A LIFE NOBLY LIVED 169 



the physical habits and customs of the prospective farmer 

 but a mental turn-over must be effected in order to bring 

 results." 



The general absence of any vision on the part of many 

 leaders in American Israel, regarding the agricultural 

 movement, was a source of grave concern to him. So 

 far the activities had been confined to settling on farms 

 men of mature age with habits of living formed and city 

 ideas of life embedded in them for centuries. 



Considering this movement for the future rather than 

 for the immediate present, he addressed himself to the 

 young and still growing minds and out of his efforts, the 

 Baron de Hirsch Agricultural School for the Jewish 

 youth became a reality. 



In his annual report for the year 1896, Professor 

 Sabsovich writes: 



"Jewish agriculture in whatever part of the globe it 

 may be practised, has a special interest and is of a par- 

 ticular importance, not common to agriculture as such, 

 and namely, it is a living proof of the falsehood of the 

 assertion of the political anti-semites in Russia, that the 

 Russian Jew avoids productive work, especially the noble 

 vocation of the tiller of the soil. It further proves that 

 whenever and wherever the Russian Jew enjoys political 

 freedom and freedom of selection of a calling, he does 

 not neglect agriculture as well. 



"Anything which helps to develop Jewish agriculture 

 is of great importance above named. Our school which 

 has grown from a very modest beginning is becoming one 

 of the factors of improving and enlarging of Jewish 

 agriculture in this country. That there is a tendency 

 on the part of a large portion of newcomers to our 

 country among the Russian Jews to devote their means 

 and abilities to agriculture, the past has proved to be so." 



