Click here to access the document analysis worksheet from the National Archives and Records Administration. This worksheet will be very helpful in providing students with practice in the interpretation and analysis of documents from the Jersey Homesteads Collection at the Rutgers University Special Collections and University Archives shown on this page.
Title: 2 photographs with captions that appeared in the 'Morning Journal' article, 'Picture from the Hightstown Colony' by A. Litwin
Date: 1936
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. These two photographs from a newspaper clipping show women farmers and their children who lived in Jersey Homesteads. The top photograph features two-year-old Frieda Cohen, the first child to be born in Jersey Homesteads. The bottom picture is of Sylvia Shaikin, the postmistress of the colony and daughter of a colonist. These pictures are significant as they show different generations of Jersey Homesteaders.
PDF: 2 photographs with captions that appeared in the 'Morning Journal' article
Title: Letter from S. Dingal, Associate Editor at 'The Day,' to Mr. Baruch Drazin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hightstown Colony, July 31, 1936
Date: 1936
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. S. Dingal, the Associate Editor of the national Jewish newspaper, 'The Day,' wrote a letter to Baruch [Boris] Drazin, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hightstown Colony, apologizing for not being able to attend the opening ceremony for the factory on the following Sunday. Dingal sent his wishes for a successful opening of the factory and believed that the factory would just be the beginning of cooperative factories in America.
PDF: Letter from S. Dingal, Associate Editor at 'The Day,' to Mr. Baruch Drazin
Title: Preamble written by Jersey Homestead settlers
Date: 1936
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. The Jersey Homesteads settlers devised this proposal to protect their rights in the community, and to foster better communication between the settlers and the government. They organized the Jersey Homesteads Protective Association to represent the interests of all the settlers. The Association's purpose was four-fold: to safeguard the interest of the settlers; to conduct all negotiations with the government on matters that concern Homestead; to safeguard the interests of every individual settler; and to support and help the development of the cooperative character of the settlement. The administration consisted of fifteen members who were elected at the annual meeting with all the members, and settlers were eligible for membership when they passed a government inspection.
PDF: Preamble written by Jersey Homestead settlers
>Title: Event program: Class of 1941 Commencement Exercises of Jersey Public School
Date: 1941
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban, Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. This document was the Jersey Homesteads Public School's commencement program for the graduating class of 1941. The graduation ceremony was held in the school auditorium. Education was an important part of the children's lives in Jersey Homesteads, and a formal graduation ceremony recognized their achievemnents. The program listed the names of the graduates, the members of the faculty, the principal, the members of the Board of Education, and the districk clerk. Religion was also an important part of the Jersey Homesteads community, as evidenced by the inclusion of Bible readings, Hebrew folk songs, and a benediction give by Rabbi M. Mezritcher at the ceremony.
PDF: Event program: Class of 1941 Commencement Exercises of Jersey Public School
Title: Newspaper advertisement from Jersey Homesteads Tripod Coat and Suit, Inc., to promote the ladies garments factory
Date: 1936
Description: The federal government created Jersey Homesteads as part of a New Deal initiative. It was unique because it was the only community planned as an agro-industrial cooperative that included a farm, a factory, and retail stores, specifically established for urban Jewish garment workers. This newspaper advertisement for Jersey Homesteads Tripod Coat and Suit, Inc., highlighted the garment factory as "the most modern plant of its kind in the world," as well as listed the benefits of working in the clothing industry. The advertisement sought to appeal to its female audience by stating that all Tripod Coat and Suit, Inc., workers belonged to the International Ladies Garments Workers Union. Additionally, the advertisement mentioned that workers in these garment factories had steady, seasonal employment, and were paid according to the union's wages.
PDF: Newspaper advertisement from Jersey Homesteads Tripod Coat and Suit, Inc., to promote the ladies garments factory
Title: Letter to Mr. Drazin, President of Jersey Homesteads, from Samuel Niznevitz, Chairman of the Wage Planning Committee
Date: 1938
Description: The federal government created Jersey Homesteads as part of a New Deal initiative. It was unique because it was the only community planned as an agro-industrial cooperative that included a farm, a factory, and retail stores, specifically established for urban Jewish workers. This document is a letter to Mr. Drazin, President of the Industrial Committee of Jersey Homesteads, from Samuel Nisnevitz, Chairman of the Wage Planning Committee. This December 18, 1938, letter is in reference to a previous letter written by Mr. Drasin on September 23, 1938, to the Board of Directors of the Consumers Wholesale Clothers, Inc. This December letter describes the recent meeting in which employed factory workers discussed a plan to simultaneously earn a living and give the factory management an opportunity to obtain business in the open market. Reasonable working wages were discussed as well. The letter also includes the wages that these workers agreed upon.
