Jewish Life on The Land
17
Sharing Stories Inspiring Change Jewish Life on The Land Boston Jewish Food Conference, 2015 Workers tending the vegetable garden at Camp Kinder Ring, date unknown.
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Transcript of Jewish Life on The Land
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Jewish Life on The Land
Boston Jewish Food Conference, 2015
Workers tending the vegetable
garden at Camp Kinder Ring,
date unknown.
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Meet the Panelists
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
What comes to mind when
you hear the words “Jewish
farmer” or “Jews and
agriculture?”
?
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
An Historical View of
Jewish Life on The Land
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Growth of Jewish Population in America
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Jewish Farmers in the United States
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Farmers1911
1925 1966
Axis Title
2M 4M 5.4M
Herman J. Levine and Benjamin Miller, The American Jewish Farmer in Changing Times (New York: The Jewish Agricultural Society, Inc. 1966) 19, 21, 50.
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Why haven’t more Jews been farmers?
• Anti-semitism limited land ownership
• High literacy rates compared to other religious groups
• Less religiously-engaged Jews converted
Landsburg, Steven E., “Why Jews Don’t Farm.” Slate.com. June 13, 2003. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/everyday_economics/2003/06/why_jews_dont_farm.1.html
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
There IS a history of Jewish farming in the US
• Jewish agricultural ventures as long as
there have been Jews in the New World
• 1881—Am Olam founded in Odessa
bringing Jews to socialist farms in the US
• Ongoing agricultural settlement in
Palestine, Israel
• 1891—Baron Maurice de Hirsch founds
Jewish Colonization Association, then the
Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid
Society
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Letter from a Jewish Farmer to the
Editor of The Forward, 1909“I came to North Dakota, where most people make their living from farming. But there
are no Jews in this area. I started to work on a farm and I learned farming. I like this
kind of life, and after working a year and a half I rented a farm for myself.
My capital was small, but Gentile neighbors helped me. I went into debt for thirteen
hundred dollars, but by the end of the summer I had paid back almost all of my debts. I
wrote to a friend of mine about joining me. He and his wife came and we work together.
We carry on an independent life, have none of the problems of city life because we
always have our own potatoes, butter, cheese, milk, chickens, a good home and are
content.
This winter I went to Chicago and stayed a few weeks with friends. Most of my friends
called me an idiot and told me they could not understand how a young, capable fellow
like me became a farmer and leads such a lonely life.
Of all the girls I knew, who would have gladly married me before, not one was
interested in going back to the farm with me. But this didn’t discourage me. I returned to
the farm and I’m now preparing for the spring season.”
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
A Snapshot of Jewish Life on the Land
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
There IS a history of Jewish farming in the US
• Many collective and utopian communities
• 1920’s—collectives give way to individual
ventures (funders want to support
individuals growing near urban centers)
• 1930’s—Jewish farming communities
provide aid to Jews abroad and welcome
displaced persons
• After WWII—agribusinesses buy out
smaller farms, Jewish chicken farming is
sustainable and common
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Jewish Life on the Land
• Same problems that other farmers/farming communities had :
• Expenses of moving inventory from isolated farms to city centers
• Pricing of supplies and capital investment
• Monopoly control of market access
• Volatile price swings
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Jewish Life on the Land
• In addition, Jewish agriculturalists faced other challenges
• Isolation from Jewish community
• Lack of skills not learned in country of origin (though some did go to training
schools and settlements)
• Farm life was romanticized by philanthropists and Jewish press
• Call to the security of a job in the needle trades (as was the cultural norm)
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
There IS a history of Jewish farming in the US
• 1970’s and 80’s—urban and
suburban Jews return to “The Land,”
especially through organic
farming/food ventures with smaller
eco footprint
• Earthbound Farm, Stonyfield Yogurt, Ben &
Jerry’s
• Today—just look at the food conference!
• Intentionally/Spiritually Jewish farming
ventures
• Large-scale companies run by Jews like
Agriprocessors kosher meat company
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Persistent Elements of Jewish Life on the Land
• Often viewed as a return to the land and escape from
urban lifestyle
• A concern/question around Jewish ritual life and religious
community
• Ability to acquire enough skills to successfully work the
land
• Farming/livestock ventures require large capital
investments and an alternative lifestyle, apart from the
“mainstream” Jewish experience
Sharing Stories
Inspiring Change
Stories of Jewish Life
on the Land in 2015What questions do you have?
