F2025-08-29 6:55 PM <br/> Tags: #organization #KeyOrganizations #AmericanJewry #Lobby ![[image-106.png|756x145]] # B'nai B'rith - B'nai B'rith *(pronounced buh-nay brith)* is a major US based Jewish organization. - Out of B'nai B'rith many separate Jewish organizations have been created. - B'nai B'rith is considered an establishment Jewish organization. #### Early History - B'nai B'rith was founded in 1843 by German Jews in New York city. - German Jews were the long time ethnic foundation of the organization. - It is among the oldest US Jewish groups. - "B'nai B'rith" means *Brothers of the Covenant*. - B'nai B'rith was founded as a fraternal order with a network of chapters established throughout the country. - By 1902 there were ~30,000 members in 330 lodges governed by 10 "grand lodges" in a total of six countries. - B'nai B'rith was founded in part to aid the destitute condition of the American Jewish population, particularly the German Jewish immigrants. - In 1851 B'nai B'rith built the United States' first Jewish community center called Covenant Hall in New York. - In 1852 B'nai B'rith built Maimonides Library, the first Jewish public library in the US. *Maimonides, a rabbi from the 12th century, is among the most influential talmudic scholars.* - Maimonides Library also served as a meeting hall for chapter meetings. #### Organizations Founded By B'nai B'rith - [[Jewish Women International]] - Jewish women's group founded 1897. - [[ADL]] - Major Jewish group fighting antisemitism, founded 1913. - [[Alpha Zadik Aleph (AZA)]] - A teenage and young adult Jewish fraternal order founded in 1924. - [[B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO)]] - The umbrella for the AZA and the BBG (B'nai B'rith Girls) founded in 1944. - [[Hillel International]] - Largest Jewish student organization, founded 1925. - [[Conference of Presidents]] - Umbrella for the major American Jewish groups. Founded in 1954. Spearheaded by [[Philip Klutznick]]. Instead of falling under B'nai B'rith's umbrella, B'nai B'rith fell under the conference's umbrella. #### B'nai B'rith Within Organized Jewry - B'nai B'rith was not founded with strong political or religious fervor. - Political Zionism was not even created for the first ~50 years of B'nai B'rith activity. - After WWI B'nai B'rith became more receptive to Zionism. - In the mid 1930s B'nai B'rith practiced its belief in Zionism by sending money to the [[Jewish National Fund]] to buy land in Mandatory Palestine. - In 1947 B'nai B'rith urged businessman Eddie Jacobson to lobby President Truman to meet with [[Chaim Weizmann]]. - Jacobson was the former business partner of Truman in the 20s. - Truman, who was growing tired of constant Zionist lobbying, was convinced to listen to Weizmann. - Weizmann's pleas were influential in getting Truman to recognize Israel upon its declaration. - B'nai B'rith was given consultative NGO status at the UN in 1947. - This allowed B'nai B'rith to send a full-time observer to the UN and partake in UN debates. - B'nai B'rith was the first Jewish group with this status at the UN. - The organization used its seat at the UN to lobby for the [[UN Partition Plan]]. --- - Beginning in 1971 B'nai B'rith partnered with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to build subsidized Jewish senior living homes. - The HUD secretary at the time was [[George Romney]]. - Romney, the father of [[Mitt Romney]], was grafted into his position in the Nixon admin through [[Max Fisher]]. - Fisher was a longtime benefactor of George Romney since his 1962 Michigan gubernatorial campaign. - Fisher, a former B'nai B'rith leader, was hugely influential in Republican politics of the 60s-90s. - After years of lobbying efforts B'nai B'rith, the [[ADL]], and the [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]], lobbied Congress to pass the 1977 and 78 anti-boycott laws. - The efforts of Jewish lobbying banned US companies from following the Arab League's boycott of Israel. *Anti-boycott laws are a mainstay of American Jewry. Recently, organized Jewry has been lobbying for all forms of laws banning opposition to Israel.* - In the decades prior B'nai B'rith president [[Philip Klutznick]] had began calling for anti-boycott laws. - In 1980, shortly after the adoption of federal anti-boycott laws, Klutznick became the US Secretary of Commerce under Jimmy Carter. - The Department of Commerce is responsible for enforcing anti-boycott laws. --- - The zenith of B'nai B'rith can be considered the mid 20th century. With ~200,000 members the 60s/70s were the peak influence B'nai B'rith has experienced. - Around the 1990s the organizations formed under the umbrella of B'nai B'rith began to separate into their own unaffiliated organizations. *(see the second header)* - In 1989, B'nai B'rith president [[Seymour Reich]] sent out a letter warning of an antisemitic "well organized campaign" orchestrated by Arab groups on college campuses. - Reich was soon forced to apologize, which he did by calling the letter a "mistake" (only after 14,000 were sent out). #RedPill *Today the Jews say the same thing with the addition of Qatar. It's remarkable how the people with the real** network of student propaganda groups accuse everyone else. Accusing others that of which they are guilty is a recurring motif of Jewish power.* - The [[ADL]], which bore the name Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith until 2009, was engaged in mass domestic spying during the second half of the 20th century. - *The ADL was essentially a separate entity since the 1940s, only nominally connected to B'nai B'rith, but its activities are so outrageous that it's worth noting.* --- - In recent times B'nai B'rith has reoriented itself as toward specific programs. - B'nai B'rith runs an annual "None Shall Be Afraid" essay contest. - The prompt on their website reads: "Please share your personal experience as a student today who has experienced or witnessed anti-Semitic hate on campus, and how you responded or took action in the situation." - B'nai B'rith continues aggressive DC lobbying for stringent Antisemitism laws and enforcement of holocaust definitions. - B'nai B'rith pushes the [[International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)]] definition of antisemitism. - B'nai B'rith pushed IHRA definition to be integrated into school and university policies. - The IHRA's detailed definition of antisemitism includes "claims of Jews killing Jesus." *The IHRA definition is accepted by the US State Department. A bill was recently introduced in Congress called the "Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2025" which will force the IHRA definition on education.