A message of particular interest from the new Jewish Agricultural Palestine was brought to American Jews by Joseph Saphir and David Sternberg, who arrived in New York this week as representatives of the Hebrew young farmers organization, B’nai Benjamin.
The B’nai Benjamin organization is one of the most interesting developments of modern Palestinian life. The organization consists of native Jewish Palestinian farmers, sons of the first pioneers in the Jewish agricultural settlements of the country. It has a membership of nearly one thousand and has branches in all the Jewish colonies. The purpose of the organization is the maintenance of Hebrew cultural standards in Palestine. It has devoted its activities in the direction of rendering credit aid to those native young farmers who are in need of financial assistance, thus preventing their leaving the country.
For this purpose the Cooperative Bank B’nai Benjamin, Ltd, was established nearly a year ago with the assistance of Mrs. Mary Fels and Nathan Straus of New York City. The bank was authorized by the Government and has been very active. It has helped many native farmers to establish themselves.
The B’nai Benjamin organization is particularly noted for setting an example of patriotic devotion to Palestine and its members have distinguished themselves on many occasions in times of emergency, during and after the war, when the Jewish colonies were in danger.
Mr. Sternberg and Mr. Saphir have come to New York in behalf of the B’nai Benjarnin Bank.
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.
