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B'nai B'rith

B'nai B'rith International (/bəˌn ˈbrɪθ/ bə-NAY BRITH; from Hebrew: בְּנֵי בְּרִית, romanizedb'né brit, lit.'Children of the Covenant')[1] is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish people and the State of Israel and combating antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.

B'nai B'rith International
בְּנֵי בְּרִית
PredecessorIndependent Order of B'nai B'rith (and many others)
FormationOctober 13, 1843; 179 years ago (1843-10-13)
TypeNGO
53-0179971
Location
President
Seth J. Riklin
C.E.O.
Daniel S. Mariaschin
Vice Chairman
Brad Adolph
Websitewww.bnaibrith.org
Independent Order of B'nai B'rith membership certificate (1876), the predecessor organization to B'nai B'rith International.

Although the organization's historic roots stem from a system of fraternal lodges and units in the late 19th century, as fraternal organizations declined throughout the United States, the organization evolved into a dual system of both lodges and units.[2][3] The membership pattern became more common to other contemporary organizations of members affiliated by contribution in addition to formal dues paying members. B'nai B'rith has members, donors and supporters around the world.

History

B'nai B'rith was founded in Aaron Sinsheimer's café in New York City's Lower East Side on October 13, 1843, by 12 recent German Jewish immigrants led by Henry Jones.[3][4] The new organization represented an attempt to organize Jews of the local community to confront what Isaac Rosenbourg, one of the founders, called "the deplorable condition of Jews in this, our newly adopted country".[5] The new group's purpose, as described in its constitution, called for the traditional functions performed by Jewish societies in Europe: "Visiting and attending the sick" and "protecting and assisting the widow and the orphan." Its founders had hoped that it soon would encompass all Jews in the United States, but this did not happen, since other Jewish organizations also were forming around the same time.[6]

The German-speaking founders originally named the organization Bundes-Brüder (German for "Brothers of the Covenant")[7] to reflect their goal of a fraternal order that could provide comfort to the entire spectrum of Jewish Americans.[8] Although early meetings were conducted in German, after a short time English emerged as the language of choice and the name was changed to B'nai B'rith. In the late 20th century, the translation was changed to the more contemporary and inclusive Children of the Covenant.

Despite its fraternal and local beginnings, B'nai B'rith spoke out for Jewish rights early in its history and used its growing national chain of lodges as a way to exercise political influence on behalf of world Jewry. In 1851, for example, it circulated petitions urging Secretary of State Daniel Webster to demand the end of Jewish disabilities in Switzerland, during on-going trade negotiations. Into the 1920s the B'nai B'rith continued in its political work by joining in Jewish delegations and lobbying efforts through which American Jews sought to influence public policy, both domestic and foreign. B'nai B'rith also played a crucial role in transnational Jewish politics. The later spread of the organization around the world made it a nerve center of intra-Jewish communication and mutual endeavor.[9]

 
Religious Liberty, a statue commissioned by B'Nai B'rith for the 1876 Centennial Exposition and dedicated "to the people of the United States". By Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a B'nai B'rith member and the first American Jewish sculptor to gain international prominence.

1843 to early 1900s

The organization's activities during the 19th and 20th centuries were dominated by mutual aid, social service and philanthropy. In keeping with their concerns for protecting their families, the organization's first concrete action was the establishment of an insurance policy awarding widows of deceased members $30 toward funeral expenses and a stipend of $1 a week for the rest of their life. To aid their children, each child would also receive a stipend and, for male children, the assurance he would be taught a trade.[5]

In 1851, Covenant Hall was erected in New York City as the first Jewish community center in the United States, and also what is widely considered to be the first Jewish public library in the United States.[3] One year later, B'nai B'rith established the Maimonides Library.[10] Immediately following the Civil War—when Jews on both sides of the battle were left homeless—B'nai B'rith founded the 200-bed Cleveland Jewish Orphan Home. Over the next several years, the organization would establish numerous hospitals, orphanages and homes for the aged.[11]

In 1868, when a devastating flood crippled Baltimore, B'nai B'rith responded with a disaster relief campaign. This act preceded the founding of the American Red Cross by 13 years and was to be the first of many domestic relief programs. That same year, B'nai B'rith sponsored its first overseas philanthropic project raising $4,522 to aid the victims of a cholera epidemic in Ottoman Palestine.[12]

In 1875, a lodge was established in Toronto, followed soon after by another in Montreal and in 1882 by a lodge in Berlin. Membership outside of the United States grew rapidly. Soon, lodges were formed in Cairo (1887) and in Jerusalem (1888—nine years before Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland).[13] The Jerusalem lodge became the first public organization to hold all of its meetings in Hebrew.[14][15]

After 1881, with the mass immigration of Eastern European Jews to the United States,[16] B'nai B'rith sponsored Americanization classes, trade schools and relief programs. This began a period of rapid membership growth, a change in the system of representation and questioning of the secret rituals common to fraternal organizations. In 1897, when the organization's U.S. membership numbered slightly more than 18,000, B'nai B'rith formed a ladies' auxiliary chapter in San Francisco. This was to become B'nai B'rith Women, which in 1988 broke away as an independent organization, Jewish Women International.[17]

Early 20th century

In response to the Kishinev pogrom in 1903[18] President Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of State John Hay met with B'nai B'rith's executive committee in Washington, D.C. B'nai B'rith President Simon Wolf presented the draft of a petition to be sent to the Russian government protesting the lack of opposition to the massacre. Roosevelt readily agreed to transmit it and B'nai B'rith lodges began gathering signatures around the country.

In the first two decades of the 20th century B'nai B'rith launched three of today's major Jewish organizations: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Hillel and BBYO (originally B'nai B'rith Youth Organization). Later they would take on a life of their own with varying degrees of autonomy.