* #### B'nai B'rith Activity in Israel - The first B'nai B'rith lodge in Israel was established in 1888 when Palestine was under Ottoman control. - Today Israel has around 70 B'nai B'rith lodges. - After the state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948, B'nai B'rith was immediately involved in - During the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]] B'nai B'rith was sending shipments of supplies to the Jewish state. - During the [[1967 Six Day War]], B'nai B'rith marshalled its resources to buy $13 million in [[Israel Bonds]]. - In 1980 the Israeli Knesset passed the "Jerusalem Law" which declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. - The Jerusalem law was passed to spite the United Nations, which had passed resolutions condemning Israeli settlement activity and Israeli efforts to take over all of Jerusalem. - In response Israel suffered a diplomatic retraction from much of the world. - In response to the world B'nai B'rith established its Jerusalem World Center, which serves as the B'nai B'rith headquarters in Israel. - Through its Jerusalem World Center, B'nai B'rith works with Israeli government officials and groups to coordinate B'nai B'rith activity in Israel and globally. - B'nai B'rith has been in partnerships with the [[Jewish Agency]] regarding Soviet Jewish immigration, and broader Jewish immigration. - B'nai B'rith partners with Israel's Yad Vashem (institutional holocaust memorial) to publish essays and studies about the holocaust. - B'nai B'rith attends conferences of the [[World Jewish Congress]] and the [[World Zionist Organization]]. #### Notable Leaders - Henry Jones - Founder in 1843 - [[Adolf Kraus]] - President 1905-25 - [[Henry Monsky]] - President 1938-47 - [[Philip Klutznick]] - President 1953-59 - [[Label A. Katz]] - President - 1959-65 - [[Richard Heideman]] - President 1998-2002 - [[Daniel Mariaschin]] - Current CEO #### Funding *B'nai B'rith does not publicize annual donor lists like many other organizations. Therefore we have no specifics on who is donating.* - B'nai B'rith has relatively low revenues compared with other Jewish groups. - B'nai B'rith averages ~$7-$8 million in annual revenue. - In 2024 the B'nai B'rith revenue rose to almost $14 million in response to [[October 7th]]. #### References - "Our History of Service.” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/about-us/history-of-service/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/about-us/history-of-service/) - “United Nations.” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-focus/israel/united-nations/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-focus/israel/united-nations/) - “B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem.” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-focus/israel/world-center-jerusalem/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-focus/israel/world-center-jerusalem/) - “B’nai B’rith Senior Housing Network Timeline.” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-focus/seniors/css-timeline2/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-focus/seniors/css-timeline2/?) - Golden, Peter. _Quiet Diplomat: A Biography of Max M. Fisher_. Cornwall, NY: Cornwall Books/Associated University Presses, 1992. Accessed (publisher’s PDF) August 30, 2025[260, 483] https://mmfisher.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QuietDiplomat_FixedLayout-compressed.pdf - “990 Forms.” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/about-us/annual-reports/990-forms/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/about-us/annual-reports/990-forms/) - “Our Leadership (2025).” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-leadership-2025/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/our-leadership-2025/) - “B’nai B’rith World Center–Jerusalem: Our Connection to Events and Leaders in Israel.” B’nai B’rith International. [https://www.bnaibrith.org/bnai-brith-world-center-jerusalem-our-connection-to-events-and-leaders-in-israel-html/](https://www.bnaibrith.org/bnai-brith-world-center-jerusalem-our-connection-to-events-and-leaders-in-israel-html/) - “Enforcement.” [https://www.bis.gov/enforcement](https://www.bis.gov/enforcement?) - U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Department of Commerce. “Office of Antiboycott Compliance.” [https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/enforcement/oac](https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/enforcement/oac?) - Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. “Recognition of Israel.” [https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/recognition-israel](https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/recognition-israel?) - “Edward (Eddie) Jacobson Papers.” [https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/personal-papers/edward-jacobson-papers](https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/personal-papers/edward-jacobson-papers?) - Hillel International. “History of Hillel.” [https://www.hillel.org/history-of-hillel/](https://www.hillel.org/history-of-hillel/?) - BBYO. “Mission & History.” [https://bbyo.org/about-us/mission-history](https://bbyo.org/about-us/mission-history?) - “Anti-Defamation League.” _Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia._ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Defamation_League](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Defamation_League?) - Reagan, Ronald. “Speech to B’nai B’rith, September 1984.” Jewish Virtual Library. [https://newsite.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/president-reagan-speech-to-b-nai-b-rith-september-1984](https://newsite.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/president-reagan-speech-to-b-nai-b-rith-september-1984?) - Jewish Virtual Library. “B’nai B’rith.” _American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise._ https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/b-nai-b-rith - “B’nai B’rith.” _Jewish Encyclopedia_ (1902). https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3678-b-nai-b-rith - Marshall, Rachelle. “The Decline of B’nai B’rith: From Protector to Persecutor.” _Washington Report on Middle East Affairs_, April 1989. https://www.wrmea.org/1989-april/the-decline-of-b-nai-b-rith-from-protector-to-persecutor.html - ProPublica. “B’nai B’rith Foundation of the U.S.A. (EIN 53-0179971).” _Nonprofit Explorer._ https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/530179971