B'NAI B'RITH IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE GLOBE
SUMMER 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Welcome to IMPACT!
- Mazel Tov and Shalom to Daniel S. Mariaschin! Celebrating a Visionary Leader
- Upstander Award
- Shchori is B’nai B’rith International’s Newest Senior Vice President
- B’nai B’rith Mission Surveys Latin America’s Support of Jewish Causes
- B’nai B’rith Israel Activities Benefit Soldiers and Civilians
- Young Leaders Connect with Wide-Ranging Activities
- Center for Senior Services Spring Events
- B’nai B’rith Sponsors Book Launch
- “Unto Every Person There is a Name” Resonates in America and the Jewish Homeland
- World Center Honors Jewish Rescuers
- B’nai B’rith Honors Longstanding Passover Traditions
- B’nai B’rith Participates in 2026 Israel Day Parade
- Edith “Pat” Wolfson and Roselle and Benjamin Bernard Roseman Fund Aids Children in Sderot
- B’nai B’rith Magazine Winter 2025 Issue Wins Top Prizes for Journalistic Excellence
- The B’nai B’rith Podcast: Conversations with B’nai B’rith
- Amplify Pro-Israel Voices — Join the Spark Activist App Today
- Garsek Lodge Honors its Jewish Person of the Year
- Coalition to Counter Online Anti-Semitism High-level Roundtable
- Backstory: Anita Brenner
Welcome to IMPACT!
Welcome to our latest edition of IMPACT, the quarterly newsletter of B’nai B’rith International.
Each issue of IMPACT offers an opportunity to survey the breadth, depth and spirit of our organization in action across the globe.
Throughout IMPACT, you will discover the remarkable work being carried out every day by B’nai B’rith leaders, volunteers and supporters—from humanitarian relief efforts and advocacy for Israel and the Jewish people, to senior housing initiatives, community service projects, diplomacy and educational programming. IMPACT highlights not only what we do, but why it matters.
This newsletter offers readers a unique window into B’nai B’rith’s mission and reach. Everywhere in the world, our organization continues to respond to the challenges facing Jewish communities and society at large with compassion, determination and purpose. The stories featured here showcase innovation, leadership and the enduring values that have guided B’nai B’rith for nearly 183 years.
Just as importantly, IMPACT helps unite our global family: You, our dedicated readers. In sharing these accomplishments, milestones and personal stories, we strengthen the bonds between members and supporters around the world who are committed to the same values of service, advocacy and Jewish continuity.
We invite you to read, reflect and take pride in the extraordinary work highlighted in this issue. Together, we continue to make an IMPACT—locally, nationally and globally.
The IMPACT staff
Sharon Bender
Vice President, Communications
Cheryl Kempler
Editor and staff writer,
B’nai B’rith Magazine
Editor, B’nai B’rith IMPACT
B’nai B’rith Archivist
Simeon Montesa
Graphic Design Director
Keren Peter
Media Relations Associate/
B’nai B’rith Magazine Deputy Editor
Mazel Tov and Shalom to Daniel S. Mariaschin! Celebrating a Visionary Leader
Hailed as “a legendary figure in Jewish life,” B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, his accomplishments and his legacy have been acknowledged worldwide in the months since he announced his June 30 retirement.
B’nai B’rith has honored Mariaschin’s 40-year career at the organization by launching the Daniel S. Mariaschin Institute for Leadership and Public Policy of B’nai B’rith (DSM Institute). Throughout his distinguished career, Mariaschin has been a tireless advocate for Israel, a leading challenger of anti-Semitism, and a deeply respected analytical voice appreciated by each U.S. administration, the State of Israel, and countries worldwide, and in international forums, at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization of American States and in the U.S. Congress.
Tribute to Mariaschin during the B’nai B’rith International Board of Governors Meeting in New York
Officially announced at a May 27 gala tribute to Mariaschin in New York, the DSM Institute will carry on Mariaschin’s advancements and interactions with government officials, diplomatic, political and religious leaders, and will consolidate all aspects of the organization’s global vision, including international and domestic advocacy; United Nations engagement; EU and Latin American affairs; and the initiatives of the World Center-Jerusalem, as well as Holocaust remembrance activities.
Speakers at the gala from B’nai B’rith and the Jewish world movingly described their admiration for Mariaschin’s accomplishments, lauding his compassion, commitment and leadership.
