THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Blum Says Egypt Attitude Toward Israel in UN Wilting
UNITED
NATIONS the struggle against Israel
(JTA) — Egypt's attitude in some instances, most
toward Israel sharply deter- notably in the political and
iorated during the 38th ses- other UN committees.
sion of the General Assem-
Yehuda Blum, Israel's
bly, which concluded its de- Ambassador to the United
liberations last week. Fur- Nations, pointed out this
thermore, the Egyptians led development at a press con-
Boris Smolar's
`Between You
. . . and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1983, JTA, Inc.)
BNAI BRITH AT 140: Bnai Brith, the oldest existing
national Jewish organization in the United States, is enter-
ing the new year to complete 140 years of service to the
American Jewish community. Its enviable record needs no
comment.
Founded on Oct. 13, 1843 by 12 German-speaking Jews
in a small cafe-house on Essex Street — in New York's East
Broadway neighborhood — the organization grew from
strength to strength every year, the first agency unifying
doctrinal differences. There were only about 25,000 Jews in
the country when Bnai Brith was formed. The community
was split into small splinter groups — Portuguese, Dutch,
English, German, Bohemian, Austrian and Polish — each
with its own ethnic loyalties, often antagonistic toward one
another.
It was this splintering of the small community that
motivated the 12 founders to create a medium for unifying
all Jews and bringing them together on one platform. A
program was designed by the founders sufficiently flexible
to embrace all aspects of Jewish life and win adhesion of all
elements in the community.
Originally named "Dundes Brueder" ("League of
Brothers"), the organization later changed its name to its
Hebrew equivalent "Bnai Brith" ("Sons of the Covenant").
Its founding coincided with the years when mass migration
of Jews from Germany to the United States was started.
BNAI BRITH YESTERDAY AND TODAY: The
early efforts of Bnai Brith were directed into philanthropic
channels. As the Jewish communal structure grew later in
strength and stability, the Bnai Brith relinquished volun-
tarily its philanthropic activities and control over certain
institutions to other agencies, remaining dynamic in meet-
ing the changing needs of the times.
The Jewish immigrants from Russia began to arrive in
great waves in 1880 after the Bnai Brith was already func-
tioning. They sought no aid from Bnai Brith which they
considered an organization dominated by German Jews.
Penniless and speaking Yiddish only, they formed their
own "landsmanshaften" groups. In 1900 they founded their
own fraternal order "Arbeter Ring" ("The Workmen's Cir-
cle") which created for them an intimate atmosphere in
their new surroundings and provided them with social aid
and cultural programs. Most of them became - workers in
"sweat shops," laboring long hours under terrible condi-
tions for miserable pay. The "Arbeter Ring" meetings and
cultural programs were their only relaxation. At one time
some 90,000 of them were members of the "Arbeter Ring."
In the march of time many of the immigrants from
Eastern European countries became a middle class element
who joined the Bnai Brith. Today, Bnai Brith represents a
cross-section of the American Jewish community. There
are among its members rich and poor, businessmen, profes-
sionals and artisans, native-born and foreign-born,
Zionists and non-Zionists, liberals and conservatives, rab-
bis and laymen, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. It has
several hundred lodges with several hundred thousand
men and women over the age of 21 as members. It also has
about 500 young groups with a combined membership in
the U.S. and Canada of about 250,000. There is also a Bnai
Brith International with affiliates in 42 countries, includ-
ing Israel.
BNAI BRITH MILESTONES: While the Bnai Brith
is now completing its 140 years of existence, four of the
most important sections of the organization are similarly
marking their milestones. These are:
• The Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith, which
has been in the forefront of the battle against anti-
Semitism and is working constructively to strengthen
democratic practices.
• The Bnai Brith Hillel Foundations, which are cul-
tural, social and religious centers for Jewish students in
about 300 leading college and university campuses in the
U.S., Canada, Israel and other countries.
• The Bnai Brith Youth Organization, which stimu-
lates Jewish knowledge and loyalty among youngsters in
their teens by youth-level activities in about 1,000 com-
munities in the U.S. and Canada.
• The Bnai Brith Vocational Service which was estab-
lished to conduct a broad program of group vocations guid-
ance for American Jewish youth.
ference at the Israel Mission
to the UN.
"This is a worrisome de-
velopment," Blum said, not-
ing that Egypt is using
anti-Israeli rhetoric in the
UN to make inroads in the
Arab world and to
strengthen its position
which was undermined
among the Arabs after it
signed the peace treaty with
Israel in 1979.
Blum pointed out that
Egypt voted last week for
a resolution in the Gen-
eral Assembly condemn-
ing the recent agreement
between Israel and the
United States on closer
strategic cooperation.
The Israeli envoy, said, in
response to a question, that
he raised the issue of
Egypt's growing anti-
Israeli position in the UN
with Egyptian Ambassador
Ahmed Tawfik Khalil. The
Egyptian envoy said, ac-
cording to Blum, that just
because Israel and Egypt
signed a peace treaty does
not mean that Egypt cannot
criticize Israel.
Blum also noted that Is-
rael's Ambassador to Egypt,
David Sasson, raised the
issue of Egypt's treatment
of Israel at the UN with
government officials in
Cairo.
Blum said that beginning
Jan. 1, Egypt will have a
seat in the Security Council.
"I am afraid that they will
use the position for anti-
Israel activity," he said.
The 38th Assembly ses-
sion was also marked by in-
creased .anti-Semitic
Friday, December 30, 1983 1
Wedding, Rehearsal and Ceremony Assistance
rhetoric in which the Arabs
"allowed themselves to at-
tack not only Israel but the
Jewish people as well,"
Blum said.
Sharon Padzensky
559-4757
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