A growing concern in the 1920s was the preservation of Jewish values as immigration slowed and a native Jewish population of Eastern European ancestry came to maturity.[19] In 1923, Rabbi Benjamin Frankel of Illinois established Hillel - an organization on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to provide both Reform and Orthodox Sabbath services, classes in Judaism and social events for Jewish college students. Two years later, he approached B'nai B'rith about adopting this new campus organization. B'nai B'rith sponsorship of the Hillel Foundations enabled it to extend throughout the United States, eventually become international and to grow into a network of more than 500 campus student organizations.[20][21][22]

At virtually the same time as Hillel was being established, Sam Beber of Omaha, Neb., presented a plan in 1924 to B'nai B'rith for a fraternity for Jewish men in high school. The new organization was called Aleph Zadik Aleph in imitation of the Greek-letter fraternities from which Jewish youth were excluded. In 1925, AZA became the junior auxiliary of B'nai B'rith.

In 1940, B'nai B'rith Women adopted its own junior auxiliary for young women, B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG, then a loose-knit group of organizations) and, in 1944, the two organizations became the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO).

B'nai B'rith has also been involved in Jewish camping for more than a half century. In 1953, B'nai B'rith acquired a 300-acre (120 ha) camp in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Originally named Camp B'nai B'rith, the facility would later be named B'nai B'rith Perlman Camp in honor of the early BBYO leader Anita Perlman and her husband, Louis. In 1976, a second camp was added near Madison, Wis. Named after the founder of AZA, the camp became known as B'nai B'rith Beber Camp. In 2010, Beber Camp became independent of B'nai B'rith. Perlman Camp functions as both a Jewish children's camp and as a leadership training facility.[23]

In 1938 B'nai B'rith established the Vocational Service Bureau to guide young people into careers. This evolved into the B'nai B'rith Career and Counseling Service, an agency that provided vocational testing and counseling, and published career guides. In the mid-1980s, the program was dissolved or merged into other community agencies.[24]

1977 Hanafi siege

On March 9–11, 1977, three buildings in Washington, D.C. were seized by 12 black nationalist Nation of Islam gunmen, led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, who took 149 hostages and killed a radio journalist and a police officer. After a 39-hour standoff, all other hostages were released from the District Building (the city hall; now called the John A. Wilson Building), B'nai B'rith headquarters, and the Islamic Center of Washington.

The gunmen had several demands. They "wanted the government to hand over a group of men who had been convicted of killing seven relatives – mostly children – of takeover leader Hamaas Khaalis. They also demanded that the movie Mohammad, Messenger of God be destroyed because they considered it sacrilegious."[25]

Time magazine noted: "That the toll was not higher was in part a tribute to the primary tactic U.S. law enforcement officials are now using to thwart terrorists—patience. But most of all, perhaps, it was due to the courageous intervention of three Muslim ambassadors, Egypt's Ashraf Ghorbal, Pakistan's Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan and Iran's Ardeshir Zahedi."[26]

Community service

From its earliest days, a hallmark of the organization's local efforts was service to the communities in which members reside. In 1852, that meant raising money for the first Jewish hospital in Philadelphia.[27] In the 21st century, these community service efforts range from delivering Jewish holiday packages of meals and clothing to the elderly and infirm, and distributing food and medicine to the Jewish community of Cuba.

With the graying of the American Jewish population, service to seniors became a major focus with the first of what was to become a network of 36 senior residence buildings in more than 27 communities across the United States and more internationally—making B'nai B'rith the largest national Jewish sponsor of housing for seniors. The U.S. facilities—built in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—provide quality housing to more than 6,000 men and women of limited income, age 62 and over, of all races and religions. Residents pay a federally mandated rent based upon income.[28]

The beginning of the 21st century also saw the senior service program expand and become the Center for Senior Services,[29] providing advocacy, publications and other services to address financial, legal, health, religious, social and family concerns for those over 50.

In recent years, B'nai B'rith has advocated for health care reform, Social Security and Medicare protection.

B'nai B'rith also includes, on its domestic agenda, tolerance issues such as advocating for hate crimes legislation as well as sponsoring a youth writing challenge, Diverse Minds. This annual writing contest asks high school students to create a children's book dedicated to the message of ending intolerance and bigotry. Winners earn college scholarships and the publication and distribution of their books to schools and libraries in their communities.[30]

B'nai B'rith also sponsors the Enlighten America program, the centerpiece of which is a pledge that individuals can take to refrain from using slang expressions or telling jokes based on race, sexual orientation, gender, nationality or physical or mental challenges that would serve to demean another.[31]

B'nai B'rith also produces and distributes "Smarter Kids – Safer Kids", a booklet in both English and Spanish meant to guide parents through discussions with their children about potential dangers.[32]

Anti-defamation activities

The American-based international B'nai B'rith organization founded the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (ADL) as a response to attacks on Jews in the United States. The announcement of the creation of the ADL mentioned the Leo Frank lynching in particular.[33][34] The ADL is now an independent organization.

In Australia and New Zealand, the local B'nai B'rith has its own human rights arm, called the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC). It is dedicated to eliminating the defamation of Jewish people, combating racism, intolerance, and prejudice. It seeks to secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens alike.[35]

Educational programs and publications

Since 1886, B'nai B'rith has published B'nai B'rith Magazine, the oldest continually published Jewish periodical in the United States.[36][37]

B'nai B'rith also publishes program guides for local Jewish education programs and each year sponsors "Unto Every Person There is a Name". This program includes community recitations of the names of Holocaust victims, usually on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.[38]

In 1973, the organization turned what had formerly been an exhibit hall at its Washington, D.C. headquarters into the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum. The museum featured an extensive collection of Jewish ceremonial objects and art and, for decades featured the 1790 correspondence between President George Washington and Moses Seixas, sexton of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island.[39] Although the organization's move from its own building to rented offices necessitated closing of the museum to public view, select pieces of the collection are still on display at B'nai B'rith's current headquarters and are available for viewing by appointment.[40]

Scholarships

B'nai B'rith International awards scholarships for emerging scholars. The first B'nai B'rith recipient to the University of Miami was Dagmar R. Henney, who later became known for her research in theoretical mathematics.

