Polish Jews emigrating to Biro-Bidjan will receive full citizenship rights and privileges, according to a letter sent to Z. Tygel, secretary of the Federation of Polish Jews in America by William W. Cohen of the American Committee for the Settlement of Jews in Biro-Bidjan in answer to inquiries.
The reply, made public today by Mr. Tygel, states that the committee has received authorization to settle 1,000 non-Russian Jewish families in the autonomous Soviet Jewish territory in the Far East next year with assurances that additional allotments will be made if the families adjust themselves to the country in a short time.
The reply states that Polish Jews emigrating to the territory will receive free transportation and “will be admitted as full-fledged members of collective farms or of collective enterprises…They will receive an allotment of land for a vegetable garden for their own use, All this will be free of charge.” Long-term credits and equipment are also promised.
For each family of Polish Jews, Mr. Cohen says, $200 must be turned over to the Soviet Government and in addition each family will be obliged to spend about $150 on expenses.
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.