90 Years of Jewish Artisanship and Agricultural Activity in Hungary: First Decade and Last Most Diff

The Jewish Artisans’ and Agriculturists’ Organisation in Hungary, known as the Mikefe, completes this week 90 years of its existence next week, the 20th. inst. In these nine decades, the Organisation has looked after 8,000 Jewish orphan boys, of whom 6,000 were given a training in artisanship, gardening, or agriculture, the report says. Some of them have become factory owners and there are among them several distinguished artists, including two well-known sculptors, Eduard Kallos and Eduard Ligets.

The most difficult periods of the organisation were the first decade and the ninth decade, the report states. When the Organisation was first established antisemitic elements tried to put difficulties in its way, arguing that the introduction of Jews into agriculture and handicraft would be harmful to the Hungarian nation. In spite of that, some of the greatest men in official Hungary came to the help of the Organisation, among them the great Hungarian liberator, Ludwig Kossuth, Count Ludwig Batthyany and the Palatine Josef.

On its 50th. anniversary the Organisation established an apprentices’ home, and on its 70th. anniversary it opened a Gardeners’ Training Institute.

During the inflation period the entire endowment fund of the Organisation went, but it was enabled to continue its activities by generous contributions from a number of Jewish philanthropists. Some of the principal donors to the Organisation were Deputy Dr. Armin Neumann, Baron Adolf Kohner, Chief Rabbi Dr. Simon Hevesi and Dr. Emil Stein, now President of the Organisation. Madame Veszi, the wife of Senator Dr. Josef Veszi, the editor-in-chief of the great Budapest daily, the “Pester Lloyd”, is the President of the Ladies Committee of the Organisation.