One half million Jews will remain unemployed five years from now, even after the most successful utilization of the five-year plan according to which 400,000 Jews are supposed to find employment in industry and agriculture in Russia. This statement was made by A. Merezhin in reply to a statement by J. Larin, against whom a resolution was adopted by the Comzet, governmental department for Jewish land settlement, because of his criticism of the Bira-Bidjan colonization project.
Mr. Larin is not justified in opposing the Bidjan project on the basis of an opinion that within ten years 600,000 Jews will find work in industry and agriculture. “Even with the most optimistic opinion that one-half million Jews will be employed within five years, I ask what will become of the remaining half-million who, even Larin admits, are a problem?”
Mr. Merezhin declared that he sees Bira-Bidjan as the only solution to this problem. He estimates that the million unemployed are comprised of 65,000 families of tailors and shoemakers, 90,000 former traders, 24,000 declassed and 135,000 families in various categories.
Mr. Merezhin further declared that he firmly believes Larin’s idea of a Jewish republic in Crimea is stubborn blindness, in the meantime harming Bira-Bidjan.
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.
