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Fraternities

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Societies for mutual benefit. If it be true that "the origin of the friendly society is probably in all countries the burial club" ("Encyc. Brit." 9:780), Jewish organizations of that nature may be traced back nearly two thousand years. Fraternities for the burial of the dead are mentioned in the Talmud (M. Ḳ. 27b). The ḥebra ḳaddisha, or burial society, was known in its present form early in the fifteenth century, and numerous associations resembling it more or less closely have existed ever since. But the modern fraternal organization with its insurance or endowment features belongs with few exceptions to the second half of the nineteenth century. The history of such Jewish fraternities, whether ancient or modern, still remains to be written (Steinschneider, "Allg. Einleitung in die Jüd. Lit. der Mittelalters," in "J. Q. R." 15:314,315). There are many thousands of Jewish societies scattered among communities in all parts of the world; but the present article is restricted to the larger "orders," which flourish mostly in the United States. These orders not only offer pecuniary benefits and cheap insurance, but also serve as social centers, and have afforded the machinery for national Jewish organization throughout the United States. Besides the B'nai B'rith (see Jew. Encyc. 3:275) the most important are:

England is probably the only other country which has Jewish fraternal organizations of this kind. "The Jewish Year Book" for 1901-02 records, besides four Jewish "courts" of the Ancient Order of Foresters and seven Jewish "beacons" of the Order of Ancient Maccabeans, the following fraternities:

There are, besides, numerous lodges of Freemasons and other nominally non-Jewish fraternal societies which are composed wholly or mostly of Jews. Many Jews have attained high rank in such bodies,as, for instance, Max Selanick, who is at present (1903) the highest official of the Knights of Pythias in the state of New York. See FREEMASONRY.

Bibliography:
  • Stevens, Cyclopedia of Fraternities, pp. 206, 210, New York, 1899;
  • Morais, The Jews of Philadelphia, pp. 184-187, Philadelphia, 1894;
  • American Jewish Year Book, 1900-01, 1901-02, 1902-03;
  • Levi, Proper Function of Jewish Fraternal Organizations, in Jewish Comment, April 12, 1901.
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Bibliography Information
Singer, Isidore, Ph.D, Projector and Managing Editor. Entry for 'Fraternities'. 1901 The Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​tje/​f/fraternities.html. 1901.
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