South African enterprise in the early days of the State was recognised by the naming of a street in Netanya after a company founded by South African investors and its manager, the late Zundel Segal.
Zundel Segal (right) showing MK Haim Bar Lev around his factory MEFI in Netanya.
When Zundel, immigrated to Israel in 1952, “he was a man with a mission,” said his widow, artist Tziporah Segal. “He had met previously Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben- Gurion who had impressed upon him the two things the State needed – creating jobs for immigrants and beds.”
Zundel got down to ‘business’ and addressed both issues together.
He approached potential investors in South Africa, which led to the opening of a furniture factory in Netanya called MEFI (Middle East Furniture Industry) with Zundel as its managing director.
Apart from providing much needed employment, the South African venture was the first to manufacture orthopaedic and spring mattresses in Israel.
“Until that time,” explains Tziporah, “they were stuffed with straw and came in three sections making them heavy and cumbersome.” Very soon, MEFI became a household name cornering over fifty percent of the local market.”
Tziporah did not mind when Zunder used to boast that “half the women sleep on my beds and what’s more, they pay me!”
He was right.
Street Wise. South African Zundel Segal honoured by street named after him and his company MEFI in the industrial district of Netanya
