ABSTRACT
In January 1882 a group of 65 young Jewish people from Odessa arrived at New York harbor. It was one of several groups of the Am Olam, whose members had socialist convictions and who had come to the United States to establish model communitarian colonies. Several groups gathered in Brodi, waiting for a chance to emigrate, sending frequent messages to Jewish communities in the West asking for assistance in their endeavor to emigrate. During the process of crystallization the radical party was reinforced and their plan for a communitarian settlement was adopted. The society therefore prepared plans for settlements in the frontier states, and after some investigations proposed to establish Jewish farming colonies in the newly opened territories of Minnesota and South Dakota. The sovereign institution of the commune was the public meeting, which dealt with all matters of principle as well as with current affairs.
