The situation in the Jewish colonies in Southern Russia which suffered from drought this past Spring, has improved somewhat, but the condition of the Jews in the towns is still very difficult, according to the latest message from Dr. Joseph A. Rosen, Director of the Agro-Joint, released by David A. Brown, National Chairman of the United Jewish Campaign.
Dr. Rosen’s message stated: “Conditions in our colonies in the Cherson and Krivoi Rog districts are much better now than they were several weeks ago. Good August rains have greatly improved forage crops and have made conditions for winter seeding very favorable. Planting of the winter crops is how completed. However the general economic conditions of the Jewish town population is still very difficult. Although the situation is by no means hopeless, it requires considerable additional effort on our part to extend the scope of our reconstructive and social activities in all fields.”
“In this message,” Mr. Brown declared upon releasing the cable, “Dr. Rosen tends only to confirm information which we already are aware of and which has held our attention for the past several months. Only recently Dr. Rosen was confronted with a situation that compelled him to stop Agro-Joint subsidies to a number of trade schools throughout the Ukraine and White Russia thereby forcing hundreds of pupils whose main source of support was this subsidy, to leave the schools in the face of threatening starvation.
“Telegrams, petitions, heart-rending appeals were immediately addressed to Dr. Rosen to continue these subsidies, but the only course left to him, in view of the lack of funds, was to forward all these appeals to the Joint Distribution Committee and the United Jewish Campaign, with a strong plea on his own part, for further help.
“The condition of the trade schools on which several thousands of young men and women are dependent for their future livelihood, is only one of the many problems of the urban Jew in Russia. The loan societies, the workers’ cooperatives, the ‘Kustor’ shops–all these organizations attempting to reconstruct the economic life of tens of thousands of families, are in the same measure dependent upon our continued support.
“With the present critical situation requiring, as Dr. Rosen points out, increased activity on our part, the need of American support has become even more vital than it has been in past years. But appropriation of funds necessary not only for the extension but also for the continuance of our present activities, is impossible without the regular influx of funds to the treasury of the Joint Distribution Committee, Mr. Brown sated.
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