Every year, B'nai B'rith awards the Sally R. Schneider scholarship to a deserving Jewish female graduate student who is studying in a field that will benefit humankind. The scholarship, which is worth $1,000, is named for Sally Schneider, a longtime B'nai B'rith member who was passionate about pro-Israel advocacy and women's education.[41]

Local B'nai B'rith lodges also award scholarships. B'nai B'rith Great Lakes holds an annual golf classic, the proceeds of which fund several college scholarships each year.[42]

Philatelic services

In affiliation with the United States Postal Service, the B'nai B'rith Philatelic Service was involved in releasing a series of first day of issue stamps relating to prominent Jewish entrepreneurs, philanthropists, entertainers, and various Jewish organizations throughout the country.[43]

Disaster relief

B'nai B'rith has responded to natural and manmade disasters since 1865, when it assisted victims of a cholera epidemic in what was then Palestine.[44] B'nai B'rith later raised funds and distributed them to those affected by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Galveston, Texas, flood of 1900 and the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.[45]

In recent years, the B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund responded to the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti and Chile,[46][47] the 2011 Japan tsunami[48] and the multiple tornadoes and subsequent flooding that hit six states in the South and Midwest in 2011.[49] B'nai B'rith also opened a disaster relief fund following the fires that raged through Mount Carmel in northern Israel[50] and another fund to help victims of the worst drought to hit East Africa in more than 50 years.[51]

Much of the money B'nai B'rith raises for disaster relief is focused on long-term rebuilding, meeting needs beyond what the initial responders provide. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. Gulf Coast-region in 2005, B'nai B'rith raised more than $1 million, distributing the money among various projects over a five-year span. The projects included rebuilding homes, houses of worship and restoring parks.

In Haiti, B'nai B'rith raised $250,000 for shoes, medicine, health supplies and other needs immediately following the January 2010 earthquake that struck the island nation.[52] The year following the disaster, B'nai B'rith and IsraAID initiated "Haiti Grows," a program that trained farmers in theory and in practice over a six-month period. The farmers learned new agricultural techniques that allowed them to increase the number of crops they could grow as well as the yield of those crops.

Following Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2012, B'nai B'rith's Young Professional Network in New York immediately began assisting in the cleanup. Members descended upon the Rockaways, and over the course of several days helped remove debris and sand from buildings, extract moldy drywall and insulation, and pull out water damaged furniture and appliances from area homes. B'nai B'rith has also held and planned several fundraisers for future rebuilding projects.[53]

Working with IsraAid, a Zionist humanitarian organization which brings together Israeli and Jewish organizations to form coordinated responses in the wake of humanitarian crises, the B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund allocated funds to survivors of the 2018 flooding in Japan.[54]

The B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund also helped with two domestic disasters, one in California and the other in Hawaii, in the fall of 2018. Wildfires struck communities in Southern California that summer and fall, and B'nai B'rith contributed to the much-needed disaster recovery by assisting with the costs of food, utility bills and medical supplies for the Idyllwild HELP Center. Normally, the HELP Center is a charity and thrift store that helps needy individuals and families with the costs of food, utilities, housing and other basic needs. In the aftermath of the wildfires, the center stepped up to help fire victims.[54] In Hawaii, B'nai B'rith provided assistance to the Ahava 'Aina Synagogue after the eruption of the Kilauea Volcano and damage from a tropical storm.

In May 2019, the B'nai B'rith Center for Senior Services (CSS) held its annual B'nai B'rith Managers and Service Coordinators Training meeting in Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from damage caused by 2017's Hurricane Maria. In choosing to hold the meeting in Puerto Rico, the CSS team wanted to contribute to both Puerto Rico's short-term recovery, by volunteering for a day of service with local nonprofits during their trip, and its long-term economic recovery, by bringing business to the island.[54]

International affairs

B'nai B'rith was present at the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco and has taken an active role in the world body ever since.[5] In 1947, the organization was granted non-governmental organizational (NGO) status and, for many years, was the only Jewish organization with full-time representation at the United Nations. It is credited with a leading role in the U.N. reversal of its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism.[55]

B'nai B'rith's NGO role is not limited to the United Nations and its agencies. B'nai B'rith also has worked extensively with officials in the State Department, in Congress, and in foreign governments to support the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to combat antisemitism. With members in more than 20 Latin American countries, the organization was the first Jewish group to be accorded civil society status at the Organization of American States (OAS), where it has advocated for democracy and human rights throughout the region.[56][57] B'nai B'rith's role in Latin America dates to the turn of the 20th century and grew considerably with the influx of Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe.

In addition to its advocacy efforts, B'nai B'rith maintains a program of community service throughout Latin America. In 2002, in cooperation with the Brother's Brother Foundation, B'nai B'rith distributed more than $31 million worth of critically needed medicine, books and supplies to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela following the economic disaster that struck much of Latin America. Through 2011 the program had distributed more than $100 million in medicine and supplies.[58][59][60][61]

Europe

By the 1920s, B'nai B'rith membership in Europe had grown to 17,500—nearly half of the U.S. membership—and by the next decade, the formation of a lodge in Shanghai (number 1102) represented the organization's entry into the Far East.[62] The Shanghai lodge established the B'nai B'rith Foundation Polyclinic in 1934, later renamed the Shanghai Jewish Hospital.[63] This international expansion was to come to a close with the rise of Nazism. At the beginning of the Nazi era, there were six B'nai B'rith districts in Europe. Eventually, the Nazis seized nearly all B'nai B'rith property in Europe.

B'nai B'rith Europe was re-founded in 1948. Members of the Basel and Zurich lodges and representatives from lodges in France and Holland who had survived the Holocaust attended the inaugural meeting. In 2000, the new European B'nai B'rith district merged with the United Kingdom district to become a consolidated B'nai B'rith Europe with active involvement in all institutions of the European Union. By 2005 B'nai B'rith Europe comprised lodges in more than 20 countries including the former Communist Eastern Europe.[64][65]

In 1943, in response to what would later become known as the Holocaust, B'nai B'rith President Henry Monsky convened a conference in Pittsburgh of all major Jewish organizations to "find a common platform for the presentation of our case before the civilized nations of the world".[66] During the next four years, the conference established the machinery that saved untold numbers of lives, assisted in the post-war reconstruction of European Jewish life and helped spur public opinion to support the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which recommended the partition of Mandate Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

Israel and the Middle East

Just prior to the creation of the State of Israel, President Harry S. Truman, resisting pressure by various organizations, declined meetings with Jewish leaders. B'nai B'rith President Frank Goldman convinced fellow B'nai B'rith member Eddie Jacobson, long-time friend and business partner of the president, to appeal to Truman for a favor.[67] Jacobson convinced Truman to meet secretly with Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann in a meeting said to have resulted in turning White House support back in favor of partition, and ultimately to de facto recognition of Israeli statehood.[68]

In addition to founding the Jerusalem Lodge in 1888, life in Israel has been a prime focus for the organization.[69] Among the Jerusalem lodge's most noted contributions was the city's first free public library, Midrash Abarbanel.[70]

In 1959, B'nai B'rith became the first major American Jewish organization to hold a convention in Israel.[71] Only six weeks after the signing of the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978, B'nai B'rith was the first Jewish group to visit Egypt at the invitation of President Anwar Sadat.

