B'nai B'rith 218593 226124467 2008-07-16T22:40:23Z Timurite 7326591 [[Image:bnai brith certificate.jpg|thumb|220px|B'nai B'rith Membership Certificate, 1876.]] The '''Independent Order of B'nai B'rith''' ([[IPA chart for English|IPA]]: {{IPA|/bəneɪ 'brɪθ/}}; [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: בני ברית, "Sons of the [[Covenant (Israel)|Covenant]]") is the oldest continually-operating [[Jew]]ish [[service organization]] in the world. It was founded in [[New York City]] by Henry Jones and 11 others on [[October 13]], [[1843]]. The organization is engaged in a wide variety of community service and welfare activities, including the promotion of Jewish rights, assisting hospitals and victims of natural disasters, awarding scholarships to Jewish college students, and opposing [[anti-Semitism]] and [[racism]] through its Center for Human Rights and Public Policy.<ref>[http://bnaibrith.org/general/history/aboutBBI.cfm The History of B'nai B'rith<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The organization's main body is '''B'nai B'rith International''', the entity that works with hundreds of countries around the world to increase the welfare of resident Jews. Besides its welfare activities, B'nai B'rith is also a vocal supporter of [[Israel]]. Together with [[AIPAC]], it created in 2002 an initiative called 'BBYO 4 Israel.'<ref>[http://bbyo.org/teen/index.php?c=142&kat=BBYO+4+Israel BBYO.org Teen<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Also, until 2001, B'nai B'rith sponsored the [[B'nai B'rith Youth Organization]] (BBYO), which is now BBYO, Inc. BBYO, an organization for high school-age Jewish teens, was founded in 1923, and comprises the boys' order, [[Aleph Zadik Aleph]] (AZA), and the girls' order, [[B'nai B'rith Girls]] (BBG).<ref>[http://www.bbyo.org/index.php?c=2&kat=About+BBYO BBYO.org<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Awards== B'nai B'rith International bestows various recognitions and awards, including its Presidential Gold Medal awarded every few years to honor the recipient's commitment to the Jewish people and the [[State of Israel]]. Recipients have included [[David Ben Gurion]], [[John F. Kennedy]], [[George H.W. Bush]], [[Stephen Harper]], and [[Golda Meir]]. In November 2005, the Gold Medal was given to former Austrian chancellor [[Franz Vranitzky]],<ref>[http://oe1.orf.at/inforadio/58058.html?filter=1 oe1.ORF.at / News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://oe1.orf.at/inforadio/58060.html?filter=3 oe1.ORF.at / Bnai B´rith-Medaille für Altkanzler Vranitzky<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and in May 2006, it was awarded to [[Prime Minister of Australia| Australian Prime Minister]] [[John Howard]].<ref>[http://www.bnaibrith.org.au/newsletterPopup.asp?NewsletterID=70 B'nai B'rith Australia / NZ<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://bnaibrith.org/pubs/pr/05172006_johnhoward.cfm B'nai B'rith Award Ceremony Honors Australian Prime Minister John Howard<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Canada== ''See [[B'nai Brith Canada]] ==Location of source materials for research on B'nai B'rith== The Western Jewish History Center, of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, in [[Berkeley, California]] has a large collection of historical records and papers, membership ledgers, correspondence, reports, and photographs that document the history of B'nai B'rith's Grand District Number Four (which included the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, as well as the Canadian Province of British Columbia) for the years 1963–92. ==References== <references /> ==External links== *[http://www.bnaibrith.org/ B'nai B'rith International] *[http://www.bnaibrith-europe.org/ B'nai B'rith Europe] *[http://www.bbrio.org.br/ B'nai B'rith Brazil] *[http://www.bnaibrith.org.ar/ B'nai B'rith Argentina] *[http://www.bnaibrith.ca B'nai Brith Canada] *[http://www.bbuk.org B'nai B'rith UK (United Kingdom)] *[http://www.bnaibrith.org.au/ B'nai B'rith Australia] *[http://www.bnaibrith.org.nz B'nai B'rith New Zealand] *[http://www.bnaibrith.org/ppolicy/index.cfm?us=0 B'nai B'rith Center for Human Rights and Public Policy] *[http://www.bbyo.org B'nai B'rith Youth Organization] *[http://www.magnes.org Judah L. Magnes Museum] *[http://www.magnes.org/collections/wjhc.html Western Jewish History Center] [[Category:Organizations established in 1843]] [[Category:Hebrew words and phrases]] [[Category:Jewish communal organizations]] [[Category:Yiddish words and phrases]] [[de:B’nai B’rith]] [[es:B'nai B'rith]] [[fr:B'nai B'rith]] [[he:בני ברית]] [[lv:B'nai B'rith]] [[hu:B’nai B’rith]] [[ja:ブナイ・ブリス]] [[pl:B'nai B'rith]] [[ru:Бнай Брит]] [[sk:B'nai b'rith]] [[tr:B'nai B'rith]]