The Denver Jewish news., 1924-05-29
THE ORT, ITS HISTORY AND
IT'S PRESENT ACTIVITIES

w men tnc wholesale mlSrullon ol tiic !
jew to America from the countries in
Central, and Eastern Europe began,
some fifty years ago, it was, definite
proof that something WAS wrong in the
native countries. The Jew, in spite
of his reputation as wanderer, does
not wander by force of nature, but
rather by force of circumstance. More
over. it needed no mental microscope
to see that conditions in Russia and
Poland We're not as conducive to n
desire for permanent residence rs they
might have been. Il
The Jew, by nature, has a tendency
toward productive work, toward creaI
tion of utilities. And, as far as prac-
tical things We're concerned, productive
work for him was absolutely impos-
sible. In the first place, he could not
turn to agriculture, partly because of
government laws restricting his right
to own land, and partly because he
had grown away from the soil. Not
only was he physically incapable of
WIN .thS fNtS'h' 80
the work agriculture involved, he was
entirely ignorant of the processes and
methods. even on those primitive ones
the peasants had learned from their
ancestors.
There is an entirely different kind
of productive work, of course, in oc-
cupations such as tailoring, carpentry,
weaving, spinning, etc. But there, too,
the Jew was helpless. In those cases
where he did turn to technical trades,
he did so for his own accord, without
the proper education and background,
outside of that which he had received
during his term of apprenticeship to
someone who had learned the trade
in the same way.
SO, for the most part, the Jews were
engaged in what is called 'Luft Gesch-
cfften''-''Air Business"--in keeping
small shops. in peddling, in acting as
Intermediates in trade. These were
unprcfitable occupations. and to say the
least. unsatisfactory ones.
The only hope for the betterment of
conditions lay in providing instruction
Tor the Jews in teaching them tech
meal trades and in helping them estab-
! lish themselves in agriculture. 1t is
for this purpose that in she year 1880
Temporary Committee" was formed,
which served as the nucleus of the or
ganization known today as the Ort.
(Ort is an abbreviation of the full
Russian title, meaning Spreading of
Agriculture and Technical Trades
among the Jews).
The first twenty years of the exist
ence of the organization are the his
tory of "A struggling philanthropic UNI
dertaking Work had to be done among
individuals, rather than among masses.
As far as agriculture was concerned
there were still the government re-
structiCns to labor against, and they
were for the most part, invulnerable
Trade schools We're established, but on
ly ON small scale. And even with
the trade schools. there was little en-
thusiasm among the Jews. The artisan
in Europe was still creature looked
munerative, not even respected. Those
Jews who already were artisans found
themselves in continual financial diff
ficulties, unable to make progression
in their work. For their aid, the Ort
evolved system Of credit, so that
they might be tidcd over the hard
seasons with money that they could OBJ
tain no where else The work was hard
and ungratifying.
In 1896 the organization was incori
porated The period from 1906 TO 1914
is one of steady, if SLOW, growth. a
change in the attitude toward artisans
was already noticeable, and interest
in The trade schools was increasing.
There was also a perccptiblc movement
to the soil, but it was still restrained.
And the distribution Of credit was as
suming larger proportions, together
with the establishment of worlimen as
sociations These eight years were
years of inward development, of prep
aration for tho upheaval which was to
come and for the new tasks it would
entail.
During the war, of course, all eff
forts were expended toward relief
Where refugee workmen did manage
to settle temporarily, the Ort attempt
ed to provide work for them. But
little could be done.
1t is in the years since the end of
The war that the greatest strides have
been made and the greatest things ac-
complishcd. After-the-war conditions,
after-revolution conditions
in Russia, meant that the ground was
orap for IyorL, Government rpSt rictiO ions