In 1980, nearly all nations removed their embassies from Jerusalem in response to the passage by the Knesset of the Jerusalem Law extending Israeli sovereignty over the entire city. B'nai B'rith responded with the establishment of the B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem to serve as "the permanent and official presence of B'nai B'rith in Jerusalem".[72][73]

Awards

The Presidential Gold Medal is awarded by B'nai B'rith every few years to honor the recipient's commitment to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Recipients have included David Ben-Gurion, John F. Kennedy, George H. W. Bush, Stephen Harper and Golda Meir. The Gold Medal has been given to former Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky,[74][75] Australian Prime Minister John Howard,[76][77][78] former German Chancellor Willy Brandt and former U.S. presidents Harry S. Truman, Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1969 Edwin Palmer "EP" Hoyt, as Editor and Publisher of the Denver Post for 25 years, was given the B'nai B'rith Man of the Year award for his tireless humanitarian work against bigotry in defense of Jewish people.

The B'nai B'rith book award was established in 1970. The first recipient was Ronald Sanders for his work The Downtown Jews.[79]

Other awards include the "Jewish Heritage Award" and "Award for Outstanding Contribution to Relations with the Jewish People".

See also

References

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External links

  • Official website

rith, international, brith, from, hebrew, ית, romanized, brit, children, covenant, jewish, service, organization, states, that, committed, security, continuity, jewish, people, state, israel, combating, antisemitism, other, forms, bigotry, internationalב, יתpr. B nai B rith International b e ˌ n eɪ ˈ b r ɪ 8 be NAY BRITH from Hebrew ב נ י ב ר ית romanized b ne brit lit Children of the Covenant 1 is a Jewish service organization B nai B rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish people and the State of Israel and combating antisemitism and other forms of bigotry B nai B rith Internationalב נ י ב ר יתPredecessorIndependent Order of B nai B rith and many others FormationOctober 13 1843 179 years ago 1843 10 13 TypeNGOTax ID no 53 0179971LocationWashington D C PresidentSeth J RiklinC E O Daniel S MariaschinVice ChairmanBrad AdolphWebsitewww wbr bnaibrith wbr org Independent Order of B nai B rith membership certificate 1876 the predecessor organization to B nai B rith International Although the organization s historic roots stem from a system of fraternal lodges and units in the late 19th century as fraternal organizations declined throughout the United States the organization evolved into a dual system of both lodges and units 2 3 The membership pattern became more common to other contemporary organizations of members affiliated by contribution in addition to formal dues paying members B nai B rith has members donors and supporters around the world Contents 1 History 1 1 1843 to early 1900s 1 2 Early 20th century 1 3 1977 Hanafi siege 2 Community service 2 1 Anti defamation activities 2 2 Educational programs and publications 2 3 Scholarships 2 4 Philatelic services 2 5 Disaster relief 3 International affairs 3 1 Europe 3 2 Israel and the Middle East 4 Awards 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditB nai B rith was founded in Aaron Sinsheimer s cafe in New York City s Lower East Side on October 13 1843 by 12 recent German Jewish immigrants led by Henry Jones 3 4 The new organization represented an attempt to organize Jews of the local community to confront what Isaac Rosenbourg one of the founders called the deplorable condition of Jews in this our newly adopted country 5 The new group s purpose as described in its constitution called for the traditional functions performed by Jewish societies in Europe Visiting and attending the sick and protecting and assisting the widow and the orphan Its founders had hoped that it soon would encompass all Jews in the United States but this did not happen since other Jewish organizations also were forming around the same time 6 The German speaking founders originally named the organization Bundes Bruder German for Brothers of the Covenant 7 to reflect their goal of a fraternal order that could provide comfort to the entire spectrum of Jewish Americans 8 Although early meetings were conducted in German after a short time English emerged as the language of choice and the name was changed to B nai B rith In the late 20th century the translation was changed to the more contemporary and inclusive Children of the Covenant Despite its fraternal and local beginnings B nai B rith spoke out for Jewish rights early in its history and used its growing national chain of lodges as a way to exercise political influence on behalf of world Jewry In 1851 for example it circulated petitions urging Secretary of State Daniel Webster to demand the end of Jewish disabilities in Switzerland during on going trade negotiations Into the 1920s the B nai B rith continued in its political work by joining in Jewish delegations and lobbying efforts through which American Jews sought to influence public policy both domestic and foreign B nai B rith also played a crucial role in transnational Jewish politics The later spread of the organization around the world made it a nerve center of intra Jewish communication and mutual endeavor 9 Religious Liberty a statue commissioned by B Nai B rith for the 1876 Centennial Exposition and dedicated to the people of the United States By Moses Jacob Ezekiel a B nai B rith member and the first American Jewish sculptor to gain international prominence 1843 to early 1900s Edit The organization s activities during the 19th and 20th centuries were dominated by mutual aid social service and philanthropy In keeping with their concerns for protecting their families the organization s first concrete action was the establishment of an insurance policy awarding widows of deceased members 30 toward funeral expenses and a stipend of 1 a week for the rest of their life To aid their children each child would also receive a stipend and for male children the assurance he would be taught a trade 5 In 1851 Covenant Hall was erected in New York City as the first Jewish community center in the United States and also what is widely considered to be the first Jewish public library in the United States 3 One year later B nai B rith established the Maimonides Library 10 Immediately following the Civil War when Jews on both sides of the battle were left homeless B nai B rith founded the 200 bed Cleveland Jewish Orphan Home Over the next several years the organization would establish numerous hospitals orphanages and homes for the aged 11 In 1868 when a devastating flood crippled Baltimore B nai B rith responded with a disaster relief campaign This act preceded the founding of the American Red Cross by 13 years and was to be the first of many domestic relief programs That same year B nai B rith sponsored its first overseas philanthropic project raising 4 522 to aid the victims of a cholera epidemic in Ottoman Palestine 12 In 1875 a lodge was established in Toronto followed soon after by another in Montreal and in 1882 by a lodge in Berlin Membership outside of the United States grew rapidly Soon lodges were formed in Cairo 1887 and in Jerusalem 1888 nine years before Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel