‍One person’s story is often the story of many. Through their personal journeys, these three women – from different places and times - explored and expressed what Israel meant to them. In so doing, they capture for us some of the many facets of our own relationship with the Promised Land.

This past week, a tweet circulated about a Ukrainian soldier who pulled a hefty biography of Golda Meir from his backpack. The soldier, who identified himself as Alex but gave his nickname is “Zion,” said he keeps the biography — a translation of the 2009 book “Golda” by Elinor Burkett — alongside his night-vision device, water and hat.

How strangely the wheel of fortune spins.

When Ukranian-born Golda Meir was eight years old, she watched the people she loved frantically preparing for an imminent pogrom: she saw the desperate hammering of wooden planks on the windows, the house furniture crammed against the door; she heard the hoof beats of the galloping horses and no doubt, the pounding fear in everyone’s hearts.

This memory of helplessness would stay with Golda her whole life, and give her the courage to fight unwaveringly for Israel, even when she was very much alone. A safe haven for Jews was, for Golda, a matter of life and death. As she famously said, “to be or not to be was not a question of compromise – either you be or you don’t be.” And so began her lifelong fight for the Jewish right to Israel in the 20th century.

The biblical daughters of Zelofchad had a different battle.  According to the Torah’s original decree, the promised land was to be apportioned according to the “number of names” of members of the second generation, but since only men were counted in the census, Zelophehad’s five daughters would be left without an inheritance. Bandying together, they made a brave, cogent and considered appeal to Moshe, and ultimately to God, and won their right to inherit a piece of the land they loved.

In 1991, Ashager Araro’s dream of Israel came true, but keeping the dream alive has been another challenge entirely. Ashager’s family were among the last of Beta Israel tribe be airlifted to Israel during the daring 36-hour Operation Solomon. Known in Ethiopia as the Falasha, “the outsiders”, they are thought to have been parted from the rest of the tribes of Israel for more than 2,000 years and followed Judaism as it was practised before the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Until the 19th century, they thought they were the only Jews on earth, and were surprised to meet “white” Jews.

But they always dreamed of coming to the “Land of Jerusalem” – so for Ashager’s family and the others, this was a dream come true.

Nevertheless, finally being in Israel was not easy. In Ethiopia, where almost everyone is black, there Ashager faced anti-semitism, but being black in a country where most people are white, means that there can be racism.

It’s tough always being an outsider, but through social media, Ashager is making #blackjewishmagic by exploring how everyone can belong to the land she loves.

Teaching us the power of survival and ownership, identity and belonging, these characters, with their deep love and ties to their homeland, embody Herzl’s words, ‘If you will it, it is not a dream.’

Golda, the daughters of Zelofchad and Ashager are three of 32 exceptional Jewish women feature in Goodnight Golda, a compilation of amazing women who changed their world, and in so doing changed ours.

Goodnight Golda – a handbook for brave Jewish Girls (and their Mighty Friends) is available in South Africa at Exclusive Books, and www.exclusivebooks.com, and internationally at www.bookdepository.com. Visit www.goodnightgolda.com.

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