Members of B'nai B'rith Great Lakes from the Bloch/Israel & Pisgah/Zeiger B’nai B’rith Units came together on Sunday, January 27, 2013, for the 14th Annual Texas Hold’em Tournament at the West Bloomfield JCC.
Everyone was invited to attend, but players had to be 18 years old.  Raffle and other prizes were awarded.

This tournament helped support local B’nai B’rith programming including its sports’ leagues. 

For more information call the B’nai B’rith office at 248-646-3100 or one of the Tournament Hosts: Sid Roth 248-202-3297, Lyle Schaefer 248-882-5953, or Rick Sherline 248-613-5400.

B'nai B'rith Victoria (Australia) hosted a festive Welcome Back Dinner at Kimberley Gardens on January 27, 2013.

The guest speaker was John Zaio, who spoke about Chinese culture with a film presentation. The topic covered the
Renaissance of Chinese culture (after Mao Tse-tung) and also featured Chinese dance – classical, ethnic and folk.

For more information on the program contact Sis Sonja Newman on 9527 6990 or Sis. Pres. Esther Gross on 9527 9933; or to learn more about B'nai B'rith in Australia and New Zealand visit http://www.bnaibrith.org.au/.

In commemoration of the United Nations' Holocaust Remembrance Day, B’nai B’rith International held a discussion titled “60 Years of Material Restitution: History and Challenges,” in New York City on January 25.

One of the leading experts in the field of material restitution, Arie Bucheister, chief of staff at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, explained the daunting challenges facing survivors and their heirs to have property returned or material compensation made to them. 

“The crimes of Nazi murderers and robbers resulted in countries profiting from Jewish victims,” Bucheister said.

While Germany has “far reaching compensation and restitution laws,” Bucheister says many other countries are without such legislation. Poland has no compensation laws, and a number of countries, such as Croatia, Romania, Serbia and Lithuania have enacted various restitution laws for victims with mixed degrees of effectiveness. It can be especially challenging in the former Soviet bloc countries where much of the property that was confiscated is now nationalized, he said.

“Despite being more than a half-century removed from the horrors of the Holocaust, it remains ever-important that B’nai B’rith and other Jewish groups press on in our fight for some minimal justice to be made to survivors and their families,” B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said from New York where he addressed the program. “Programs like this open eyes to the uphill battle we continue to face.”

Bucheister, born in Israel and a child of two survivors, has been a principal negotiator for the conference for many years. He says one of the conference’s main functions is negotiating for heirless property that’s been sold. Whatever is returned—whether it be monetary or physical property—goes toward communal and social welfare needs.

“Each year we have a program on International Holocaust Remembrance Day and every year it’s another chilling reminder of the atrocities committed against the Jewish people--atrocities against humanity,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin, who addressed the program, said. “Recounting these crimes reminds us, once again, that we all must bear witness.”

This program preceded the official U.N. Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, which B’nai B’rith representatives also attended. B’nai B’rith played an active role in the United Nations’ adoption of Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005.

Watch the full event below

The B'nai B'rith Great Lakes region hosted on January 19 the ZAGER/STONE/TUCKER/GRANT/OAKLAND CENTURY/MORGENTHAU L’CHAYIM/KEIDAN UNIT'S DINNER & A MOVIE NITE. 

Attendees shared dinner at Mama Mia's on Beech Daly Road in Redford, Michigan, and then came together at the Redford Theater to see Gentleman Prefer Blondes, which featured Jane Ruseell and Marilyn Monroe.

To learn more about programming in the B'nai B'rith Great Lakes region contact greatlakes@bnaibrith.org.

Over 150 young professionals came together for a night of trivia, dinner, socializing, and fun at the B'nai B'rith and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on January 17 in Washington, DC.

Congrats to Team Brooks L'Chaim for the win!

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I Street Northwest 
Washington, DC 20001

Stay tuned for information on the February 2013 trivia night.

Young professionals from The Garden State came together on January 17 at the Stage House Tavern in Scotch Plains, NJ, for the first NOVAT happy hour.  Guests met new friends and learned about the B'nai B'rith Young Professional Network.

To learn more about NOVAT, contact Danielle Ross at dross@33433@gmail.com or join the NOVAT Facebook group.

The B'nai B'rith Omaha Breadbreakers Luncheon series on January 16 welcomed University of Nebraska at Omaha Political Science Professor Dick Fellman for a discussion on “Hagel: Yes or No?” 

Shortly, the nomination hearings will begin to determine if former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will be the next Secretary of Defense for the U.S. government.  The meeting at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium provided an opportunity for B'nai B'rith members to learn about the nominee from a former state senator, Douglas County Commissioner, and a candidate for Congress.
 
A kosher meal was served to attendees.

Members of the B’nai B’rith Young Professional Network-Chicago came together on Sunday, January 13, for a morning volunteering and helping at The ARK, Chicago’s Jewish Community resource for those in need.

The B'nai B'rith Young Professionals Network in New York City continued to support those effected by Hurricane Sandy on January 13, 2013 by partnering with New York Cares for a day of action in the Rockaways.

B'nai B'rith provided transportation to and from the site - allowing volunteers to spend the day helping to get homeowners ready to rebuild by mucking out some of the hundreds of buildings damaged in Hurricane Sandy. Participants removed sand and debris; discarded water-damaged furniture, appliances, and other household items; and tore out moldy drywall, insulation, and flooring.

New York Cares makes safety a top priority, so all volunteers were given protective gear and were provided safety instructions  by project leaders.

This program came to life during a B'nai B'rith "Shabbat Dinner for a Cause" in November.  But B'nai B'rith's Sandy relief does not stop here.

We will be holding our annual fundraiser and silent auction to benefit the B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund during the third week of February.  We're currently finalizing details of the date and location, which we will also be provided after the New Year. 

Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks!