Alliance Colony
Encyclopedia
The Alliance Colony was a Jewish agricultural community that was founded in Alliance, New Jersey on May 10, 1882. It was named after the Alliance Israélite Universelle
of Paris
and was funded by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of New York
and Philadelphia. and The Baron De Hirsch Fund.
Jews prompted many families to move to America. Many began their lives in America in tenements on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. As the numbers of Jewish people in America increased there was a strong desire to leave the confinement and crowded conditions in the cities. Some Jewish thinkers and community leaders proclaimed that recent Jewish immigrants ought "to become tillers of the soil and thus shake off the accusation that we were petty mercenaries living upon the toil of others." They settled in communities across the country, but many wished to continue living in predominately Jewish areas. These immigants recognized that self sufficiency would be paramount to their survival which lead them into agriculture.The leader of Alliance Colony, Moses Bayuk came to Norma, New Jersey from the Russian Empire in 1880. Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society granted Bayuk a parcel of land near the Maurice River adjacent to the Norma train station. His property was the beginning of Alliance Colony. Alliance was founded by a core group of twenty-five settlers but many more followed and by the end of the first summer, there were 60-70 families living in the colony.
The land that was settled consisted of 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) per family on farmland that needed to be cleared and farmed. The immigrant colony members had little knowledge of agriculture and had difficulty farming the sandy south Jersey soil but received training from their neighbors. The Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society paid workers weekly during the period in which land was cleared. Initially, Alliance was also supported by local politicians who arranged for 1,000+ army tents for the community for shelter until permanent housing could be built.
In 1901, there were 151 adults at Alliance and 345 children, 27 of whom were married. There were 78 farms worth $135,250. The community owned 1886 acres (7.6 km²) of land, of which 1,354 were cleared.
There were numerous buildings in the community, as well as several synagogues, some of which are still in operation. Alliance focused on education, building several well recognized schools as well as four synagogues, and a Jewish cemetery.
Remnants of Alliance Colony exist today, the cemetery is still in use for the Jewish communities in Cumberland and Salem Counties and is well maintained, the home of Moses Bayuk, the founder of the colony is still standing and there are plans to turn the property into a cultural center and museum.
The last known survivor of the Alliance Colony, Lillian Greenblatt Braun, celebrated her 100th birthday in 2005. She is still alive as of June 2009 and living in Maryland.
The Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties is currently working on building a Jewish Heritage Center on the property to commemorate the community's history, the history of Jews in America and their participation in farming.
The old Tifereth Israel synagogue, built in vernacular style in 1889 and disused in 1996, is one of the few surviving 19th-century synagogues
in the United States.
Alliance Israélite Universelle
The Alliance Israélite Universelle is a Paris-based international Jewish organization founded in 1860 by the French statesman Adolphe Crémieux to safeguard the human rights of Jews around the world...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and was funded by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Philadelphia. and The Baron De Hirsch Fund.
History
Following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, numerous pogroms targeting RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
Jews prompted many families to move to America. Many began their lives in America in tenements on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. As the numbers of Jewish people in America increased there was a strong desire to leave the confinement and crowded conditions in the cities. Some Jewish thinkers and community leaders proclaimed that recent Jewish immigrants ought "to become tillers of the soil and thus shake off the accusation that we were petty mercenaries living upon the toil of others." They settled in communities across the country, but many wished to continue living in predominately Jewish areas. These immigants recognized that self sufficiency would be paramount to their survival which lead them into agriculture.The leader of Alliance Colony, Moses Bayuk came to Norma, New Jersey from the Russian Empire in 1880. Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society granted Bayuk a parcel of land near the Maurice River adjacent to the Norma train station. His property was the beginning of Alliance Colony. Alliance was founded by a core group of twenty-five settlers but many more followed and by the end of the first summer, there were 60-70 families living in the colony.
The land that was settled consisted of 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) per family on farmland that needed to be cleared and farmed. The immigrant colony members had little knowledge of agriculture and had difficulty farming the sandy south Jersey soil but received training from their neighbors. The Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society paid workers weekly during the period in which land was cleared. Initially, Alliance was also supported by local politicians who arranged for 1,000+ army tents for the community for shelter until permanent housing could be built.
Community makeup
The Alliance Colony was primarily a farming community but also included various craftsmen - cabinetmaking, blacksmithing, masonry, eventually a clothing factory was established which is still in existence.In 1901, there were 151 adults at Alliance and 345 children, 27 of whom were married. There were 78 farms worth $135,250. The community owned 1886 acres (7.6 km²) of land, of which 1,354 were cleared.
There were numerous buildings in the community, as well as several synagogues, some of which are still in operation. Alliance focused on education, building several well recognized schools as well as four synagogues, and a Jewish cemetery.
Today
All of the Jewish Agricultural Societies of the late 19th century and early 20th century have faded away.Remnants of Alliance Colony exist today, the cemetery is still in use for the Jewish communities in Cumberland and Salem Counties and is well maintained, the home of Moses Bayuk, the founder of the colony is still standing and there are plans to turn the property into a cultural center and museum.
The last known survivor of the Alliance Colony, Lillian Greenblatt Braun, celebrated her 100th birthday in 2005. She is still alive as of June 2009 and living in Maryland.
The Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties is currently working on building a Jewish Heritage Center on the property to commemorate the community's history, the history of Jews in America and their participation in farming.
The old Tifereth Israel synagogue, built in vernacular style in 1889 and disused in 1996, is one of the few surviving 19th-century synagogues
Oldest synagogues in the United States
The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
in the United States.