Most of the 3,600 Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers who came to Israel between 1947 and 1948 were World War II veterans; about 1,000 coming from the United States. They wanted to support the new Jewish state in her hour of greatest need, and were eager to put their combat expertise into action.
Battle hardened combat pilots laid the groundwork for the future Israel Air Force. Then there was Paul Schulman, a graduate from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, who played a key role in the establishment of the Israeli Navy. In a military hospital, Mildred Schlumschlag of New York, a physiotherapist, set up and supervised Israel’s first centre for the treatment of paraplegics.
Mahal activities had been hushed up for fear that the U.S. embargo policies would lead to legal action against Americans fighting for Israel. Due to the need for secrecy during operations, many of the heroic efforts of the volunteers was never recorded.
121 Mahalniks were killed in action, many of them were pilots. A well known casualty of friendly fire was Mickey Marcus, a Jewish United States Army colonel, who became Israel’s first Brigadier General. It was thanks to Marcus that in 1948 the Arab siege of Jerusalem was broken.
After serving Israel in their time of need, most of the volunteers returned to their home countries. Some stayed, and Kfar Daniel, near the city of Lod was founded by Mahal veterans from North America and the UK.
MACHAL 2000 became the new framework for young non-Israeli Jews to volunteer for the Israel Defense forces. Dan, from Boston, and Ron, from New York, wrote about their time in the IDF.
By the time his 14,5 months were almost over, Dan struggled with chronic fatigue, and couldn’t wait to go back home to friends and family. But he knew that serving in the IDF had changed him for the better. It had been difficult getting used to be ordered around by 19- to 20-year-old sergeants, not even be free to relieve himself without asking, let alone to go home when he wanted to. Now in good physical shape, speaking Hebrew fluently, Dan also had become familiar with the land and culture of Israel. Marching 50 kilometers to earn his light green beret, and sleeping in the desert all week long without showering every week for two months, and finishing a live-fire exercise with his face split open; bleeding and guarding all the time while hearing bombs go off nearby it had not been easy. But Ron returned home a changed, different, and mature man.
In the Fall of 1973 Ron had been a student who actively supported Israel, but at a safe distance. However, when he heard on Yom Kippur that Israel had been attacked, he knew he had to go there. Upon his arrival in November, he settled in a Development Town which forced him to learn Hebrew quickly. At the enlistment office he met Jews from all over world who, like him, had come to serve. Proudly wearing his new uniform, Ron was assigned to a special Air Force unit and loved every minute of it.
More than 30 years later, Ron returned to serve again, this time in the HaTefer program, or Seam Line program. This special program was targeted for soldiers above the age of normal reservists. For many years in a row now, Ron spent last summer with Nahal Haredi, a group of observant Jews, both Israeli and Mahalniks who have created something truly special within the framework of the IDF. Whether observant or not, these were the most motivated soldiers Ron had ever served with. Americans, French, British, and South American Jews ~ they all had the same look in their eyes, and together, they had come to serve Israel.
When the first Machalniks arrived in 1947, many people shook their heads in wonder. Israelis still do, when they hear about these Meshuga’im miHutz leAretz.
May their tribe increase!
NOTE: This article was written by Petra van der Zande for Front Page Jerusalem radio.
Sources:
http://www.mahal-idf-volunteers.org/soldier/story.htm
www.sabranet.com/machal
http://www.mahal-idf-volunteers.org/about/Machal.pdf
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