I.o.b.b. Will Raise $2,000,000 Fund for Extention of Organization’s Work

Louis W. Osterweis, a New York attorney, was elected President of the District No. 1, Independent Order B’nai Brith, the largest American Jewish fraternity with a membership of over sixty thousand, at the seventy-fourth annual convention of the Order held Sunday at the Astor Hotel. He succeeded Bertram M. Aufsesser.

Over 200 delegates representing ninety lodges in the district were present when Mr. Aufsesser, retiring president, delivered his annual message in which he reviewed the activities of the order during the last year and declared that the fraternity is about to launch a campaign for $2,000,000 for the purpose of continuing and extending the work of the fraternity. The fund is to be used for various social service and relief work, particularly for the maintainence of the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundations which are functioning now in the State Universities of Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio. A fourth foundation is to be established shortly in the University of Michigan.

A lively discussion took place at the convention with regard to the Old Age Home owned by the District at Yonkers. The Home which was established in 1882 has a capacity of housing 110 persons while the present number of inmates is only twenty-eight. The President, in his message, suggested that the home at Yonkers be sold and a new one be erected at another site so as to comply with the present needs. The membership of the Order has attained such a degree of prosperity that it is unlikely that the number of inmates of the Home would be much larger, was one of the arguments.

The newly elected Executive Committee consists of the following: Maurice Bloch of New York, first vice-president; David Ruslander of Buffalo, second vice-president; Joshua Kantrowitz of New York, president of the Home; Joseph Rosenzweig of New York, treasurer; Max Levy of New York, Secretary; Louis Lorence of New York, chairman of the Committee on Finance; Judge Albert Cohen of New York, chairman of the Committee on Law; Isidore H. Fox of Boston, Chairman of the Committee on Religious Activities; Wilfred B. Feiga of Worcester, chairman of the Committee on Intellectual Advancement; Ely Rosenberg of New York, chairman of the Committee on Endowment Reserve Fund; Herbert T. Rosenfeld of New York, chairman of the Committee on Social Service; Max L. Pinansky of Portland, Maine, Chief Justice of District Court; Morris B. Moskowitz of New York, chairman on Committee on Membership; Nestor Dreyfus of New London, Conn., chairman of Committee on General Fund and Charitable Objects, Abraham K. Cohen of Boston, chairman on Committee on Anti-Defamation; Henry Lasker of Springfield, Mass., chairman of Committee on Women’s Auxiliaries; Leo J. Lyons of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Exemplification of Degree; Nathan H. Friedman of Taunton, Mass., chairman of Committee on Publicity; Nathan E. Goldstein of Springfield, Mass., Chairman of Committee on District Deputies; and Louis M. Singer of Toronto, Can., chairman of Committee on Canadian Activities.

Six members of the Board of Governors of the Yonkers Home were also elected. They are: William Asher, Paul Gold, Julius K. Lewin, Jehial M. Roeder, Joseph G. Shapiro and Myron Sulzberger, all of New York State.

Dr. Joseph Silverman, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Emanu-El delivered an address in which he reviewed the work of the Order during the last eighty-four years since the Order was established.