' DETROIT
Page Eight
WISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
Friday, July 5, 1946
loo Years of Bnai Brith
One hundred and two years ago (1843), 12 liberal
minded immigrant Jews in New York City created the
Bnai Brith (which is the Hebrew for "Sons of the Coven-
ant") as American Jewry's first unifying and cultural
agency. These founders laid down a pattern of service
which has never altered to this day. These aims were
stated in the preamble to Bnai Brith's first constitution
as follows:
"Bnai Brith has taken upon itself the mission of
uniting Israelites in the work of promoting their highest
interests and those of humanity; of developing and ele-
vating the mental and moral character of the people of
our faith; of inculcating the purest principles of philan-
thropy, honor and patriotism; of supporting science and
art; alleviating the wants of the poor and needy; visit-
ing and attending the sick; coming to the rescue of vic-
tims of persecution; providing for, protecting and assist-
ing the widow and orphan on the broadest principles of
humanity."
This vision of unselfish service, embracing all human.
ity in its sphere, has remind the inspiration of Bnai
Brith.
Today the Bnai Brith represents an accurate cross-
section of the American Jewish community. It has grown
to a mighty group of 700 lodges, 360 women's chapters
and 475 youth groups, a combined membership of over
200,000. It's duties, accomplishments and philanthropie ,;
are many.
War Service
The war service of Bnai Brith
is of enviable record. It has earn-
ed a Nation's gratitude and has
won the greatest awards to be
issued by both the Army and
Navy to any 'civilian agency for
outstanding service during World
War II. The Army citation was
dated Jan. 17, 1946 and signed by
Robt. P. Patterson, Secy. of War,
and presented by General Dwight
D. Eisenhower. The Navy citation
was dated Dec. 7, 1945 and signed
by H. Struve' Hensel, Asst. Secy.
of the Navy and presented by Ad-
miral Forrest P. Sherman, Deputy
Chief of Naval Operations. Bnai
Brith unstintingly and unselfishly
served our armed forces both at
home and abroad.
Bnai Brith Community service
since 1870 is worthy of comment.
It includes such sponsorship a.4
summer camp for underprivileged
children, free milk, lunch stations,
employment bureaus, big brother
programs, welfare projects for
hospital patients, establishments
and ,support of welfare funds and
community chests, contribution of
equipment to community hospitals,
establishment of libraries, teen-
age canteens, distribution of food
baskets to the needy and year-
round participation in and sup-
port of all community betterment
projects as well as the aiding of
immigrants.
The Anteltican. Red Cross came
in for a goodly share of ,Bnai
Brith activity both by Way of
monetary and material aid. Since
1910 Bnai Brith and the Red
Cross "have worked, side by side
in disaster relief and' in war re-
lief." Basil O'Connor Red Cross
chairman stated that the coopera-
tive relations between the Red
Cross and Bnai Brith "produced
many values in alleviation and
prevention of suffering."
Community Service
The broad social welfare pro-
grum which has been part of
tablishod in Michigan were at Kal-
amazoo, Lansing, and most re-
cently at Wayne University in De-
troit, which was fostered by the
newly organized Keidan Lodge.
Bnai Brith Youth
Organizations
.
Hillel Foundations
American Red Cross
9
It is only thru the untiring efforts of the men and women of Bnai Brith that the
fulfillment of this "horn of plenty" is made possible.. May these efforts continue t
.bear. fruit and may-the lodges and chapters of Bnai Brith continue to function for
many more centuries.
"With Bnai Brith now in its second century, it becomes increasingly apparent
how wisely and how well its founders built. They designed a program which suc-
cessive generations of Bnai Brith leadership have followed with incalculable benefit
to the people of Israel. -
It was in 1923 that Bnai Brith
became the sponsor of an un-
usual campus institution at thci -
University of Illinois—the Hillel
Foundation. That enterprise was
inspired by that wise Christian
educator, Dr. Edward Chauncy
Baldwin and founded by a young
rabbi Benjamin `Frankel. It now
has its counterpart in 120 Bnai
Brith Hillel Foundations and
Counselorships on college campuses
througho'ut. the U. S. and Canada.
