Now facts uncovered regarding the dissolution of the B’nai B’rith’s fraternal lodges and their affiliated philanthropic institutions last April reveal that the confiscated capital totaled more than 2,000,000 marks, a special correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency ascertained today.
Seizure of the American-founded organization’s property was carried out with Teutonic thoroughness. The Gestapo (Nazi Secret Police) confiscated everything it could find, including chairs, tables, silver cutlery and tablecloths.
Memorial tablets were torn from the walls of the headquarters and portraits of the founders of the fraternal order were removed to the anti-Semitic museum in Munich.
The Gestapo, it was reported, was greatly disappointed at the meagerness of the proceeds of the confiscation, and many high officials were quoted as saying they thought B’nai B’rith was much richer.
Meanwhile, the economic position of Jewish members of the free professions is growing steadily worse. Jewish lawyers are finding it difficult even to obtain Jewish clients, since Jewish attorneys often cannot obtain hearings in the courts. Jewish panel physicians frequently find their clinics picketed.
Jewish charities are suffering from their loss of tax exemption. Taxes frequently cat up 40 per cent of an institution’s gross income.
However, the position of the Jewish communal organizations seems to have improved, chiefly due to the fact that many pensioned-off Jewish lawyers are giving their services gratis to help put the communities’ administration on a sound basis.
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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.
