She attended the University of Cape Town for a year, then her family migrated to Palestine, the first South African Jews to do so.
However, there was no opportunity for her to study in Palestine, so she moved to England, where she attended the University of Liverpool for a further year, and then the London School of Economics (LSE).
Although they briefly moved back to Palestine, they soon returned to London so Elchon could undertake further study, and the couple became active in the Independent Labour Party.
The couple moved to Palestine again in 1935, where they became active in the Labour Zionist movement, but became disillusioned with the rising nationalism and also Elchon's difficulties in finding suitable employment.
She obtained her doctorate in 1939 and, on the advice of R. R. Kuczynski, she founded the Fabian Colonial Bureau[2] to research and campaign on anti-colonialism.