This photo of David Ben-Gurion performing a headstand on the beach gave Moshe Feldenkrais, the famous gym instructor, the recognition he needed to teach his method internationally.
The connection between Ben-Gurion and Feldenkrais became public knowledge in 1957.
Ben-Gurion had gone to the Herzliya beach with bodyguards, a bathing suit and curious newspaper photographers.
Once assembled – and to the astonishment of all – he stood on his head.
When seeing the picture in the newspapers people thought it was some sort of hoax, as Ben Gurion had never been interested in gymnastics, sport or any form of physical exercise.
What’s more, he was more than 70 years of age and for some time had not been in very good health.
It wasn’t a spontaneous feat as it took place after a very quiet year of preparation.
A Man of Many Parts
Moshe Feldenkrais was born in 1904 in the Russian Empire, now Belarus.
Following his barmitzvah, Moshe studied Hebrew language and Zionist philosophy, and in 1918 immigrated to British Mandate Palestine.
After spending ten years in Palestine he went to England and France and studied to become a scientist.
While in Paris he became a personal pupil of Jigoro Kano, the judo expert, and was awarded the first judo black belt in Europe.
After describing judo as the art of the most efficient use of mental and physical energy, he studied deeper into training the body how to deal with personal limitations of thought and attitude.
Soon after the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, Feldenkrais – after graduating as a scientist – was invited by the Israeli Minister of Defense to return and head the electronics department.
In Israel he also began working with people who suffered from both physical and emotional difficulties and found he could help them.
Before long he had so many patients he had to abandon his electronics job.
Moshé Feldenkrais Boris Carmi /Meitar Collection / National Library of Israel / The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Prime Minister Wasn’t Convinced
Ben-Gurion was introduced to Moshe Feldenkrais by Professor Aaron Katzir of the Weizmann Institute, and although the Prime Minister considered the Feldenkrais ideas were both provocative and stimulating, he wasn’t convinced.
“I want proof, but I’ll read one of your books.”
Just a few days later he sent for Feldenkrais.
“How many lessons will it take?”
Feldenkrais was quite blunt and straight to the point.
“Ordinarily one lesson a week for a year is enough, but I have never had a pupil over seventy before. You may be too old to change your ways.”
Ben-Gurion was ready to accept the challenge. After the second lesson he said:
“Maybe you have something. For months I have had such pain in my joints that I wake up every fifteen minutes during the night. But last night I slept for several hours.”
A photographer at the beach the day Ben-Gurion stood on his head was working with a telephoto lens and sold a couple of photographs he took to magazines and papers all over the world.
They were more widely printed than any of the hundreds of other photographs taken during the years of Ben-Gurion’s prominence.
Avi1111 Dr. Avishai Teicher, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
