Machal1948 - Mahal - History
Mahal is the Hebrew acronym for "Overseas Volunteers".
In 1948, approximately 3,500 overseas volunteers came from 43 different
countries to defend and fight for the nascent State of Israel during its
struggle for survival and independence. They were known as Machal.
Most were World War II veterans whose military experience and skills were
of decisive importance in helping to shape the newly emerging Israel Defense
Forces. Machal booklet with interesting details (PDF, 2.5
MB) - click here
Resolution of the
105th US Congress honoring the international corps of volunteers,
known as Machal, who served Israel in its War of Independence (H. CON.
RES. 268).
The Israeli MACHAL stamp symbolized the specialized activities
of the fighting volunteers. Partial views of two Norseman airplanes can
he seen at the sides of the stamp, with a soldier and a jeep hetween them.
The lower part of the stamp depicts the cannon known as Napoleon-chick,
and the navy ship Achi Hagana K 20, which was previously the illegal immigrant
ship The Jewish State.
Machal
Memorial near Sha'ar Hagai, Judean Hills - Smoky
Simon's Speech on Yom Hazicharon 2008
On the Tel Aviv Jerusalem Highway (route number 1), turn off on the road
number 38 to Beit Shemesh. You enter a long curving stretch, and the Machal
Memorial is about 300 metres from where the curve ends (before Moshav
Mesilat Zion!). A road sign on the right indicates the place of the Machal
Memorial. At that point, you turn left into the Yitzhak Rabin Forest,
and the parking area for the Machal Memorial is only about 50 metres from
the turn-off point.
Letter of present IDF Chief
of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi (son of a Machalnik from Bulgaria)
to Chairman of World Machal H. Simon
Today, Machal's tradition continues with the IDF Mahal
volunteer programs.
There are a few organizations and individuals helping overseas volunteers
for the IDF, like Garin Tzabar, Mahal2000, Mahal Haredi, Bnei Akiva, a
multitude of Yeshivot etc. None of these facilitates the entry to all
IDF overseas programs.
This website was launched by Daniel Katz in 2001 as Mahal2000.com and
got the "Jewish
Agency Top Site 2005" award. The website cooperated closely with
the Mahal2000 organization. Since 2008, however, the Mahal-IDF-Volunteers.org
website operates independently from any organization and offers free help
regarding any IDF overseas program the volunteer is choosing.
Over one thousand young people from more than 40 countries have already
joined the IDF through Mahal programs.
"The participation of ... men and women of other nations in our struggle
cannot be measured only in terms of additional manpower, but as an expression
of the solidarity of the Jewish people." (David Ben-Gurion)
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