Switzerland 13 The Jerusalem lodge became the first public organization to hold all of its meetings in Hebrew 14 15 After 1881 with the mass immigration of Eastern European Jews to the United States 16 B nai B rith sponsored Americanization classes trade schools and relief programs This began a period of rapid membership growth a change in the system of representation and questioning of the secret rituals common to fraternal organizations In 1897 when the organization s U S membership numbered slightly more than 18 000 B nai B rith formed a ladies auxiliary chapter in San Francisco This was to become B nai B rith Women which in 1988 broke away as an independent organization Jewish Women International 17 Early 20th century Edit In response to the Kishinev pogrom in 1903 18 President Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of State John Hay met with B nai B rith s executive committee in Washington D C B nai B rith President Simon Wolf presented the draft of a petition to be sent to the Russian government protesting the lack of opposition to the massacre Roosevelt readily agreed to transmit it and B nai B rith lodges began gathering signatures around the country In the first two decades of the 20th century B nai B rith launched three of today s major Jewish organizations The Anti Defamation League ADL Hillel and BBYO originally B nai B rith Youth Organization Later they would take on a life of their own with varying degrees of autonomy A growing concern in the 1920s was the preservation of Jewish values as immigration slowed and a native Jewish population of Eastern European ancestry came to maturity 19 In 1923 Rabbi Benjamin Frankel of Illinois established Hillel an organization on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to provide both Reform and Orthodox Sabbath services classes in Judaism and social events for Jewish college students Two years later he approached B nai B rith about adopting this new campus organization B nai B rith sponsorship of the Hillel Foundations enabled it to extend throughout the United States eventually become international and to grow into a network of more than 500 campus student organizations 20 21 22 At virtually the same time as Hillel was being established Sam Beber of Omaha Neb presented a plan in 1924 to B nai B rith for a fraternity for Jewish men in high school The new organization was called Aleph Zadik Aleph in imitation of the Greek letter fraternities from which Jewish youth were excluded In 1925 AZA became the junior auxiliary of B nai B rith In 1940 B nai B rith Women adopted its own junior auxiliary for young women B nai B rith Girls BBG then a loose knit group of organizations and in 1944 the two organizations became the B nai B rith Youth Organization BBYO B nai B rith has also been involved in Jewish camping for more than a half century In 1953 B nai B rith acquired a 300 acre 120 ha camp in Pennsylvania s Pocono Mountains Originally named Camp B nai B rith the facility would later be named B nai B rith Perlman Camp in honor of the early BBYO leader Anita Perlman and her husband Louis In 1976 a second camp was added near Madison Wis Named after the founder of AZA the camp became known as B nai B rith Beber Camp In 2010 Beber Camp became independent of B nai B rith Perlman Camp functions as both a Jewish children s camp and as a leadership training facility 23 In 1938 B nai B rith established the Vocational Service Bureau to guide young people into careers This evolved into the B nai B rith Career and Counseling Service an agency that provided vocational testing and counseling and published career guides In the mid 1980s the program was dissolved or merged into other community agencies 24 1977 Hanafi siege Edit Main article 1977 Washington D C attack and hostage taking On March 9 11 1977 three buildings in Washington D C were seized by 12 black nationalist Nation of Islam gunmen led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis who took 149 hostages and killed a radio journalist and a police officer After a 39 hour standoff all other hostages were released from the District Building the city hall now called the John A Wilson Building B nai B rith headquarters and the Islamic Center of Washington The gunmen had several demands They wanted the government to hand over a group of men who had been convicted of killing seven relatives mostly children of takeover leader Hamaas Khaalis They also demanded that the movie Mohammad Messenger of God be destroyed because they considered it sacrilegious 25 Time magazine noted That the toll was not higher was in part a tribute to the primary tactic U S law enforcement officials are now using to thwart terrorists patience But most of all perhaps it was due to the courageous intervention of three Muslim ambassadors Egypt s Ashraf Ghorbal Pakistan s Sahabzada Yaqub Khan and Iran s Ardeshir Zahedi 26 Community service EditFrom its earliest days a hallmark of the organization s local efforts was service to the communities in which members reside In 1852 that meant raising money for the first Jewish hospital in Philadelphia 27 In the 21st century these community service efforts range from delivering Jewish holiday packages of meals and clothing to the elderly and infirm and distributing food and medicine to the Jewish community of Cuba With the graying of the American Jewish population service to seniors became a major focus with the first of what was to become a network of 36 senior residence buildings in more than 27 communities across the United States and more internationally making B nai B rith the largest national Jewish sponsor of housing for seniors The U S facilities built in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD provide quality housing to more than 6 000 men and women of limited income age 62 and over of all races and religions Residents pay a federally mandated rent based upon income 28 The beginning of the 21st century also saw the senior service program expand and become the Center for Senior Services 29 providing advocacy publications and other services to address financial legal health religious social and family concerns for those over 50 In recent years B nai B rith has advocated for health care reform Social Security and Medicare protection B nai B rith also includes on its domestic agenda tolerance issues such as advocating for hate crimes legislation as well as sponsoring a youth writing challenge Diverse Minds This annual writing contest asks high school students to create a children s book dedicated to the message of ending intolerance and bigotry Winners earn college scholarships and the publication and distribution of their books to schools and libraries in their communities 30 B nai B rith also sponsors the Enlighten America program the centerpiece of which is a pledge that individuals can take to refrain from using slang expressions or telling jokes based on race sexual orientation gender nationality or physical or mental challenges that would serve to demean another 31 B nai B rith also produces and distributes Smarter Kids Safer Kids a booklet in both English and Spanish meant to guide parents through discussions with their children about potential dangers 32 Anti defamation activities Edit The American based international B nai B rith organization founded the Anti Defamation League of B nai B rith ADL as a response to attacks on Jews in the United States The announcement of