J. D. B. News Letter

Nothing definite can be said about the present situation in the Jewish colonies except that many of the colonists are returning to individual land work which is no longer considered a crime and is even encouraged during the sowing season because the government wants to have every inch of land, whether individual or collective, fully sown.

Now that the forcible collectivization has been halted the position of the Agro-Joint has become much stronger. The Agro-Joint people breathe freely. The crisis is over—at least until the coming Autumn. It is too early just now to predict what may happen during the coming harvest in the colonies.

The spirit of the Jewish colonists is good. They lack food and forage but this problem is being solved by the Agro-Joint. The prospects for the crop are good. Every colonist is getting back at least one of his cows and can sell milk and dairy products freely in the neighboring cities without any hindrance from the local soviet.

As for the city Jews, the sky is clearing for them as well. The decree ordering reinstatement of rightless was meant chiefly for the declassed Jews in the cities and for the so-called kulaks in the villages who were deprived of their citizenship rights. Special committees are now working on revising the lists of the declassed, and there is no doubt that the Jews will greatly benefit by this general Soviet decree.

The way I foresee things here there will be no events of major importance in Jewish life in Russia during this Summer. The interesting events will no doubt begin around August, when the Soviet Government will again have to start the collection of grain from the peasants. However, there are about five months until August, and Soviet Russia is the kind of a country where five months means more than five years in any other country. A great deal of dissatisfaction exists among the com-