PROPOSAL TYPE
Individual
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
RELATED TOPICS
- Museums/Exhibits
- Oral History
- Public Engagement
ABSTRACT
The Alliance Colony, located in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey, was an agricultural community formed by Jewish families fleeing oppression and violence in the Russian Empire. Established in 1882 by 43 original families, the Alliance Colony was considered the first successful Jewish farming village in the United States. The community was named after the Alliance Israélite Universelle, a charitable organization founded in Paris in 1860, which helped in the resettlement of Jewish emigrants. Other organizations that assisted these communities included the Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society (HEAS), founded in New York City in 1881, and the Baron de Hirsch Fund.
DESCRIPTION
The narrative of the Alliance Colony is part of a broad history and consideration of immigration and agriculture in New Jersey. The historical, social, cultural, and economic significance of Alliance is an understudied piece of local history. These families forged a new life after fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire and and created a thriving community with religious, cultural, and industrial institutions that impacted the area for generations. This topic will be of interest to individuals with expertise in Jewish immigration, agriculture, refugee studies, or oral history.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Patricia Chappine, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 10, 2024. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Hi Patricia: I wonder if you might consider joining forces with Kelley Lemon who has a proposal regarding the Black agricultural landscape in Illinois. Together you might come up with some larger questions or themes that connect your projects.