the creation of the ADL mentioned the Leo Frank lynching in particular 33 34 The ADL is now an independent organization In Australia and New Zealand the local B nai B rith has its own human rights arm called the B nai B rith Anti Defamation Commission ADC It is dedicated to eliminating the defamation of Jewish people combating racism intolerance and prejudice It seeks to secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens alike 35 Educational programs and publications Edit Since 1886 B nai B rith has published B nai B rith Magazine the oldest continually published Jewish periodical in the United States 36 37 B nai B rith also publishes program guides for local Jewish education programs and each year sponsors Unto Every Person There is a Name This program includes community recitations of the names of Holocaust victims usually on Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day 38 In 1973 the organization turned what had formerly been an exhibit hall at its Washington D C headquarters into the B nai B rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum The museum featured an extensive collection of Jewish ceremonial objects and art and for decades featured the 1790 correspondence between President George Washington and Moses Seixas sexton of the Touro Synagogue in Newport Rhode Island 39 Although the organization s move from its own building to rented offices necessitated closing of the museum to public view select pieces of the collection are still on display at B nai B rith s current headquarters and are available for viewing by appointment 40 Scholarships Edit B nai B rith International awards scholarships for emerging scholars The first B nai B rith recipient to the University of Miami was Dagmar R Henney who later became known for her research in theoretical mathematics Every year B nai B rith awards the Sally R Schneider scholarship to a deserving Jewish female graduate student who is studying in a field that will benefit humankind The scholarship which is worth 1 000 is named for Sally Schneider a longtime B nai B rith member who was passionate about pro Israel advocacy and women s education 41 Local B nai B rith lodges also award scholarships B nai B rith Great Lakes holds an annual golf classic the proceeds of which fund several college scholarships each year 42 Philatelic services Edit In affiliation with the United States Postal Service the B nai B rith Philatelic Service was involved in releasing a series of first day of issue stamps relating to prominent Jewish entrepreneurs philanthropists entertainers and various Jewish organizations throughout the country 43 Disaster relief Edit B nai B rith has responded to natural and manmade disasters since 1865 when it assisted victims of a cholera epidemic in what was then Palestine 44 B nai B rith later raised funds and distributed them to those affected by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 the Galveston Texas flood of 1900 and the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 45 In recent years the B nai B rith Disaster Relief Fund responded to the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti and Chile 46 47 the 2011 Japan tsunami 48 and the multiple tornadoes and subsequent flooding that hit six states in the South and Midwest in 2011 49 B nai B rith also opened a disaster relief fund following the fires that raged through Mount Carmel in northern Israel 50 and another fund to help victims of the worst drought to hit East Africa in more than 50 years 51 Much of the money B nai B rith raises for disaster relief is focused on long term rebuilding meeting needs beyond what the initial responders provide In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the U S Gulf Coast region in 2005 B nai B rith raised more than 1 million distributing the money among various projects over a five year span The projects included rebuilding homes houses of worship and restoring parks In Haiti B nai B rith raised 250 000 for shoes medicine health supplies and other needs immediately following the January 2010 earthquake that struck the island nation 52 The year following the disaster B nai B rith and IsraAID initiated Haiti Grows a program that trained farmers in theory and in practice over a six month period The farmers learned new agricultural techniques that allowed them to increase the number of crops they could grow as well as the yield of those crops Following Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2012 B nai B rith s Young Professional Network in New York immediately began assisting in the cleanup Members descended upon the Rockaways and over the course of several days helped remove debris and sand from buildings extract moldy drywall and insulation and pull out water damaged furniture and appliances from area homes B nai B rith has also held and planned several fundraisers for future rebuilding projects 53 Working with IsraAid a Zionist humanitarian organization which brings together Israeli and Jewish organizations to form coordinated responses in the wake of humanitarian crises the B nai B rith Disaster Relief Fund allocated funds to survivors of the 2018 flooding in Japan 54 The B nai B rith Disaster Relief Fund also helped with two domestic disasters one in California and the other in Hawaii in the fall of 2018 Wildfires struck communities in Southern California that summer and fall and B nai B rith contributed to the much needed disaster recovery by assisting with the costs of food utility bills and medical supplies for the Idyllwild HELP Center Normally the HELP Center is a charity and thrift store that helps needy individuals and families with the costs of food utilities housing and other basic needs In the aftermath of the wildfires the center stepped up to help fire victims 54 In Hawaii B nai B rith provided assistance to the Ahava Aina Synagogue after the eruption of the Kilauea Volcano and damage from a tropical storm In May 2019 the B nai B rith Center for Senior Services CSS held its annual B nai B rith Managers and Service Coordinators Training meeting in Puerto Rico which is still recovering from damage caused by 2017 s Hurricane Maria In choosing to hold the meeting in Puerto Rico the CSS team wanted to contribute to both Puerto Rico s short term recovery by volunteering for a day of service with local nonprofits during their trip and its long term economic recovery by bringing business to the island 54 International affairs EditB nai B rith was present at the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco and has taken an active role in the world body ever since 5 In 1947 the organization was granted non governmental organizational NGO status and for many years was the only Jewish organization with full time representation at the United Nations It is credited with a leading role in the U N reversal of its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism 55 B nai B rith s NGO role is not limited to the United Nations and its agencies B nai B rith also has worked extensively with officials in the State Department in Congress and in foreign governments to support the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe OSCE to combat antisemitism With members in more than 20 Latin American countries the organization was the first Jewish group to be accorded civil society status at the Organization of American States OAS where it has advocated for democracy and human rights throughout the region 56 57 B