Malcolm Hoenlein, who served as CEO and executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations from 1986 until 2021, said B’nai B’rith had a long and proud history, “but that light has never shown more brightly then in Dan’s tenure.” Elan Carr, former United States special envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism from 2019 to 2021 and current CEO of the Israeli American Council observed: “There aren’t many deans of the Jewish world…Dan Mariaschin has been a dean of Jewish leadership for decades.”
Mariaschin expressed his gratitude to all who were involved in the celebration, saying: “Thank you for giving a guy from a tiny Jewish community in New Hampshire the tremendous opportunity to serve…the Jewish people writ large.”
AHEPA Tribute
Mariaschin received the 2026 American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) Academy of Achievement Award in Civics and Philanthropy at the 47th Biennial AHEPA Congressional Banquet in May.
The B’nai B’rith leader’s efforts were integral to formation of a partnership leading to the organization of the Trilateral Plus One mission—a biennial trip including leaders from B’nai B’rith, AHEPA, the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP). Delegates explore major diplomatic, political, economic and security collaborations involving Israel, the Republic of Cyprus and Greece, and help to advance the interests of the U.S. in the region.
Republic of Cyprus.
Jewish Media
Mariaschin spoke about his achievements at B’nai B’rith with host David Harris on an episode of “Defending Israel,” airing in May on the Jewish Broadcasting Service (JBS). Noting the generational changes that have affected Jewish people’s relationship to Israel, he lamented the erosion of support for the Jewish homeland, the vulnerability of students to negative rhetoric on campus, and the pervasive and intensifying climate of anti-Semitism disseminated through social media. Forging an understanding of Zionism in young people “is something we can control…We must redouble our efforts and acknowledge the great blessing that we have in Israel,” he said. Watch the interview here.
Interviewed by Rabbi Cantor Dr. Linda Bernstein on her “Mitzvah Expo” podcast, Mariaschin detailed aspects of B’nai B’rith’s important global work, particularly its support for, and activities in, Israel, which have redoubled since Oct. 7, 2023. Watch the podcast here.
In a profile published in the periodical Iton Gadol, Mariaschin said: “We have to understand the connection between Israel and world Jewry, because Zionism is not something that was created in 1948; the Zionist movement is at the core of being Jewish. It is not about what Jewish civilization gave to the State of Israel, but about what Jewish civilization gave to the world.”
Read it here.
Upstander Awards
Shchori is B’nai B’rith International’s Newest Senior Vice President
B’nai B’rith President Rob Spitzer.
A longtime B’nai B’rith leader and specialist in the organization’s history, Ilan Shchori was elected Senior Vice President of B’nai B’rith by its International Board of Governors.
In this leadership position, Shchori will take an active role in implementing B’nai B’rith’s policies and programs.
A Tel Aviv native, Shchori, a historian, lecturer and author who has published a book about his city, was instrumental in organizing B’nai B’rith’s participation in the Festival of Storytellers, a popular annual event in Israel. “I’m pleased that Dr. Shchori, one of the preeminent historians of Tel Aviv, will be dedicating much of his energy to enriching B’nai B’rith’s efforts to share our organization’s rich and distinguished history with the world, and to strengthen our ties with Jewish communities [worldwide],” said B’nai B’rith International President Robert Spitzer.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Leadership in a Troubled World
President, B’nai B’rith International
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”l, wrote: “To be a leader, you don’t need a crown or robes of office. All you need to do is to write your chapter in the story, do deeds that heal some of the pain of this world, and act so that others become a little better for having known you.” These words conjure up an image of B’nai B’rith’s soon-to-be-former CEO, Dan Mariaschin. After 28 years in that position, and another 10 years as director of B’nai B’rith’s International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy, Dan will be stepping down and transitioning to become Honorary Executive Vice President and Special Advisor.
Dan led B’nai B’rith through the tumultuous period after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, and the ensuing explosion of anti-Semitism around the world. B’nai B’rith, under Dan’s leadership, has vigorously responded to the propaganda onslaught against Israel. The U.N. Secretary-General’s office just shamefully listed Israel for allegedly using sexual violence in conflict, including Israel with the likes of Hamas, ISIS and other terrorist organizations. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) supports Palestinian refugees from generation to generation rather than resettling them, unlike all other refugees. In UNRWA schools, Palestinian children learn math by adding sums of murdered Jews. The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) includes as its members many nations that are identified as serial human rights abusers, and singles-out Israel with the only country-specific permanent agenda item for its general sessions.
During his decades of service, Dan’s way has been to speak truth to power, calling out those directly responsible for lies and hypocrisy. He doesn’t shout louder than others, but arms himself with facts, speaks clearly and acts with integrity.
