B’nai B’rith Averts Debate over Issue of Combined Membership Units

The threat of a stormy floor debate at the B’nai B’rith biennial convention was averted when a committee dealing with the controversial issue of “combined membership units “–a departure from the tradition of sex-separated men’s lodges and B’nai B’rith women’s chapters–recommended a compromise proposal that was readily accepted by the 1300 delegates.

The convention action formally established integrated units as an option for single men and women in urban areas and for both single and married couples in communities of 250 or fewer Jewish families.

But a more comprehensive proposal which would have formalized the option in any size city for married couples and “peer groups”–B’nai B’rith units whose members are in the same profession or industry–was withdrawn in favor of further “pilot projects” in both categories over the next two years.

The compromise was worked out after a coalition of delegates, including representatives of B’nai B’rith Women, objected strenuously during committee hearings that the more inclusive proposal, as a radical break with tradition, needed further experimentation and study.

BASIS FOR COMPROMISE

The “combined unit” structure provides that its male members are enrolled in a unit of B’nai B’rith, its women members in a unit of B’nai B’rith Women. B’nai B’rith Women, organized 74 years ago as an auxiliary, is now a self-governing body with some 150,000 members. It has a small voting delegation at the men’s convention.

The leadership of five of B’nai B’rith’s seven geographical districts in the United States had called for the more drastic change, which might easily have carried if brought to a plenary vote. But concern that such action could impair relationships between the men’s and women’s movements led to the compromise.

B’nai B’rith began its experiment with combined units five years ago to accommodate new attitudes and lifestyles growing out of the feminist revolution. It had found a “low ratio” of B’nai B’rith members in the 25 to 35 age bracket and sought to explore whether this was attributable to a decline in interest among this generation’s single men and women and young married couples to join sex-segregated volunteer groups.

Originally described as “co-ed units” and administered jointly with B’nai B’rith Women, the pilot project began with a group of singles in Cleveland. There are currently 43 such combined units.

David M. Blumberg was installed for a final two-year term as B’nai B’rith president at today’s closing session of the organization.