Originally known as Jersey Homesteads, Roosevelt was one of 99 communities across the country created by the federal government as part of the New Deal. The purpose of these communities was to decentralize industry from congested cities and enable workers to improve their standards of living through the help of subsistence agriculture. Roosevelt was the only community planned as an agro-industrial cooperative which included a farm, factory and retail stores, and the only one established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers. One of the many highlights is one of the largest frescos in the United States, the Ben Shahn Mural. Painted in 1937 under a grant from the Works Progress Administration, it chronicles the history of immigration, labor reforms and the New Deal. The tour will be given by Rabbi Moshe Herzony and town historian Michael Ticken. A kosher morning snack and lunch will be served.
Sponsor: Temple Beth El of Somerset Hazak