I have watched Dan in numerous diplomatic encounters. He presents a consistent, thoughtful and straightforward defense of the Jewish homeland in a way which makes sense and people hear. Dan has a way of disarming the suspicious and skeptical with an anecdote or by building a connection with his audience. Under his watch, B’nai B’rith always shows up, without fanfare, but prepared and firm in our positions.
Seasoned diplomats greet Dan with familiarity. Newer diplomats want to cultivate relationships with him, having learned that he’s a quiet but important source of information and insight. Important people around the world seek him out.
I’ve witnessed the warm receptions B’nai B’rith leaders receive around the world. In May, we returned from a leadership trip to Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, and met with the presidents of Argentina and Uruguay, while the president of Chile was out of town during our short stay. We also met with three former presidents during our stay. As president of B’nai B’rith for less than 18 months, I have twice been greeted by military honor guards and received military medals, not because of anything I’ve done, but because of the respect which B’nai B’rith has earned under Dan’s long tenure.
Replacing a leader of Dan’s stature will be difficult, but we’ve enlisted an international search firm and have received interest from many talented candidates. Whoever follows Dan will have large shoes to fill and a long learning curve, and step in at a time when the world’s affection for Israel is low and anti-Semitism is raging. From this vantage point, I am filled with appreciation for the high regard with which B’nai B’rith is held because of Dan’s leadership.
From a small town in New Hampshire to the power centers of the world, and Jewish communities on almost every continent, Dan has written his own chapter in our people’s history with his leadership of B’nai B’rith. I look forward to reading that chapter when he has time to write it. He truly has helped heal some Jewish pain and mitigate suffering. We are all better for having known him.
Sending best wishes for health, happiness and peace to you all.
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MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
A Legacy of Service: My 50 Years Working on Behalf of Israel and the Jewish People
CEO, B’nai B’rith International
No one has ever accused me of being at a loss for words.
But just thinking about writing this column put me into procrastination mode, weeks ago. What do you say after 38 years at B’nai B’rith and a career in Jewish communal service that is now beyond 50 years? I don’t remember when I first learned about B’nai B’rith. There was no lodge in my New Hampshire hometown. Perhaps it was in graduate school, where I pursued a degree in Contemporary Jewish Studies. More likely, it was during my first job, in 1973, working for the Jewish Community Council in Boston. B’nai B’rith was a member of the council, and I soon learned from its longtime New England Director Irving Matross about the network of lodges in Boston and nearby states.
Irving and I became fast friends. Soft-spoken, with a sharp and insightful mind and unquestioned dedication to the mission of B’nai B’rith, he soon called on me to speak at lodge meetings. One week I was at Hardware and Housewares Lodge in Boston, two weeks later in Westerly, Rhode Island, and a couple of months later in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. And on to so many other B’nai B’rith gatherings throughout New England. In the process, I saw, from the inside, exactly what B’nai B’rith’s dedication to community service was all about.
So much so that at a certain point I considered applying for a job with B’nai B’rith, hoping there might be something available that focused on public policy. That position did ultimately materialize, but only 15 years later. My career path then took me to head the Boston office of the American Zionist Federation, then to almost nine years at the ADL in New York, to AIPAC in Washington, D.C. and—after taking a brief sabbatical to work as spokesman for General Alexander Haig, Jr.’s 1987-88 presidential campaign—to B’nai B’rith, as director for Public Policy.
It was my dream job: working on domestic and foreign policy issues in the nation’s capital, for an organization whose origins went back to 1843, and whose name was not only a household word, but a globally known and respected human rights organization.
After 11 years immersed in the world of issues affecting our community, traveling to Europe, Latin America, Israel, Canada and Australia, fighting for Israel’s rightful place at the United Nations, combating anti-Semitism at home and abroad, advocating for free emigration for Soviet Jews and Syrian Jewry, and working for restitution and justice for Holocaust survivors and their families, an unexpected opportunity emerged that would see me offered the CEO position.
So here I am, 27 years after assuming the position of CEO, looking back and saying for all to hear how very fortunate I have been to steer this magnificent legacy organization, which has made so many important contributions to Jewish life here in the United States and abroad.
One prominent historian has credited us with creating civil society in America: the hospitals, the orphanages, the local projects focusing on not just the Jewish community, but the broader community beyond. The efforts to aid the victims of natural disasters and the pioneering program that led to our sponsoring dozens of properties offering affordable housing to seniors. Some have called us the “great incubator of American Jewish life,” giving birth to, and nurturing for decades, the ADL, the Hillel organization and BBYO.