nai B rith s role in Latin America dates to the turn of the 20th century and grew considerably with the influx of Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe In addition to its advocacy efforts B nai B rith maintains a program of community service throughout Latin America In 2002 in cooperation with the Brother s Brother Foundation B nai B rith distributed more than 31 million worth of critically needed medicine books and supplies to Argentina Uruguay Paraguay and Venezuela following the economic disaster that struck much of Latin America Through 2011 the program had distributed more than 100 million in medicine and supplies 58 59 60 61 Europe Edit Further information B nai B rith Europe By the 1920s B nai B rith membership in Europe had grown to 17 500 nearly half of the U S membership and by the next decade the formation of a lodge in Shanghai number 1102 represented the organization s entry into the Far East 62 The Shanghai lodge established the B nai B rith Foundation Polyclinic in 1934 later renamed the Shanghai Jewish Hospital 63 This international expansion was to come to a close with the rise of Nazism At the beginning of the Nazi era there were six B nai B rith districts in Europe Eventually the Nazis seized nearly all B nai B rith property in Europe B nai B rith Europe was re founded in 1948 Members of the Basel and Zurich lodges and representatives from lodges in France and Holland who had survived the Holocaust attended the inaugural meeting In 2000 the new European B nai B rith district merged with the United Kingdom district to become a consolidated B nai B rith Europe with active involvement in all institutions of the European Union By 2005 B nai B rith Europe comprised lodges in more than 20 countries including the former Communist Eastern Europe 64 65 In 1943 in response to what would later become known as the Holocaust B nai B rith President Henry Monsky convened a conference in Pittsburgh of all major Jewish organizations to find a common platform for the presentation of our case before the civilized nations of the world 66 During the next four years the conference established the machinery that saved untold numbers of lives assisted in the post war reconstruction of European Jewish life and helped spur public opinion to support the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine which recommended the partition of Mandate Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state Israel and the Middle East Edit Further information B nai B rith Israel Just prior to the creation of the State of Israel President Harry S Truman resisting pressure by various organizations declined meetings with Jewish leaders B nai B rith President Frank Goldman convinced fellow B nai B rith member Eddie Jacobson long time friend and business partner of the president to appeal to Truman for a favor 67 Jacobson convinced Truman to meet secretly with Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann in a meeting said to have resulted in turning White House support back in favor of partition and ultimately to de facto recognition of Israeli statehood 68 In addition to founding the Jerusalem Lodge in 1888 life in Israel has been a prime focus for the organization 69 Among the Jerusalem lodge s most noted contributions was the city s first free public library Midrash Abarbanel 70 In 1959 B nai B rith became the first major American Jewish organization to hold a convention in Israel 71 Only six weeks after the signing of the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978 B nai B rith was the first Jewish group to visit Egypt at the invitation of President Anwar Sadat In 1980 nearly all nations removed their embassies from Jerusalem in response to the passage by the Knesset of the Jerusalem Law extending Israeli sovereignty over the entire city B nai B rith responded with the establishment of the B nai B rith World Center in Jerusalem to serve as the permanent and official presence of B nai B rith in Jerusalem 72 73 Awards EditThe Presidential Gold Medal is awarded by B nai B rith every few years to honor the recipient s commitment to the Jewish people and the State of Israel Recipients have included David Ben Gurion John F Kennedy George H W Bush Stephen Harper and Golda Meir The Gold Medal has been given to former Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky 74 75 Australian Prime Minister John Howard 76 77 78 former German Chancellor Willy Brandt and former U S presidents Harry S Truman Gerald R Ford and Dwight D Eisenhower In 1969 Edwin Palmer EP Hoyt as Editor and Publisher of the Denver Post for 25 years was given the B nai B rith Man of the Year award for his tireless humanitarian work against bigotry in defense of Jewish people The B nai B rith book award was established in 1970 The first recipient was Ronald Sanders for his work The Downtown Jews 79 Other awards include the Jewish Heritage Award and Award for Outstanding Contribution to Relations with the Jewish People See also EditB nai Brith Canada World Jewish CongressReferences Edit Sara E Karesh Mitchell M Hurvitz 2006 Encyclopedia of Judaism Infobase Publishing p 61 About B nai B rith International B nai B rith International a b c Deborah Dash 1981 B nai B rith and the Challenge of Ethnic Leadership by State University of New York Press Albany p 252 Ken Ackerman on B nai B rith s Early Days in 1840s New York City B nai B rith International Retrieved 2020 11 23 a b c B nai B rith International Bnaibrith org a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Alfred M Lilienthal The Changing Role of B nai B rith s Anti Defamation League WRMEA June 1993 p 18 B nai B rith The Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia Digital Edition Shengold Publishers 2 February 2014 Retrieved 9 February 2021 Sara E Karesh and Mitchell M Hurvitz 2006 Encyclopedia of Judaism Infobase Publishing p 61 Hasia R Diner The Jews of the United States 1654 to 2000 p 191 B nai B rith JewishEncyclopedia com Cornelia Wilhelm 2011 The Independent Orders of B nai B rith and True Sisters Pioneers of a New Jewish Identity 1843 1914 Wayne State University Press p 138 B nai B rith International Our History The First Zionist Congress and the Basel Program Jewishvirtuallibrary org Archived from the original on 2016 12 06 Retrieved 2022 02 18 Diner Hasia R 2004 The Jews of the United States 1654 to 2000 University of California Press p 191 ISBN 978 0 520 22773 6 Retrieved 10 December 2012 Cornelia Wilhelm 2011 The Independent Orders of B nai B rith and True Sisters Pioneers of a New Jewish Identity 1843 1914 Wayne State University Press p 172 Immigration Polish Russian A People at Risk Library of Congress Archived from the original on 2012 08 04 Retrieved 2020 11 22 Our History Who We Are JWI 2012 07 18 Archived from the original on 2011 05 27 YIVO Institute for Jewish Research The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903 On the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary Yivoinstitute org Archived from the original on 2011 02 20 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Vigdor Jacob May 2008 Civic Report No 53 Measuring Immigrant Assimilation in the United States Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Archived from the original on 2012 09 08 Retrieved December 31 2021 Hillel History PDF Hillel International Archived from the original PDF on 2012 02 12 Retrieved 2012 08 07 A Brief History Hillel International 2008 09 18 Archived