t.. THE -DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, Uanuary 24, 1986 27 CONGREGATION SkIAA2Ey ZEDEK 13 ETH 1MJELEt DAy CAMP JUICE 23 - ALIQUST 1 • 1936 AGES: 21 to 6 years of age HALF-DAY PROGRAM - 9:30 AM-NOON planning and research, is not alarmed by the membership statistics. He says got during WWII, when BBI membrfship peaked, American Jews felt their B'nai B'rith participation was a way of con- tributing to the war effort. The destruction of Nazism, adds Baer, reduced the need for Jews to identify with co-religionists. A post-war decline in membership, he con- cludes, is a commonality shared by all Jewish organizations. Baer explains the older membership as a result of the population curve, not an in- ability of programs to attract individuals. He contends that 18 to 30-year-olds are "still engaged in getting training and education. (They are) dating and mating and establishing families and careers. It is wholly unrealistic for anyone in that age group to join any organization at that time. They join ad hoc organizations on- ly." Lew Hamburger, BBI membership director, adds his opinion that "B'nai B'rith reflects the trend everywhere. There is a lack of cause out there ... no national movements to fire the imagination of peo- ple under thirty." Dr. Daniel Thursz, executive vice presi- dent of BBI, is not so sanguine about the loss of public image and membership. "Think of the Jewish community as a triangle," he says, "with the synagogues, the federations and the national organiza- tions (standing for) each point. The Jewish community does best when the three groups have equal power. "The federations have more (power) in America today. It is not a healthy situa- tion. Diplomacy and containment are necessary to a healthy competition. The federations are not the whole Jewish com- munity ... They are not organized as membership organizations. They skim off the top to get the economic elite. They are undemocratic in the nature of their fund- raising. There is no national, constitutional body of federations. They are not a move- ment like B'nai B'rith." When Thursz speaks of "movement," he means the overall sense of mission which, in theory, holds together BBI's decen- tralized structure. Within this structure, the various levels — lodges, districts, etc. — have a large degree of autonomy. And when Thursz speaks of democracy, he means the system whereby individuals declare themselves presidential candidates and campaign for the job. BBI's officers are elected every two years and may be re- elected once. Any BBI member is eligible to run for president and be elected by delegates at an international convention. Considering the large sums of personal funds and time spent on recent campaign (past candidates have even traveled the country by private jet), some people wonder just how "democratic" the system is. Such a costly race could not be attemp- ted by the average BBI member, who also probably couldn't afford to be away from his business as much as the president's job requires. On the other hand, how many other Jewish organizations — local as well as national — hold elections with more than one candidate running for office. B'nai B'rith is often described, with pride, as a department store of Jewish life, offering something for everyone. In many respects, such diversification is a source of strength. A listing of lodge happenings, published in the monthly B'nai B'rith magazine, is a pot pourri of events representing the interests of local members. One lodge concentrates on suc- coring senior citizens, another hosts the Egyptian ambassador, a third reports on a trip to Atlantic City, and others discuss books or collect stamps together. The lodges, it seems, go about their business, contribute their dues, and are largely unaware of doings at the top. Thursz concurs that one of BBI's biggest FULL-DAY PROGRAM - 9:30 AM-2:30 PM TRAINED NURSERY PERSONNEL CREATIVE SUMMER ACTIVITIES PARENT-TODDLER CLASSES C 1 „ -co For information contact Janet Pont, Director - 357-5544 Paved in Diamonds wrapped in glorious gold Dr. Daniel Thursz Executive Vice President of BBI "The federations are not the whole Jewish corn- munity...They are not organized as member- ship organizations. They skim off the top to get the economic elite." challenges is maintaining a sense of the whole. Not only is this a problem vertical- ly, from lodge • to executive office in Washington, D.C., but it is a struggle horizontally, between branches. And at the heart of this problem is money. In 1982, Philip Klutznick, BBI honorary president and head of a commis- sion charting the future of B'nai B'rith, charged that "we have given so much em- phasis to finance that we have neglected day to day program coordination." Despite the fact that it has an operating budget of $14 million, its largest ever, "BBI lacks the funds to match its dreams," says Thursz. (Last year, an in- sider confided, BBI fell $1 million short of A u,tU too good to be true! Custom designs available by appointment call James at 357-5578 fine jewelry and gifts 357-5578 ql 26400 West Twelve Mile Road Franklin Savings Center, Southfield, Mi. Mon.-Sat. 10:00-5:45 Thursdays 10:00-8:45 FREE GIFT WARP CASH REFUNDS