We were at the U.N. at its founding in 1945, and we were a charter member of the Claims Conference in 1952. I will be forever proud of our support for a strong and vibrant Israel, the establishment of our first lodge in pre-State Israel in 1888, and our involvement to bring about a historic meeting between President Harry Truman and Chaim Weizmann, leading to the recognition of the new State of Israel by the United States. The list of accomplishments is a long one. Although some have heard it many times, I have never tired of repeating it at every opportunity.
I have worked with so many devoted volunteers and, if one includes my years at ADL, I’ve worked with 15 presidents of B’nai B’rith. Each brought his particular stamp, energy, creativity and dedication to the job, and I feel fortunate to have worked with them.
My nearly four decades with the organization have seen me working side-by-side with an excellent professional staff. The most successful organizations are those that create synergy between volunteers and professionals. My colleagues created a work environment that has been collegial and whose success can be attributed to the pride they have taken in their work. Going to the office each day, knowing they were there, made my efforts that much easier. I am in their debt.
I am deeply grateful to B’nai B’rith for the honor of attaching my name to our public policy program: now called the Daniel S. Mariaschin Institute for Leadership and Public Policy. I am truly appreciative for this recognition, which is so meaningful to me.
At the event in May in New York marking my retirement, I closed my remarks by saying how truly blessed I have been these 40 plus years with B’nai B’rith:
“My parents, immigrants from Russia and Lithuania through Ellis Island, lived long enough to see their son working in the service of his people. For that, I should say ‘dayenu’— (if it were only that.)
I should say ‘dayenu’ for being able to speak truth to power to hundreds of diplomats, public figures, academics and journalists over the years. To say ‘dayenu’ for my many visits to Israel on behalf of B’nai B’rith, filling me with pride, and enabling me to truly get to know the land and its remarkable people.
And most importantly: to say ‘dayenu’ for the privilege of being born Jewish.”
The biggest ‘dayenu’ and thank you goes to my wife, Michal. Her love, support, encouragement and her great interest in my work have been a comfort and an incentive to me over the years. Without her, these past five decades would not have turned out as they did.
Finally, to B’nai B’rith, a great organization soon to celebrate 200 years of service to the Jewish people, which gave me the opportunity to be a part of its storied history and its illustrious present, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
B’nai B’rith Mission Surveys Latin America’s Support of Jewish Causes
Led by President Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, a B’nai B’rith mission to Latin America in early May with participants from the United States, South America, Europe and Australia included engagements with high-level government and diplomatic personnel and with B’nai B’rith members from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
in Buenos Aires. Photo: Casa Rosada
Mariaschin summarized the trip, saying: “The leadership mission to Argentina, Uruguay and Chile gave us an opportunity to re-connect with our B’nai B’rith brothers and sisters in South America’s Southern Cone, and to meet with important political figures in each place, as well as with Jewish community leaders.
The public policy agenda was a vital focus for our visit. The meeting with Argentina’s President Javier Milei was especially meaningful. He continues to stand as a solid friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Our meetings with three former presidents of Uruguay, all friends of Israel and our community, were a good opportunity to again say ‘thank you,’ and to introduce ourselves to the country’s current president. Interfacing with members of the Chilean National Congress aligned with its Israel-Chile Parliamentary Friendship Group also gave us new geopolitical insights as the country transitions to a new president.”
of Uruguay.
Milei arranged a special session with Mariaschin and Spitzer, B’nai B’rith Argentina officers President Susana Chalón and Secretary Daniel Sporn, and executives of Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), the country’s Jewish communal organization. Mission delegates also attended a meeting including members of both B’nai B’rith and DAIA.
Delegates met in Chile with Sen. María Loreto and Deputy Luis Sánchez of the Israel-Chile Parliamentary Friendship Group, and with Israeli Ambassador Peleg Lewi, B’nai B’rith Chile officers and local Jewish community members, furthering Israel-Chile ties.
In Uruguay, mission participants engaged with former Uruguayan presidents Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera (1990-1995), Luis Lacalle Pou (2020-2025) and Julio Sanguinetti (1985-1990 and 1995-2000) on topics vital to the Jewish community, including the defense of Israel and the fight against anti-Semitism.
Addressing delegates, Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi, condemned terror and hate groups, reaffirmed his commitment to Uruguay’s observance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, and announced that Uruguay will participate in the IHRA conference in Argentina in June.
B’nai B’rith leaders also met with Israeli Ambassador to Uruguay Michal Hershkovitz and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Uruguay Chris Andino. The discussions centered on the political challenges facing Uruguay’s democracy.
