The Kyiv now has streets named after Golda Meir and Vladimir Jabotinsky
The capital’s neighborhood Nyvky now has two streets named after Jews who were born in Ukraine and became iconic figures for Israel.
Golda Meir Street (formerly Krasnodarska) connects with Vladimir Jabotinsky Street (formerly Muromska). Their geographical intersection is probably accidental, but there is still a certain symbolism here: the fates of those historical figures had a lot in common.
Born in Odessa Ze’ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky was one of the founders of Zionism and born in Kyiv Golda Meir grew up on these ideas. If not for Jabotinsky’s persistence, the idea of creating an independent Jewish state could have remained unrealized — Meir was directly involved in the birth of Israel, and later became its fourth prime minister.
Jabotinsky created the Jewish Legion in World War I — Meir made sure that the Israeli army received the necessary weapons when the young Jewish state needed them most urgently.