These Hillel units, each headed by
a trained rabbi or professional
youth leader serve cultural, relig-
ious and social welfare centers and
reach 53,000 Jewish college young
men and women with a program
designed to inspire them with an
tuatakened interest in and respect
for Jewish culture and traditions
and prepare them to take their
place in the, fabric of communal
leadership. The latest of these ea.
Welcome to Detroit
Bnai Brith
District Grand
Lodge No. 6
Delegates'
ra. Hotchkiss
The BBYO grOups serve all Jew-
ish youth. It started with the AZA
(Aleph Zadik Aleph), which was
founded by Sam Beber in 1921,
with a 5-fold program of religion,
social service, cultural, patriotic
and sport activities for young men
between 14 and 21. On the eve
of Pearl Harbor AZA had grown
to over 25,000 active organized
members in 475 chapters. Soon
units of BB girls were formed and
in 1944, BB Young Men and Young
Women. The Young Men includ-
es boys out of high school age
and under 21 and the Young Wo-
men embodies girls out of high
school age and under 25.
9
Vocational Guidance
The Bnai Brith Vocational Serv-
ice Bureau began in 1938. The pro-
gram was designed to include (1)
occupational research; (2) prepa-
ration and distribution of publica-
tions; (3) sponsorship of group
vocational guidance activities un-
der professional direction; and (4)
stimulation of community action
with regard to personal counsel-
ing and job placement.
The bureau quickly adapted it-
self to the needs rising out of
the war emergency. With Victory
came again a changing in pro-
gram to postwar planning. Today
young people of high school age
are participating in career.plan-
ning as are the youth in colleges
and the returning service men and
women.
9
Adult Education
In its zeal to strengthen the at-
tachment of youth to Jewish life
and to guide them on the road to
productive careers in a free and
democratic America, Bnai Brith
did not neglect the rich oppor-
tunities for furthering cultural
and spiritual values among adults.
From its very earliest days, Bnai
Brith sought to educate its own
members, and through them the
broader Jewish community.
Long before there were organ.
ized lecture bureaus, the Bnai
Brith lodges brought to the small-
est communities the leading think-
ers and writers as guest speakers.
Community forums, town halls,
lecture series and organized cul-
tural meetings have long been
initiated and sponsored by Bnai
Brith on a community level.
Anti-Defamation
League
Realizing that the education of
the Jew alone was not enough,
Bnai f3rith undertook the far-
reaching task of educating the
1
non-Jew to an appreciation of the
truth about the Jew. As far back
as 1859 a "vigilance committee"
was proposed. Libels against Jews
during the Civil War, propaganda
by Czarist agents and assults on
Jewish immigrants brought re.
peated action and protests by
Bnai Brith. But it was not until
1908 that the defamation of Jew-
ry in all walks of life became the
serious problem of cAmerican Jew-
ry. It was then that Sigmund
Livingston of Chicago proposed to
district 6 that it create a perman-
, ent publicity committee to com"i
anti-Jewish manifestations i n lin
intelligent, orderly manner. Out of
that committee grew the more ef-
fective instrumentality known now
as the Anti-Defamation League.
Since its formation in 1913 it has
been successful in its vigorous ef-
forts to correct popular miscon•
ceptions about Jews. The A.D.L.
worked out significant and lasting
agreements in cooperation with
news agencies, publishers, the-
atrical managers and film pro.
ducers who recognized the un-
Araericanism, implicit in the fake
delineations of the Jew. This long
and patient struggle against prej-
udice based on ignorance and mis-
understanding had yielded a nol-
worthy measure of success OA
has prepared the ADL for deal-
ing with our most deadly enemy
Anti-Semitism. By 1941, the ADL
was ready with proved technique
and a national program for stren-
gthening the attachment of the
people to the ideals and practices
of democracy. What ADL has ac-
complished in the lessening of
subversive groups, inter-faith re-
lations, in free employment prac-
tices, and in the educating of our
own people in ethical business
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