The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-18
.UTRAGES recently inflicted on
the Jews of the Russian prov


UTRAGES recently inflicted on
the Jews of the Russian prov
ince of Kishinef, with the
American protest against the
policy Of Russian oppression,
have brought to general atten-
ton the operations of the Jew
ish Colonization Society Of America and
Europe and the Independent Order of
B'nai Birth, which is an organization
within and working with the colonization
society.
The history of the Jews of Europe for
the past century has been largely a his
tory of migration, and the Jewish Coloni-.
cation society, with which the local lodge
Of B'naf Birth o-operates, has been or
ganized and conducted for the sole pur-
pose OF finding in this and other western
lands a refuge for those bitterly perse-
cuted for religions sake.
For the past twenty-five years there
has been in operation in Europe, America,
Australia and South America an almost
perfect system for transporting perse-
cuted Jews to lands where there;is some
thing more. than the mere words to the
declaration that "all men are created free
and equal Particularly has the atten-
ton of the societies organized to assist
those looking for a land Of, freedom been
given to the Jews of Rumania, where me-
dieval conditions still obtain and where
the Jews have been prosecuted almost
the Christian era.
There are now between 100000 and
10000 Jews in Rumania, and unless there
are some signs of a change for better
in that country within the next decade,
it will probably devolve upon the Jews
of other lands wholly to depopulate Ru
mania of Jewish people. 4 The beginning
of that work has been made by the Jew
ish Colonization society,". with headquar-
tiers in Paris, and by the Independent Or
der B'nai Birth, with headquarters in
New York.
Work for the Rumanians.
In spite Of the horrors incident to the
lives Of the Russian Jews conditions in
Rumania are so much worse, and there
is so little prospect of an amelioration In
their condition, that the two organizations
have been, and are still, devoting their
chief energies to getting out of Rumania
such of the Jews as are able to secure
release, and it is hardly probable that
these two kreat organizations will make
any organized attempt to aid by depor-
tation the sufferers from Russian oppres-
sion.
The Russian Jews Case.
One reason given by. local members
of the B'nai Birth for the almost exclu-
sive attention given to the Rumanian
Jews at this time is that the Rumanian
Jew is generally better able to take care
of himself than is the Russian Jew after
he is landed in this country. This APP
plies especially to the Russian Jews of
Kishenif province, where until lately
the Jews were largely agriculturists.
1t is exceedingly difficult to establish a
Jewish agriculturist in this country be-
cause of the large incidental expense and
| the handicap under which Jewish
| farmer works when he does not have the
association of his fellow countrymen. He
is unable to speak the language of those
about him, is forbidden by his religion to
eat meat which he has killed and is in
other ways bound down by custom.
! Most of those Rumanians brought over
| by the B'nai Birth have mastered some
sort of trade. The Rumanian Jews be-
came tradesmen a great many. centuries
ago and all the prosecutions which have
followed have still left them with some
means Of earning a living in the cities
] by the work OF their hands.
The Russian Jews, on the other hand,
have been SO long deprived of the sim
plest civil rights and have been SO long
/ in condition bordering on serfdom as to
/ be reduced to "a condition of practical
4 helplessness. There are few exceptions,
but according to Hebrews active in the
4 work the average Russian Jew has been
4 too long under the heel Of the great white
/ czar to have left him the talent or init
1 alive for earning his living under condi-
| of the man SO much as it is the result OF
his environment and the environment OF
i his ancestors.
4 Thus is it that thousands of Rumanian
4 Jews are annually brought over here, OF
1 sent to Australia or the Argentine Re-
public, while the Russian Jews are de-
pendent almost entirely on individual eff
fort. In time they will be given the same
{, opportunities for escape that are now at
forded the Rumanian Jews. but for the
time being they must wait. In few
Years, perhaps their time will come.
The operations of the Jewish COLOMBIA
ton society and the B'nai Birth are made
i possible blythe Baron d1 Hirsch fund, left
by the late Baron di Iirsch for the sole
purpose of peopleing this and other coun.
Il tries with such Of the prosecuted Jews a.
make good citizens. Is
4 Drawing upon the interest of this en-.
dowment and assessing themselves t
meet expenses which the fund can no