ODESSA AND THE POGROM 13 



did not clear after the thunderclap. By the time 

 autumn came a real movement toward emigration made 

 itself evident in the thoughts and sentiments of the 

 poorer Jews throughout their pale of settlement. The 

 students who organized the "Self-Defence League" 

 came together again to help shape and mould the 

 Jewish sentiment and to bring the Jewish thought into 

 practical channels. Accordingly they organized the 

 "Am~0hlom" (The Eternal People). This society 

 was to decide upon a plan for emigration, and to help 

 the needy with funds. Some favored Palestine; some 

 the Argentine. My husband came out strongly in 

 favor of the United States of America; and so the 

 purpose of the "Am-Ohlom" was definitely settled as 

 an aid and furtherance of emigration to America. 

 Another of its objects was to show the world that a 

 Jew was able to become a productive worker if given 

 the proper chance. Thus agricultural colonization took 

 shape in their imaginations as the chief objective for 

 future time. 



My husband was appointed one of the committee of 

 the "Am-Ohlom." He opened a correspondence with 

 the Jewish organizations in Cracow, Vienna, Paris and 

 London, as well as with other Russian societies, for 

 the purpose of raising funds. I do not know the exact 

 amount of money collected, but I do know that re- 

 sponses were very generous, and many, many hundreds 

 of the desperate people were helped to emigrate. (How 

 my husband kept his health in those days I cannot tell. 



