TO MACHALNIKS WORLDWIDE 29th March, 2015
Shalom dear Machalniks,
THE FUTURE OF MACHAL
1. As you are well aware the membership of World Machal (1947-49) is reducing rapidly due to death and disability of our members. As Chairman of World Machal and with the able help of Zippy Porath (Machal’s “Grand Lady”), Joe Woolf (Machal’s Chief Researcher), and Doreen (“Miss Machal”), I have kept World Machal alive and active. Our last major assignment was to add a splendid improvement to the size and facilities of the Michael Levin Lone Soldiers’ Centre in Tel Aviv.
2. However, at the age of 95 and with some health problems I am obliged to reduce my World Machal activities significantly which means that the World Machal organization would effectively come to an end.
3. Fortunately, Frank Garrun, a Six-Day War Machalnik from South Africa, feels that the demise of World Machal would be a sad loss to posterity and to Israel’s history. After all, the 4,800 Machalniks from 59 countries played a decisive role in Israel’s victory in the War of Independence.
4. Frank is willing to serve as an active Chairman of World Machal, and I would then become the President. We have decided that World Machal’s future role will be to strengthen and to support the “Lone Soldiers Organizations in Israel”. Lone soldiers include Machal volunteers from abroad as well as Israeli’s from broken homes, etc. Frank will also serve as Chairman of the Lone Soldiers Centres in Israel.
5. A major objective under consideration will be the establishment of a Lone Soldiers Hostel in Tel Aviv which will incorporate the present Lone Soldiers Centre in Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv, as well as a hostel to provide sleeping accommodation for about 100 soldiers.
6. Doreen will continue to be the contact person for all Machalniks. The change-over will take effect from 1st May, 2015.
7. It goes without saying that we wish Frank’s initiative every success and that we will give him the necessary support in promoting this project.
Looking forward to seeing you at this year’s Machal Memorial Service at Sha’ar Hagai on 22nd April.
Take good care and keep pedaling.
Sincerely,
Smoky Simon, Chairman
World Machal