A Brief Historical Overview of B'nai B'rith
B’nai B’rith in Sydney received its Charter from Washington DC in December, 1944. The Sydney Lodge was started by German and Austrian refugees and immigrants. They were fleeing from Europe and the Holocaust seeking to recreate the social and intellectual networks that they had lost during the war years. In Sydney, meetings were originally conducted in German and minutes also taken in German. B’nai B’rith was initially established in all the states and remains vibrant and dynamic in Sydney & Melbourne to this day.
Over time the organisation thrived across the state and female chapters and mixed lodges were established. Many social and charitable projects were undertaken with passion and energy to improve the wellbeing of the Jewish and wider community.
In 1964, B’nai B’rith members undertook to build a Parents Home in Wahroonga, to provide secure and cost effective housing for Jewish refugees and immigrants. This project has segued into the B’nai B’rith Retirement Villages, with villages in both Wahroonga and Rose Bay providing housing to independent Jewish retirees. It is now (2018) in the process of adding another 9 units to its portfolio in Double Bay. http://www.bbrv.org.au/
The Bargain Bazaar Charity Shop was established in the 1970’s and is run by B’nai B’rith volunteers and is extremely successful in raising funds to support various B’nai B’rith projects and other worthy Jewish and non-Jewish charities.
In Sydney, B’nai B’rith moved to our exciting new kosher premises at the University of NSW in 2016. The centre lends itself to staging community exhibitions, functions and events. It is also available for outside functions. Recent activities by B’nai B’rith at the Centre include ‘Jewish Life in Germany Today’ in 2017, the Courage to Care Exhibition in 2017, ‘Jewish Artists in Sydney’ in 2017 and ‘Celebrating 175 Years of Jewish Life in South Africa’ in 2018. We have also held Speakers, Dinners, Film nights, Succot BBQ’s, book launches, Melbourne Cup lunches with great success.
Our Units are active social hubs, holding many and varied social & cultural activities and events such as lectures, trivia quizzes, walks, musical evenings, cookery demonstrations, weekends away and a book club. They are always inclusive and welcoming to new members. The Units undertake a wide range of hands on care and assistance projects for the community. Food parcel deliveries are made before Pesach and Rosh Hashanah for the needy. People with disabilities are taken on picnics, outings and social functions. The B’nai B’rith Centre hosts Camp Sababa. The units raise funds for indigenous scholarships and other worthy Jewish and non -Jewish charities.
B’nai B’rith Youth Organisation has been re-invigorated from our long running Kids Club, where during the School holidays, children participate in photography, art, craft and other workshops.
The children assist with the food parcel deliveries at Pesach and Rosh Hashanah and learn about Tikkun Olam. Over the last few years a fun Battle of the Bands competition has been run for the Jewish Day schools and Youth groups with a theme to raise issues of social concern.
The Alfred Dreyfus Unit is unique in its activities. This Unit runs the Annual Human Rights Address with a high profile speaker. The ADU also works in conjunction with the JNF to organise the Young Game Changers Awards that recognises rising young leaders in our Community.
There are other various independent B’nai B’rith entities, such as Courage to Care, https://couragetocare.com.au/ which is an outreach educational programme that travels interstate to educate school students about the evils of racism and bullying and how to how to be an “upstander” and not a “bystander”. The testimonies of Holocaust survivors and victims of genocide are used to teach and facilitate the learnings. This program is also being used by the Queensland Police today.
The B’nai B’rith Sydney Nominees oversees the distribution of funds to projects that support Jewish continuity, Jewish education and those which foster understanding of the complexities of the Middle East conflict such as the Ram Bam Project. The Trust also provides a scholarship for a history teachers’ program to attend at Yad Vashem.
B‘nai B’rith is enjoying a renaissance with the establishment of the Womanpower Unit, the reinvigoration of BBYO and the numerous opportunities that the new premises afford.
For more information please email council@bbnsw.org.au.
Over time the organisation thrived across the state and female chapters and mixed lodges were established. Many social and charitable projects were undertaken with passion and energy to improve the wellbeing of the Jewish and wider community.
In 1964, B’nai B’rith members undertook to build a Parents Home in Wahroonga, to provide secure and cost effective housing for Jewish refugees and immigrants. This project has segued into the B’nai B’rith Retirement Villages, with villages in both Wahroonga and Rose Bay providing housing to independent Jewish retirees. It is now (2018) in the process of adding another 9 units to its portfolio in Double Bay. http://www.bbrv.org.au/
The Bargain Bazaar Charity Shop was established in the 1970’s and is run by B’nai B’rith volunteers and is extremely successful in raising funds to support various B’nai B’rith projects and other worthy Jewish and non-Jewish charities.
In Sydney, B’nai B’rith moved to our exciting new kosher premises at the University of NSW in 2016. The centre lends itself to staging community exhibitions, functions and events. It is also available for outside functions. Recent activities by B’nai B’rith at the Centre include ‘Jewish Life in Germany Today’ in 2017, the Courage to Care Exhibition in 2017, ‘Jewish Artists in Sydney’ in 2017 and ‘Celebrating 175 Years of Jewish Life in South Africa’ in 2018. We have also held Speakers, Dinners, Film nights, Succot BBQ’s, book launches, Melbourne Cup lunches with great success.
Our Units are active social hubs, holding many and varied social & cultural activities and events such as lectures, trivia quizzes, walks, musical evenings, cookery demonstrations, weekends away and a book club. They are always inclusive and welcoming to new members. The Units undertake a wide range of hands on care and assistance projects for the community. Food parcel deliveries are made before Pesach and Rosh Hashanah for the needy. People with disabilities are taken on picnics, outings and social functions. The B’nai B’rith Centre hosts Camp Sababa. The units raise funds for indigenous scholarships and other worthy Jewish and non -Jewish charities.
B’nai B’rith Youth Organisation has been re-invigorated from our long running Kids Club, where during the School holidays, children participate in photography, art, craft and other workshops.
The children assist with the food parcel deliveries at Pesach and Rosh Hashanah and learn about Tikkun Olam. Over the last few years a fun Battle of the Bands competition has been run for the Jewish Day schools and Youth groups with a theme to raise issues of social concern.
The Alfred Dreyfus Unit is unique in its activities. This Unit runs the Annual Human Rights Address with a high profile speaker. The ADU also works in conjunction with the JNF to organise the Young Game Changers Awards that recognises rising young leaders in our Community.
There are other various independent B’nai B’rith entities, such as Courage to Care, https://couragetocare.com.au/ which is an outreach educational programme that travels interstate to educate school students about the evils of racism and bullying and how to how to be an “upstander” and not a “bystander”. The testimonies of Holocaust survivors and victims of genocide are used to teach and facilitate the learnings. This program is also being used by the Queensland Police today.
The B’nai B’rith Sydney Nominees oversees the distribution of funds to projects that support Jewish continuity, Jewish education and those which foster understanding of the complexities of the Middle East conflict such as the Ram Bam Project. The Trust also provides a scholarship for a history teachers’ program to attend at Yad Vashem.
B‘nai B’rith is enjoying a renaissance with the establishment of the Womanpower Unit, the reinvigoration of BBYO and the numerous opportunities that the new premises afford.
For more information please email council@bbnsw.org.au.
