BENJAMIN S. STONE

BENJAMIN S. STONE (1891-March 8, 1953)

            He was born in Haisyn, Podolia.  His father was an orchard keeper and dried fruit.  He attended religious elementary school, later studying on his own.  In 1909 he came to the United States.  He studied at the agricultural school of Baron Hirsch in Woodbine, New Jersey, from which he graduated in 1914.  He later studied agronomy at Michigan State College.  In 1918 he served in the U. S. Army.  From 1919 he was active in the Jewish Agricultural Society and editor of the monthly Der idisher farmer (The Jewish famer), with an English section, and for years he published popular articles on farming issues.  He also organized a series of farming cooperatives, which significantly helped to improve the economic condition of many Jewish farmers.  He was also a lecturer in evening courses for farmers and worked actively in their organizations.  In addition, he organized hundreds of farmers’ meetings and demonstrations in various farming areas in America.  He was the organizer and speaker at the annual farmers’ conference in New York.  In book form, he published: Krankhayten fun beheymes, vi tsu ferhiten un vi tsu laysten hilf in a noyt-fal (Animal illnesses, how to protect and how to offer assistance in an emergency) (New York, 1922), 38 pp.; Der farm-ferd, vi tsu ervehlen, farmehren, bahandlen un bashitsn (The farm horse, how to select, breed, treat, and protect [them]) (New York: Jewish Agricultural Society, 1924), 54 pp.  Stone strove to increase productivity and care for the health, physically and spiritually, of the lives of all who sought possibilities to be rescued from sweatshops, stores, and livelihoods on air.  He died in New York.

Sources: M. Ayzman (Alter Epshteyn), in Der tog (New York) (March 26, 1935); B. Miler and G. Bavedson, in Idisher farmer (New York) (April 1953).

Benyomen Elis