Ben-Gurion House

David Ben-Gurion bequeathed his home in Tel Aviv, with its extensive library, to the State of Israel to serve as an “institution for reading, studying, and researching.”

Ben-Gurion was known as a book lover and was interested in many subjects. The list of topics included in the library is diverse and impressive, and include: Greek and Latin texts (source and translation), history of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, 15 translations of the Bible into different languages, religions and cultures of the Far East, philosophy – ancient and new (there are about 60 books On Spinoza in different languages), and other subjects. The library contains books in 37 modern and ancient languages.

In the library, there are many works in which the author dedicated and signed the book for Ben-Gurion. In the corner of his workspace, next to his desk, Ben-Gurion kept books that were particularly special to him: Bibles and memorial books for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers that were sent to him by institutions and bereaved families.
The library contains books that Ben-Gurion purchased or received during his lifetime, and the contents of the books were kept as they were.

After Ben-Gurion’s death, no new books were added to the library, except for those dealing with Ben-Gurion’s history, heritage and political and public activities.
A total of around 20,000 titles are in the library, including 66 rare books and 41 books that were published in a limited number (up to 300).

Today, the library serves as a place for discussions, lectures, film screenings, and more.

In the mid-1920s, 36 working-class families organized themselves to establish a residential neighborhood as part of the city of Tel Aviv. This organization was called the Workers’ Neighborhood A, and among its members were the secretary of the Histadrut, David Ben-Gurion, the director of the “Solal Boneh” company, David Remez, Hillel Cohen, one of the leaders of “Solal Boneh”, David Zakai, one of the editors of the newspaper “Davar”, and Avraham Zbarsky, one of the senior executives of Bank Hapoalim. Alongside them were about thirty other workers and clerks, all of whom were residents of Tel Aviv.

Over the years, the area developed, north of JNF Boulevard, as Ben-Gurion Boulevard, additional workers’ residences were built, and to the south, workers’ neighborhoods were built. Many of the farmers in the area, which was then truly the north of the city of Tel Aviv, were key figures in the building of the state.

To this day, a tour of the Old North neighborhood holds historical and special cultural encounters.

We invite you to take a slightly different tour of the neighborhood that helped shape many characteristics of the city of Tel Aviv in particular and the State of Israel in general.

The Ben-Gurion Center will be built next to the Ben-Gurion House, the private home of David and Paula Ben-Gurion, which today serves as a museum that allows visitors to experience the seminal events in the history of the State of Israel, as well as a hub for educational and community activities. This is a unique and fascinating project.

created in Israel today.

The Israeli government, through the National Heritage Infrastructure Enhancement Program, has embraced the idea.

Ben-Gurion Center from its inception and it participates in financing the planning process.

The Ben-Gurion Center, from its inception and since the Ben-Gurion Center will become a site for visits by citizens, pupils and youth, students and soldiers, will participate in funding the planning process.

For social entrepreneurs, tourists, as well as leaders of Jewish communities abroad and leaders from around the world,

Those who are aware of the historical and contemporary importance of the State of Israel.

The importance of the Center is greater today than ever, as the people and society in Israel live in historical times full of upheavals and changes, full of threats and risks, but also full of potential and opportunity. The Ben-Gurion Center will work to design a value-based and practical roadmap that will ensure

And establish the society and state to which Ben-Gurion dedicated his life.