(Jewish Liable Bulletin)
Facing the task of revising the constitution and the elimination of certain constitutional limitations hitherto imposed upon on class of the Order’s membership, 800 delegates representing 456 lodges of the Independent Order Brith Abraham opened the first day’s session of its forty-second annual convention at the Hotel Waldman here yesterday.
The principal issue before the delegates was brought in the annual message of Grand Master Max Silverstein, when he urged the repeal of the law preventing present members or suspended members of Class “A” since 1924 from entering Class “B” or Class “C.”
Class “A” members. Mr. Silverstein explained, are insured under the postmortem plan which has met with the disapproval of numerous state insurance departments. In order to comply with the requirements of insurance departments, Class “B” was established in 1926. The members of this class receive $500 insurance and pay fixed rtes. Class “C” members are known as associate members and neither seek nor receive benefits of insurance.
Pointing out that the order has lost 7,892 members by way of suspensions during the past year, Mr. Silverstein declared many of these would not have left the order, but would have transferred to dither Class “B” or Class “C” if the present restrictions had been removed.
The presidential message also reviewed the accomplishments of the Order during the past year, placing special emphasis upon its activities in behalf of the persecuted Jews of Roumania, and its efforts to secure the enactment of a more humane immigration bill.
Supreme Court Justice Irving Goldsmith, representing the Mayor of Saratoga, welcomed the delegates. Fred Stores, secretary of the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce also addressed the session.
Dr. S. Margoshes, editor “The Day”, a speeder during the morning session dwelt on the problems confronting the Order on the problems confronting the Order and American Jewry and urged deliberate planning instead of drifting as a method of meeting these problems. He asked for more generous support of the American Jewish Congress and Jewish education.
The names of Max Silversteing and Nathan Turk were put forward for Grand Master by the nominating committee. Others nominated were Nathan D. Perlman, first depute, Samuel Kalesky, second deputy, Samuel Blasenstein, third deputy and Max L. Hollender and Julius Feigel. Grand Secretary.
At a late session last night the proposal to permit members of Class “A” to enter Classes “B” and “C,” was adopted by an overwhelming majority. ending a fight in the Order which had lasted five years.
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