The Bira-Bidjan (Bureya) colonization project now being sponsored by the Ozet, society for settling Jews on the land, without the aid of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, will, in the end be recognized as important, declared Rashkes, Ozet representative, before his departure for Chabarovsk.
“The American Jewish masses will soon realize the importance of Bira-Bidjan and will compel the leaders to act, as was the case in Crimea and the Ukraine,” Mr. Rashkes declared. The investigation commission, he continued, disproved the charges brought against the Far East Ozer, which was charged with cruelty to the settlers. The work is going well, he declared, admitting, however, that fifty per cent of the trans-migrants have left because they were unfit for the work and also because of the difficulties of the undertaking.
Mr. Rashkes expressed his belief that the Bira-Bidjan region will become during the next five years the rice feeder of all Russia.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
