Congratulations on the attainment of its 90th birthday and for its record of achievement, were received here today by B’nai B’rith, Jewish world-wide fraternal order with affiliated membership of 603 lodges throughout the world.
President Roosevelt, writing to Alfred M. Cohen, president, expressed his felicitations in a communication which read as follows:
“Celebration this year of the ninetieth anniversary of the founding of B’nai B’rith should be the cause of rejoicing to all who cherish freedom, justice and truth and who are interested in the improvement of conditions of our fellowmen and Nation.
“The people of the United States have had an unusual opportunity to know and to evaluate the services your order has performed, particularly in promoting international good will, in aiding the poor and stricken and in uniting American Jewry in service to their country and to humanity.
“To B’nai B’rith I extend congratulations for past achievements and best wishes for continued future success.”
The order of B’nai B’rith which was founded in New York City, October 13, 1843, has as its mission “uniting Israelites in their best interests and those of humanity.” At the outset of its organization, the order functioned with secret ritual and impressive ceremonials, all of which were later eliminated. Its earliest achievement was the erection of the Cleveland Jewish Orphan Home in 1868 which was rebuilt in 1930.
An important phase of its social work was the care of Jewish immigration in the 1880’s. B’nai B’rith founded and allocated large sums for the support of the Erie Orphan Home, the Atlanta Home for Orphans, the Memphis Home for the Aged, the Yonkers Home for the Aged, the National Jewish Hospital of Denver, the Leo N. Levi Memorial Hospital and the Touro Infirmary.
On October 18 the order will dedicate the ninth of its university cultural centers at Northwestern. The Hillel Foundation will be supported by B’nai B’rith Wider Scope fund.
The current year marks also the twentieth birthday of the Anti-Defamation League and the tenth year of the Hillel foundations. The B’nai B’rith sponsors as one of its chief activities the Aleph Zadik Aleph, a junior order for youths between 16 and 21 years of age.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
