The Denver Jewish news., 1924-05-29


pSgroms and antsemitSm.
First of all, efforts were made TO
settle the Jews on the soil. In many
countries as in Bessarabia, Tor In
stance, there had been legislative meas
ures which assigned certain acreage
to those who promised to work it, and
in general. it was easier TO OBTAIN
ground. But that was only the be-
ginning There was nothing but the SOIL
there. The live stock, even that owned
by Jew, before the war, had been prac-
tically annihilated. Nor were there
any implements. Ii was not rarity
to see sin men harnessed together pun
ing tractor. Grinding was done py
chains. Everything was primitive ana
almost Biblical in aspect They could
not buy live stock because they had no
money for it. For the same reason
they could not hire labor. And added
to this was the fact that the Jews
had not even fundamental knowl-
edge of agriculture.
The work of Ort was threefold. 1t
had to provide live stock, provide farm
ing implements, and arrange for the
education of the new farmers in the
work they had to do.
And in spite, of all the hardships'
the increase in the number of Jews
engaged in agriculture has been phe-
nomcnal. In all sections of Central and
Eastern Europe there are at least three
times as many Jewish farmers now as
there were before the war, and in
many parts there are six or seven
times as many. For instance, in the
section around GrodnO, there were
2GOO Jews working on the soil before
the war, now there are about 1I,2oo, or
5000 of the entire population. For all
of these implements and cattle had
to be provided, either by direct hes
towal, or by the system of loans which
the Ort had organized. The cducation-
al features were taken care of by send
ing agricultural experts from America
to Russia. men who Travelled from one
farm to another, giving instruction III
modern methods and the manipulation
Lpf, mGdern machinery. This Is SIN
being done, particularly in Russia.
Also. Immediately after the war. the
!, work of rchabilitatng the trade schools
was taken up. Wherever possible, the
old buildings We're taken over and
mnde uSnble in other cities new Cnes
were obtained And here is where the
change of attitude was most remark
able. students flocked to the reopen
ed trade schools. Requirements were
set up-onc must have the equivalent
of :: public school education, still there
was an overflow of applicants. And
entrance fee was asked, often even II
tuition fee There wis the same deluSe.
in Bialystuck the building which had
originally accommodated 100 pupils
now found it necessary to hold 30. In
Warsaw the school intended for 200
pupils had 270. The Jewish youth
seemed intent ON IA technical training.
And justly 50. They had seen enough
of the aforementioned 'Luft Beschef-
ten" They had seen how uncertain
and how fluctuating We're the returns.
They knew that Il manual trnrlc. we'll
learned was Il dependable thing. and
that there is always room for the train
cd artisan.
The methods which the Ort has used
in caring fer this stream of ambitious
youth are no less interesting than the
results. The higher requirements for
entrance 10 the trade school meant that
better means of instruction had To be
provided. one could not just take Il
cHrpcntcr or tailor ont of his shop
and put him on the faculty of II school,
SO these men. particularly i'll the tailor
ing line. are sent to Berlin or some
other city where there are highly ad-
vanccd schools teaching their trades,
There they take Il years work. and
come back prepared to assume charge
of the classes. Positions are Obtained
for the graduates as soon as possible,
and they are soon on their way to
earning II living.
But. it must be remembered that II
great part of the Jewish population is
distributed in small towns that would
5not justify the establishment of II trade
school with tbs various divisions. Yet
| it would he unfair to deprive these
small ltown Youngsters of the oppor-
tunity their large city brothers and
| sisters have. For them the Ort has
devised two schemes. The organiza-
tion either apprentices the dcsirous
| children to artisans in their town or
instaIls travelling trade school The
apprenticeship is supervised, and the
students are given regular cNamina-
tions, just as if they were really at
| tendimg one Of the Iarger schools. Thc