Seymour Malkin
Seymour Malkin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 19, 1923 Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Died | October 21, 1974 Brazil |
| ABM | Americas 1962 - 1964 |
Seymour Malkin (June 19, 1923 - October 21, 1974) was an American Bahá’í who pioneered to several posts within the United States and across Central and South America. He served as an Auxiliary Board member while living in Chile.
Biography[edit]
Malkin was born in Chicago in 1923. His father, Jacob, was a Russian Jew who had emigrated to America shortly before the First World War due to religious persecution and his mother, Leona Luber, was of Romanian descent. In his youth he was raised by his father and paternal grandmother.[1]
In 1942 Malkin enlisted in the United States Air Force and he was stationed in the Philippines and Australia working for the radio service of the military helping organize entertainment programmes for the troops. In 1945 he was discharged and moved to California where he studied drama and established an acting school in Hollywood. In 1954 he closed his school and informed his students he was going to study religion to find meaning in his life. He studied several religions including the Bahá’í Faith and after studying the Writings and attending several firesides he became a Bahá’í.[1]
After declaring Malkin pioneered to several posts near Los Angeles to assist with developing Bahá’í communities and in 1958 he pioneered internationally to Guadalajara, Mexico. He attended that years Bahá’í Convention for Central America in Guatemala at which he met Margot Miessler and after the Convention he pioneered to her pioneer post in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and they married in November 1958. After their honeymoon they pioneered together to Campinas, Brazil, and helped establish a Local Spiritual Assembly and their daughter Jesma, named after Jesma Herbert who had taught Malkin the Faith before he declared, was born in Campinas in 1959.[1]
In 1960 the Malkin's returned to the United States and they settled in Kokomo, Indiana, where they helped establish a Local Spiritual Assembly in 1961 and had a son, Edmund. They then pioneered to Muncie, Indiana, in 1962 but a few months after arriving Zikrullah Khadem requested they pioneer to Chile. They pioneered to Temuco, Chile, and Malkin was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member shortly after arriving and assisted with the launch of mass teaching in the country.[1]
In 1964 the Malkin's returned to the United States and had a third child, Vali, that year. They pioneered to several posts throughout the 1960's, helping establish the Local Spiritual Assembly of Mesa, Arizona, in 1969,[2] then pioneered to Santo Amaro, Brazil, in 1970 at the request of the International Goals Committee. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Santo Amaro was established in 1971 with their assistance.[3]
In 1974 Malkin passed away the night after attending a commemoration of the Birth of the Báb. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
GRIEVED LEARN PASSING PIONEER SEYMOUR MALKIN DEVOTED FAITHFUL SERVANT BAHAULLAH STOP ASSURE MARGOT OTHER MEMBERS FAMILY ARDENT LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 542. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1961). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 360, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 543. View as PDF.
