(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The progress of the Jewish land settlers in the Crimea was described by the Soviet Minister of Health Semashko, who just returned from a visit to Crimea.
Writing in the “Isvestia,” the Minister of Health describes his visit to the Jewish colony Ikor, where he found the colonists thrashing corn. The older colonists complained that the first years were very hard when they had to live in mud huts and under great difficulties. The colonists, however, stated that “Jews are accustomed to suffer and therefore we have endured. Now, every year, it is becoming easier. This year’s harvest is not bad. We have planted vineyards. We have remained on the land despite difficulties because we knew that if we would give it up the whole back-to-the-land movement would be discouraged.”
The majority of the settlers are former traders, shopkeepers and artisans from Zhitomir, Cherson and Melitopol. All have declared that they do not regret their having engaged in agriculture and they would not return to the towns. This is solving the Jewish question in Russia, Minister Semashko states.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