PDF: Letter to Mr. Drazin, President of Jersey Homesteads, from Samuel Niznevitz, Chairman of the Wage Planning Committee
Title: Letter of concern from Boris Drasin, President of the Jersey Homesteads Industrial Cooperative Association
Date: 1939
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later renamed the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whome had emigrated from Europe. In this letter, Boris Drasin, a community leader who was the President of the Jersey Homesteads Industrial Cooperative Association, expresses his concerns to their management corporation (Consumers Wholesale Clothiers, Inc.) about how financial losses will impact the lives of Roosevelt's residents, three-fourths of whom depended on the garment factory for their livelihoods. He makes suggestions as to how the situation might be improved.
PDF: Letter of concern from Boris Drasin, President of the Jersey Homesteads Industrial Cooperative Association
Title: Rubin Pizer's application to Jersey Homesteads
Date: 1935
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. This document was Poland-born Rubin Pizer's application for admission to Jersey Homesteads. It asked personal questions, such as name, address, age, place of birth, marital status, occupation, and time in the United States; and family questions, such as wife's occupation, children, etc. Pizer also supplied information regarding his furniture, clothing and home article purchases; the number of weeks he worked in 1934 and 1935; and memberships in unions or fraternal organizations. The form also asked for Pizer's prospects for the future, to which Pizer replied, "Join the fighting against capitalism." The application was very specific, and Jersey Homesteads mandatory requirements included a $500 down payment, evidence of a functional home life, and satisfactory completion of a health exam.
PDF: Rubin Pizer's application to Jersey Homesteads
Title: John F. Kennedy telegram to Roosevelt
Date: 1961
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. President John F. Kennedy sent a telegram to the citizens of Roosevelt, New Jersey, apologizing for not being able to attend the memorial dedication in honor of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Jersey Homesteads became Roosevelt in 1945 in honor of the president.) President Kennedy expressed his gratitude to the people of Roosevelt for constructing the memorial, and commented that it will serve as a constant reminder of Roosevelt's good works.
PDF: John F. Kennedy telegram to Roosevelt
Title: Telegram from Irving Flicker, with response from Eliahu Epstein, regarding the Israeli Government
Date: 1948
Description: Jersey Homesteads (later the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban, Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. Mayor Irving Flicker sent a telegram to the Jewish Agency for Palenstine, to congratulate the Israeli government on its recent independence, and on the recognition by the United States of Israel as an independent country. Eliahu Epstein, Representative of the Provincial Government of Israel, sent a reply telegram to Flicker, thanking him for his message and sending his regards to the Roosevelt Community. As a predominantly Jewish community, the establishment of Israel as an independent state was a significant event that connected Jersey Homestead citizens to the global Jewish community.
PDF: Telegram from Irving Flicker, with response from Eliahu Epstein, regarding the Israeli Government
Title: National cooperative organizations list
Date: 1930
Description: The federal government created Jersey Homesteads as part of a New Deal initiative. It was unique because it was the only community planned as an agro-industrial cooperative that included a farm, factory, and retail stores, specifically established for urban Jewish garment workers. This document contains a list of cooperative organizations that were interested in distributing clothing manufactured by the Co-op Clothing program. At the time the letter was written, there were 20,000 members and 23 cooperative organizations that had already distributed items during the past season.
PDF: National cooperative organizations list
Title: Co-op Agents for Jersey Homesteads, 1939
Date: 1939
Description: Jersey Homesteads was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban, Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. This three-page memo lists the appointed Co-op Agents, their occupations, and work addresses. Milton Deutch, Erwin Schmidt, H.L. Rege, Ben 'The Tailor' Verosi, C. Kolodinsky, A. Possetti, and I. Baskin were selected as the Co-op Agents. Some were chosen because of their connections to local immigrant groups. After the failure of the factory's first season, community leaders attempted to distribute goods through local cooperatives. The memo states that each agent will supply goods to an assigned cooperative group in Jersey Homesteads, and customers will receive a ten percent discount on retail sales.
PDF: Co-op Agents for Jersey Homesteads, 1939
Title: Advertisement for coats
Date: 1937
Description: Broadside, advertisement for coats made by Tripod Coat and Suit Inc., the garment factory and distribution network at Jersey Homesteads.
PDF: Advertisement: Coats for Women and Misses