The Denver Jewish news., 1923-08-02
The Jews in the Ukraine
BY ISAAC OCHBERG

TINS resume OF conditions by the represent
ntfve In the Ukraine of the Jewish World
Relief Conference, has lost hut little of its
timeliness. Mr.. Ochberg is prominent as
tJewish Telegraphic Agency.)
When the Soviet government an
nouncel its new economic policy (NEP)
all of us abroad thought that it would
bring about an improvement in the con-
dition of the Jewish population. Trad
ing which would TO certain extent be
permitted. would give better opportuni-
ties for the Jews in the country to OBJ
tnin their livelihood. Unfortunately l
that the facts are the reverse of what
we thought. I was astounded to see the
Jewish masses in the provinces of Kiev,
NikOlalcv and Chnrkev in terrible
plight even now. They are starving,
they walk about wrapped in rags. they
have lost all hope that things will ever
bc better.
The only hope the Jews in Russia
possess today-is a food parcel. They
wait for days for food parcel to arrive
from abroad TO save them from death.
II 1t were not for the food parcels 1t is
Impossible TO say how many more tens
OF thousands of Jews would have per-
ished in Russia and the Ukraine. In
the middle of 1922 the rate of mortality
among the Jews in the Ukraine us a re-
suit of hunger and disease was appall-
ing. The number of dead in the old
Jewish cemetery of Odessa rose last
year from 7.721 to 2O.3sO. In Cherson
more than half the Jewish population
died out. 1t is only due to the work of
the foreign relief institutions that some
step has been put to this terrible rate
of mortality. The help which these In
stitutiOns are giving on a much smaller
scale now. is the only thing that is
keeping the Jews alive in Russia.
But this help cannot bring any radi-
cal solution of the problem Of the Jews
In Russia. The food parcel which saves
a starving family. from death cannot re-
store the position of the Jews in the
Ukraine. The only thing which could
improve the position there and recon-
siruct the economic life of the Jewish
population is the establishment of cred
1t co-operatiyes for artisans, small
traders and merchants to enable them
economic policy in Russia gives us an
opportunity TO raise these loan funds
\ beginning has already been made.
Almost In every town in the Ukraine
established under the control of Jewish
communal workers. 1t Is our duty to
support these ce-operatives in order to
put a stop to the begging system and to
place our work on more solid founLa-
ton. 1t is not necessary to have
great deal OF money to help family to
regain its position. Five pounds which
Is in Russia at the present rate of ex-
change about n milliar rOubles, could
make Il Jewish family self-supporting
l have seen while wa sin Russia that
two or three pounds given to Jewish
family which was reduced to begging
IL the streets have enabled 1t to re-es-
tablish itself and become self support
ing.
At the same time want to emphasize
that relief to individuals in the form Of
food and clothing must not under any
circumstances he stopped Mt present.
The stoppage of relief even for one day
means the loss of large number of the
Jewish population. If the Jewish pop
ilation in the Ukraines is to remain
alive it must have its food every day
until the cO-operatives will be working
and will have sufficient means Mt their
disposal to restore the ruins of Russian
and Ukrainian Jewry. 1t must be real
ized that there are in Russin today
large numbers of the intellectual
Glasses who have no means of earning
livelihood and are entirely dependent
on the food parcels. These intellectuals
who viii Gne day be the leaders of Rus
sian Jewry must now be supported by
all the means Mt our disposal. Then
there are large number of widows and
pogrom orphans. The widows would
work. no matter how hard the work to
nothing for them to do. There are no
openings of any kind. So you find them
in the streets selling matches or news
papers.
would say that the best Jewish
elements in Russia. the intellectuals.
are living on the streets on whatever
happens to come to hand. Therefore.
we must &C on with the ordinary relief
work of sending out food parcels. prin
cipally for the relief of the Jewish in
tcllectualS.