The Lost Jewish Farming Colony of Palestine, Michigan

In the late 1800s, a bold experiment unfolded in Michigan’s Thumb. Backed by the powerful Baron de Hirsch, a group of Russian Jewish immigrants tried to carve out a new life on 1,200 acres northeast of Bad Axe. Their settlement, named the Palestine Colony, was part of a broader international effort to resettle persecuted Jews through agriculture.

This episode uncovers the hopes, hardships, and legacy of this short-lived community—why it was formed, what happened to its settlers, and how echoes of their journey still remain in Huron County. Learn about the figures who made it possible, including Rabbi William Martin and financier Frank W. Hubbard, and hear how this piece of forgotten Michigan history ties into a global movement for Jewish resettlement.

Adapted from Thumbwind.com, this is a tale from the edge of the Great Lakes—and from the end of the road.

#MichiganHistory #JewishHeritage #Thumbwind #EndOfTheRoadPodcast #HuronCounty

A production of Thumbwind Publications