Meiron

Bilha Meiron nee Frankel was born in Gedera on the 14th of October 1938. Her parents were Yehuda and Tzipporah Frankel nee Balban (see collection 0784). She was named after her maternal grandmother, Bella, the older sister of David and Sarah. Her grandfather, Avraham Frankel, lived in the yard of their house in Gedera, next to the barn, the fruit trees, the tabun and the pigeon-hole. Bilha went to elementary school in Gedera, in the building next to the synagogue and water hole. During the War of Independence, the school was turned into a hospital for the wounded soldiers. The students studied in private homes. At the end of the war a new building was built to house the school which was named after Yechiel Michal Pines. Bilha learned in a small class with 11 other children. Other children, mostly holocaust survivors joined the class after the war. In 1952, when she finished elementary school and was ready to start 9th grade, she moved to the vocational school, "Young Mizrachi House" in Tel Aviv (De Haus Street). Bilha was a good student and received an award for excellence in her studies, which she received personally from the Minister of Labor- Golda Meir. After completing her high school studies, she continued her education at the Teacher's Seminary of the Mizrachi Movement. She studied arts and crafts. She lived in the dormitory and once every six weeks she went home to visit her parents in Gedera. Her father, Yehuda, who was an Egged bus driver, would occasionally visit her when he came to Tel Aviv. She wrote the following about her experience as a student: "The female students were responsible for the cleanliness of the rooms and public areas. Before Shabbat the gym hall would be turned into a synagogue that served the people who lived near the school. Friday evening was celebrated with a big meal and a special atmosphere which included singing Shabbat songs (zmirot)". Upon completion of her studies she joined the group of pioneers that went to Kibbutz Ein Gev. There she worked in the banana groves. She travelled a lot around the country and in this photo album there are many pictures from these trips to the Negev including pictures of the Yotvata settlement becoming a kibbutz and the March of the Four Days. Bilha taught in the school in Moshav Avichail while living in Netanya. In 1967 she spent 3 months in Europe learning English and in 1968 she was sent to America, by the Jewish Agency, as a counselor in Camp Massad in Pennsylvania. She later studied to be a guide in the course of the Ministry of Tourism under the direction of Uri Dvir, later serving as secretary of the course. Bilha led tours of Israelis and tourists throughout the country as well as in camps for the children of the Egged workers. She met Moti Meiron (Miller) in 1970 in Gedera and they married. They had three children: Yonit (Solomon), Ran and Hadas (Noystein). Bilha and Moti had 7 grandchildren: Shaked, Omer and Ma'ayan Solomon; Shani and Tom Meiron and Gur and GAli Noystein. This collection is accompanied by a pdf file of a project on her heritage of Bilha's grand-daughter. Read more