Jews in Small Towns of Russia Losing Interest in Being Settled on Land

Jews in the small towns of Russia are losing interest in being settled on the land this Spring. Of the 4,610 new Jewish colonists who were to arrive in Crimea and Ukrainia from the small towns by April only 1,755 have arrived, it is reported today.

This unique experience is believed to be due to three factors: first, because of the Soviet’s recent order reinstating the declassed into their rights, which means a change for the better in the conditions of the Jews in the small towns; secondly, because of a fear of collectivization, since every new settler is informed that he, as a newcomer on the land, will have to join a collective from the day of his arrival in the colony and will get no individual credits; and, thirdly, because the local Ozet committees which regulate the assignment of the Jews from the small towns to the colonies refuse to send ex-traders, and thus have no one to send because most of the Jewish population which remained in the small towns is of the ex-trader group.

The Ozet, which is the society for settling the Jews on the land, was today reprimanded by the higher authorities, which accuse it of endangering the Spring work in the fields because the arrival of new Jewish settlers, who have not come because of the Ozet’s policy, would mean more laborers in the colonies at the beginning of the sowing period.

Today’s summary shows that of the 1,005 new Jewish colonists who were supposed to arrive in Crimea up to April 1 only 506 arrived. In the Kherson region only 538 arrived up to April 1 instead of the expected 1,540. Other figures show that in the Krivorog region 396 came and 1,145 were due, in Zaporozhe 85 came and 405 were expected, in Bidzhan 33 came while 875 were expected.

The Jews from the small towns in Volyn Podol, especially are in no hurry to go to the colonies. Ukrainia was supposed to send 1,170 Jews from its small towns in to the colonies up to April but only 313 left.