from the original on 2012 08 01 Trammell Anna February 27 2015 Hillel The International Jewish Organization Founded in Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Retrieved November 23 2020 About Perlman Camp Perlmancamp org Archived from the original on 2011 07 21 Baer Max F 2012 01 03 The B nai B rith Vocational Service Program Occupations The Vocational Guidance Journal 24 5 277 280 doi 10 1002 j 2164 5892 1946 tb00742 x Theresa Vargas March 12 2007 Some Things You Never Forget Thirty years ago gunmen stormed three D C buildings taking 150 hostages and one life Washington Post p B01 Retrieved March 12 2007 The 38 Hours Trial by Terror Time magazine March 21 1977 Archived from the original on 2008 04 15 Retrieved July 19 2021 Cornelia Wilhelm 2011 The Independent Orders of B nai B rith and True Sisters Pioneers of a New Jewish Identity 1843 1914 Wayne State University Press pp 131 133 Senior Housing B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2011 05 18 Center for Senior Services B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2011 05 20 Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2012 07 25 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Enlighten America B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2012 07 13 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Smarter Kids Safer Kids B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2012 07 13 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Moore Deborah Dash 1981 B nai B rith and the Challenge of Ethnic Leadership State University of New York Press p 108 ISBN 978 0 87395 480 8 Jerome A Chanes 2001 Who Does What In Louis S y Maisel Ira N Forman Donald Altschiller Charles Walker Bassett eds Jews in American Politics Essays Rowman amp Littlefield p 105 ISBN 978 0 7425 0181 2 B nai B rith Anti Defamation Commission in Melbourne Australia B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Periodicals JewishEncyclopedia com Fragments of Memory Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day 2011 Yad Vashem Archived from the original on 2011 05 05 To Bigotry No Sanction Memory American Treasures of the Library of Congress Loc gov 2010 07 27 Archived from the original on 2012 08 04 Retrieved 2021 07 19 B nai B rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum and Philip Lax Archive B nai B rith Archives Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2011 05 18 B nai B rith Announces 2019 Sally R Schneider Scholarship for New York City Area Student B nai B rith International Retrieved 2019 08 01 B nai B rith Great Lakes Scholarship Program B nai B rith International Retrieved 2019 08 01 B nai B rith Philatelic collection 1957 1994 I 427 Center for Jewish History American Jewish Historical Society New York NY and Boston MA Retrieved August 24 2019 via Digitool Viewer B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Retrieved 2013 02 15 Disaster Relief B nai B rith International Archived from the original on 2010 05 19 Retrieved 2020 04 08 B nai B rith International Provides Disaster Relief in Haiti Press release B nai B rith International 13 January 2010 Retrieved 2020 04 03 B nai B rith International Provides Disaster Relief in Chile Press release B nai B rith International 3 March 2010 Retrieved 2020 04 03 B nai B rith Opens Disaster Relief Fund to Aid Japan Press release B nai B rith International 11 March 2011 Retrieved 2020 04 03 B nai B rith Extends Disaster Relief Fund To Aid Victims Of Joplin Mo Tornado Part of B nai B rith s U S Flood and Tornado Relief Fund 2011 Press release B nai B rith International 24 May 2011 Retrieved 2020 04 03 B nai B rith Opens Israel Emergency Fund to Aid Victims of Forest Fire Press release B nai B rith International 3 December 2010 Retrieved 2020 04 03 B nai B rith Opens Disaster Relief Fund To Aid Famine Victims In East Africa Press release B nai B rith International 27 July 2011 Retrieved 2020 04 03 B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2013 03 03 Retrieved 2013 02 15 B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Retrieved 2012 10 30 a b c Worldwide Disaster Relief B nai B rith International Archived from the original on 2019 08 01 Retrieved 2019 08 01 World Jewry Mobilizing in Effort to Repeal UN Zionism racism Resolution Archive jta org 1985 11 05 Archived from the original on 2012 07 07 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Organization of American States B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2012 07 13 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Civil Society List English Civil society oas org Archived from the original on 2013 05 25 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Medical Shipment to Argentina Brothersbrother org Archived from the original on 2012 07 31 Retrieved 2012 07 23 IsraAID IsraAID Archived from the original on 2012 07 12 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Shipments to Kenya Africa and Paraguay South America Brothersbrother org Archived from the original on 2012 07 31 Retrieved 2012 07 23 B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2012 02 26 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Full text of Khaos Odensland Archive DOCS The Misanthropic Misogynist Retrieved 2012 07 23 Malek Roman 2017 From Kaifeng to Shanghai Jews in China Taylor amp Francis p 306 ISBN 978 1 351 56628 5 Welcome to the B nai B rith Europe website Bnaibritheurope org Retrieved 2012 07 23 Home Bbuk org Archived from the original on 2019 01 16 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Troen S Ilan Pinkus Benjamin 1992 Organizing Rescue National Jewish Solidarity in the Modern Period Psychology Press p 326 ISBN 978 0 7146 3413 5 Retrieved 10 December 2012 A J Granoff Papers Truman Library Retrieved 2012 07 23 Edward E Grusd 1966 B nai B rith The Story of a Covenant Appleton Century p 243 BBI Recognizes Israeli Embassy for Public Work Historical Link B nai B rith International The Global Voice of the Jewish Community Bnaibrith org Archived from the original on 2012 04 23 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Allen Kent and Harold Lancour 1985 Encyclopedia of library and information science Volume 39 Marcel Dekker Inc p 222 B nai Brith Unbroken covenant pages 15 22 PDF B nai Brith Archived from the original PDF on 2012 02 01 Retrieved 2012 08 07 Basic Law Jerusalem the Capital of Israel PDF Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Retrieved 2012 08 07 Basic Law Jerusalem Capital of Israel Knesset gov il Retrieved 2012 07 23 oe1 ORF at News Archived 2007 03 06 at the Wayback Machine oe1 ORF at Bnai B rith Medaille fur Altkanzler Vranitzky Archived 2007 03 06 at the Wayback Machine B nai B rith Australia NZ Archived August 19 2006 at the Wayback Machine B nai B rith Award Ceremony Honors Australian Prime Minister John Howard Archived June 14 2006 at the Wayback Machine Prime Minister John Howard will be presented the prestigious B nai B rith international Preside Archived from the original on 2013 05 24 Issac Babel and Ronald Sanders to Be Honored for Literary Contributions February 20 1970External links Edit Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article about B nai B rith Official website Portals Judaism Israel Society Politics Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title B 27nai B 27rith amp oldid 1139227528, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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