On October 13, 1843, at Sinsheimer’s Café on New York City’s Lower East Side, Henry Jones and 11 fellow German Jewish immigrants met to create B’nai Brith, an organization dedicated to assisting new Jewish immigrants to America. One of the first Jewish communal organizations, B’nai Brith served as a forerunner to the countless Jewish organizations and philanthropic ventures that permeate the 21st Century American Jewish landscape.
Ultimately, B’nai Brith blossomed into an international organization, extending its reach across the globe, but continued to innovate throughout many spheres of American Jewish life—equipping Jewish soldiers, advocating for fair treatment of Jews in the United States and abroad, raising funds for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, combating antisemitism (through the Anti-Defamation League), sponsoring Jewish summer camps, organizing affordable senior housing facilities, and working with students on college campuses (through Hillel).
The legacy of B’nai Brith is one closely associated with k’lal yisrael, serving the needs of all Israel. In many ways, it has served as an example for other U.S. immigrant communities, illustrating how a community can adapt to the ever-volatile American cultural and economic landscape.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel