those present pertaining to the economic, cultural, religious and agricultural problems in Russia and he answered all of these questions in great detail.
James N. Rosenberg, chairman of the American Society for Jewish Farm Settlements in Russia, who was the host at this luncheon, stated that, although the Jewish situation in Russia is at this time a very difficult one, the difficulties are inherent in the whole Russian situation and in no sense especially a Jewish problem.
“This places the burden more than ever on the Jews of America,” Mr. Rosenberg said. “The more difficult the task of help, whether it be in Russia, Palestine or Poland, the greater must our efforts be in behalf of our suffering and sorely tried kinsmen,” he said. “We shall not take counsel of our fears but always of hope, courage and invincible determination. So, if Dr. Rosen and those of us who are working with him have our way, the Russian work will proceed, not less, but more energetically.
“As to the unfortunate city dwelling Jews, whose plight today is probably worse than at any time since the Russian Revolution, they are more eager than ever to get to the soil or into any kind of productive work where the labor of their hands will produce bread for them and their children and where they will have the legal status of citizenship instead of being lishentzy, that is, people deprived of all legal rights and status. We must, and I hope we will, redouble our efforts in behalf of the Jews of Russia.”
Dr. Rosen, on the subject of industrialization work and the agricultural activities, pointed out that the greatest proof of its success was that the Soviet Government has this year appropriated 6,000,000 roubles for increased Jewish land settlement work.
Dr. Rosen stressed that the Russian Government had more than lived up to its original agreement with the Agro-Joint under which it was obliged to contribute annually 500,000 roubles toward the Jewish land settlement work in the Agro-Joint colonies, and that in 1930 the total of the Russian Government’s contribution to the Jewish agricultural work will have exceeded 6,000,000 roubles.
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