Bnai Brith Palestine House Building Fund Established

Declaring that immigration of European Jews to Palestine afforded the greatest avenue for relief “in the present crisis and emergency,” the executive committee of the Constitution Grand Lodge, the B’nai Brith decided at the annual meeting in Memphis April 22 to establish a special fund to be known as the “B’nai Brith Palestine House Building Fund, ” to provide housing facilities for prospective Jewish immigrants.

As a nucleus $25,000 is provided out of the Order’s emergency relief fund, the resolution empowering the committee to appeal to district grand lodges, lodges and individuals for augmentation of the fund.

This action, B’nai Brith leaders emphasised, does not denote acceptance or rejection of the Zionist program, being based on the power enjoyed by the Executive Committee to extend aid and support to suffering co religionists the world over.

Provision is made, however, that the Palestine relief work be done through the Jerusalem lodge of the Order, the fund to be disbursed solely under the direction and control of the Executive committee.

It was understood that this action followed a discussion on the wording of the resolution. Zionists among the members proposed that the Order aid “the economical rehabilitation of Palestine, “whereas the text as adopted provides for “creation of living conditions.” Similarly, the words “alleviation of distress” were substituted for “the proposed development of Palestine”.

The Committee is composed of Adolf Kraus, Chicago, president of the constitutional grand lodge; Lucius L. Solomons, San Francisco; A.A. Marx, New Orleans; Jacob Singer, Philadelphia; S. J. Westheimer, Houston; Charles Hartman, New York; Sidney G. Kursworm, Dayton, Ohio; Arthur M. Friedman, Denver; Harry S. Platowsky, Philadelphia; Raboi E. N. Calisch, Richmond, Va; Harry A. Alexander, Atlanta; Henry Monsky, Omaha; Gustavus A. Loevinger, St. Paul and Archie Hillman, Worcester, Mass.;