The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1922-11-29

l
expresses great regret At 20 unspcrts
manlfke an occurrence.
SAVE THEIR SOULS" HER PLEA
FOR CHILDREN OF THE UKKAINI
Children in Russia Of an age >wher
they ought to be thinking Of play have
adult minds, declares Elizabeth Ha
zanovitx who has just returned to THU
country after period Of service
abroad in the child-care depsrtment
of the Joint Distribution committee.
One lad Of IL, whom she met in an
institution in the Ukraine, asked her
gravely whether 1t is true that twelve
millions Of people are out Of work IN
America.
But her assurance that this was not
so did not 60 down with the youDgster.
He knew it was true because he had
heard lecture ON economic condi-
lions in America, and this was one Of
the facts" related by the lecturer.
"A queer peopi<, these Americans"
he went on struggling his shoulders.
why do they send us relief when
they are In such great need them
seives?
Miss Hasanovits il known IN liter
airy and sociai-scrvice circaes ~ the
author Of Zone Of Tenn" the autobio-
graphy Of al immigrant girl and shop
- Al. tR0
originally from Kicv and was for 4
time associated with the Joint Board
Of Sanitary Control making studies Of
shop conditions In the clothing indus
try in this city. ~,
A year ago she went to Europe on
u private mission. she. arrived n
Bucharest when the refugee problen
was. at its worst and she was engaged
By the Joint Distributicn comuittee T.
organise transportation. Among oths
duties she had to seek out relatives
in America to whom children could
be sent Preparatory to Ghelr de-
parture for this country many Of these
children were taught English. All the
refugee children who came to Buch-
Arrest were taught Hebrew. 1t was
marvellous. she says. how thoroughly
the children mastered one or both OF
these languages in the short space Of
three months.
But her closest contact with the
problem of the children was In the
Ukraine. There, following the Rev
olution. the government Ind adopted
the policy that all childrea belong to
the State Thousands Of them were
crowded into barracks, or in the ex-
propriated mansions of the former
nobility. Conditions, she says. were
terrible beyond words. Healthy chill
dren were exposed to disease because
there was NO system of isoiating in
fected children. There was no school
paraphe1alia, not enough medicines,
not enough nurses, or bedding or linen.
The new economic policy which
caused the eovcrnment to close these
barracks Inns not improved the chill
drens condition" Miss Hazanovitz
says, because they have been returl-
cd to relatives who are unable to sup
port them, and they would starve to
death without the aid OF the Joint
Distribution committee-American Re-
lief Administration feeding stations.
But feeding them is not enough.
We must educate them. Their moral
fibre Is being destroyed. and with the
growth of anti-semitism the coase-
quence will he terrible unless we take
drastic measures to restore them to
normal beings. Teach them trades
TINT is what we must do If we want
TO save a whole generation from moral
destruction. II We fak to do that,
we, too, here In America may pay the
price"
OF some of the work that is being
done to save Jewish children Miss
Hazanovitz is tremendously enthusiasts
tic. She told of a children's colony
near Zhitomir.
ut is wonderful to see them work
ing in the fields. these youngsters
whose ages run from to 16. They
raise cabbages, potatoes. pear and
beans. Poor kids! They have no
rakes, no hoes. they must do the dig
ging. the sGeding the hoeilg. the
wedding by hand. But they do it!