Founding Members Of Moshav Nahalal

Recently, WIZO Tova member Robyn Kosmin came across a Facebook post which mentioned the Ukrainian students currently living at WIZO Nahalal.

Robyn contacted Board Member Rony Bognar OAM and gave her own family history on the true pioneers of WIZO Nahalal,”(Moshav Nahalal) who were her beloved grandparents, Avraham and Esther Machlin.

WIZO Nahalal is in the limelight right now because it is currently home to 68 young Ukrainian students who are suffering daily, not knowing the whereabouts of their parents, extended family and friends.

Here is a short story on two of the founding members of Moshav Nahalal (now known as WIZO Nahalal) – and it is quite a remarkable story, including a very famous young man in Israel’s history books!

Founding Members Of Moshav Nahalal

Avraham Machlin, born in Russia now Ukraine, married Esther Arkin born in Palestine,  now Israel,  in 1921.

The trend was for young couples to move to undeveloped areas of Palestine to develop settlements.

Once married, Avraham and Esther moved to Nahalal to help establish the first Moshav on swamp land.

The couple were hard workers and therefore known to be Prominent Workers on the Moshav.

Avraham worked on the land and was for a time the book keeper. With a hand pick, Esther broke up the stone to help make the roads that led in and out of the Moshav.

The couple lived in tents and had 3 children and a 4th born later in Australia. The family that lived next to them were the Dayan’s. Son Moshe who later became the Defence Mininster of Israel and his sibling were playmates to the Machlin children .

Moshe Dayan wrote a book called,  Living with the Bible,  and he makes mention of the Machlin family in Nahalal that moved to Australia. They lived in Nahalal for some years before moving to their new country.

If Avraham & Esther were still alive today they would be so proud of the fantastic work Moshav Nahalal, together with WIZO, are doing for the citizens of Israel and from aboard.

Once Esther settled in Perth, Western Australia, she became a staunch worker for WIZO, working tirelessly to raise funds for an orphanage in Haifa that is now known as WIZO Ahuzat Yeladim.

“As a granddaughter of these two founding members, I hope one day to visit the Moshav with my family, to witness firsthand what my grandparents help establish.

With grateful thanks to WIZO for all you do in Israel.”

~ Robyn Kosmin