Russian Jewish Colony Named for David A. Brown

A farm colony in the Crimea has taken the name of David A. Brown of Detroit, chairman of the United Jewish Campaign, in appreciation of his service to the Jews of Eastern Europe and Russia in organizing and directing the United Jewish Campaign. This was made public today by Joseph C. Hyman, executive secretary of the United Jewish Campaign, following receipt of a cable from Jacob Billikopf, director of the Philadelphia Federation of Jewish Charities and impartial chairman of the men’s clothing industry, who is touring Russia, as an unofficial investigator of conditions among Jewish agriculturists there.

The colony which now bears his name, was visited by Mr. Brown a year ago, when it had just been started. At that time it contained a single rough dug-out, sheltering a pioneer family; today it has, according to Mr. Billikopf’s cable, numerous dwellings, and 350 individuals. “David Brown” is the second farm colony in Russia to bear the name of an American. The other has the name of Julius Rosenwald, of Chicago, who gave $1,000,000 to the United Jewish Campaign.

In his cable, Mr. Billikopf emphasized the fact that the “back to the soil” movement, by which thousands of poverty stricken Jewish city dwellers are being restored to economic independence, has been demonstrated to be highly successful. The colonists are being settled for agricultural pursuits on land made available to them by the Russian government; tools, seeds, advice of agricultural experts, aid and counsel is supplied by the Joint Distribution Committee, and funds to carry on this enterprise raised in America through the $25,000,000 United Jewish Campaign for relief and reconstruction.

In the towns where Jewish victims of the country’s economic disaster are will in the grip of poverty, more than a million Jews are destitute and half the children of school age tuberculous, according to Mr. Billikopf’s cable, and he declares that Jewish farm settlers are invariably happy and prosperous. On 200,000 acres of fertile land in southern Russia he found 25,000 families enjoying ideal prosperity and he cables: “We commit a great injustice to our people if we fail to absorb hundreds of thousands of additional acres promptly under existing propitious circumstances.”

Mr. Billikopf, on his tour also visited the “Rosenwald” colony, and his cable conveys the birthday greetings of that community to Mr. Rosenwald. William Rosenwald, son of Julius Rosenwald, is accompanying Mr. Billikopf on his tour of the agricultural colonies. and Stanley Folz of Philadelphia, David Schweitzer of New York, and Dr. Joseph A. Rosen, director of the Joint Distribution Committee’s work in Russia, are also of the party. Mr. Billikopf’s cable in full is as follows:

“Rosenwald, Folz, Rosen, Schweitzer and I visited section corresponding Western Kansas and Western Nebraska containing twenty-five thousand families on two hundred thousand acres of fertile land. Condition colonists ideal contrasted condition over million Jews in small towns where poverty abject and nearly half children school age tuberculous. Our colonies making marked progress compared hundred year old neighboring German colonies. Chalutzim happy and contented their spirit superb. Last year you visited colony containing single dug-out. Today has many homes. Three hundred and fifty individuals in appreciation of great service designating it David Brown. Many progressing equally. We commit great injustice our people if we fail aborbing hundreds thousands additional acres promptly under existing propitious circumstances. Rosenwald Colony sends benefactor birthday greetings.”

Prior to his tour among the agrarian districts in Russia Mr. Billikopf visited hospitals and child-care and other institutions supported by the Joint Distribution Committee in Latvia, and cabled:

“Visited Riga institutions rebuilt by Joint Distribution Committee. Superbly conducted. Hospital though meagerly equipped might serve model many American institutions. Twenty-one Kassas Latvia doing marvelous work. Child-care progressive. Local Jewry gratifyingly responsive its obligations.”