B’nai B’rith Israel Activities Benefit Soldiers and Civilians
Passover Outreach
B’nai B’rith Israel members have recently partnered with their brothers and sisters on two continents, to respond to the physical and emotional needs of people traumatized and displaced by terror attacks in their country.
Through a collaborative effort, B’nai B’rith International, B’nai B’rith Australia/New Zealand (BBANZ) and the B’nai B’rith Alliance (BBA) of Northern, Central and Southern Europe joined together in support of a B’nai B’rith Israel initiative to provide Passover food packages to families evacuated from Dimona, Be’er Sheva and Petach Tikva.
A special contribution by the group to the Municipality of Rishon LeZion covered the food expenses for a collective Seder enjoyed by the community’s 40 elderly residents.
Ulpan classes
B’nai B’rith Israel volunteers are teaching conversational Hebrew to BBA members, as a gesture of thanks intended to facilitate communication with friends, mishpocha, especially grandchildren, and those in the B’nai B’rith family. The initiative was conceived and developed by Ariela Cassuto, BBA vice president for International Affairs.
Sessions are customized to accommodate the language-speaking skill levels of the participants.
Emanuel (Mano) Cohen, B’nai B’rith Israel president, said: “This is an exciting project for us, and an opportunity to give back to our brothers and sisters, who are always ready to step up and offer their generous help in times of war and crisis. With so many B’nai B’rith members who are former educators, we are ready to expand this project to meet all needs.”
Projects Serving the Military
A donation of 300 pairs of socks earmarked for soldiers stationed in Lebanon was included in a gift of basic supplies for servicemen and women made by B’nai B’rith Israel. Funds were also contributed for the procurement of a surveillance drone and takeoff and landing pads to the Be’eri Battalion, comprised of older veterans of elite units, deployed for extended periods across multiple battle sectors. At the request of Mateh Asher Regional Council, B’nai B’rith Israel also paid for 10 emergency and rapid response rescue training workshops, which were conducted in towns governed by the Mevo’ot Hermon Regional Council.
Israel and Australia/New Zealand Partner to Assist High School Graduates
For more than a decade B’nai B’rith Israel has funded scholarships and the costs of tutoring sessions for students at Tel Aviv’s Ironi Yod Alef High School, offering academically promising young people who have quit high school a chance to earn a diploma. Many of them are from broken or impoverished homes.
Responding to the school’s specific request, BBANZ has now also answered the call for help, donating monies to pay for backpacks, which are given to graduates entering military service. A backpack is considered an indispensable item for those who are embarking on their new lives as soldiers.
In a further effort to expand BBANZ’s partnership with B’nai B’rith Israel and to support Ironi Yud Alef, Peter Schattner, an educator and former president of B’nai B’rith Victoria and coordinator for projects with Israel, made a visit to the school in May, where he met with its principal to learn more about its mission and needs.
Young Leaders Connect with Wide-Ranging Activities
B’nai B’rith Connect, the organization’s young leadership group, extended its reach, as members participated in programs in the United States and Europe this spring.
News about Connect’s April sponsorships of a Project H.O.P.E. event with the Blue Card Holocaust Survivors charity, as well as “Unto Every Person There is a Name” recitations taking place at the Austrian Consulate in Manhattan and on campuses in states including California and Arizona, in partnership with AEPi fraternity, are reported in the current issue of IMPACT.
Connect members helped to assemble food packages at the B’nai B’rith/HUD Adelstein Project H.O.P.E. Senior Housing Building in the Bronx. Filling more than 100 bags, the food items distributed to residents were purchased through a fundraising effort initiated by Todd Adelstein, grandson of Bernie Adelstein, z”l, the building’s founder.
A B’nai B’rith member, Adelstein, who was on hand with his family, said that he wanted to honor his grandfather’s memory and was proud to be a part of the building.
During a special Shabbat dinner at B’nai B’rith’s New York headquarters, Connect members had the opportunity to hear and engage with IDF reservists Eliana Solomon, Ira Rosenblum and Brhan Worku Liebman, activists who spoke about ways to equip Jewish communities worldwide with the tools to stand stronger and navigate important and difficult conversations about Israel.
Far left: Noah Lederman, a Columbia University AEPi member, served with B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin as co-moderators of the May 12 debriefing by student leaders who participated in the B’nai B’rith mission to Geneva and Paris in April. Speakers included (second from left to right): Nate Neustadt, Rina Isaac, Dylan Marks and Kevin Khadavi.
On May 12, Connect and AEPi conducted a virtual program spotlighting four young leaders, who served as delegates during the April B’nai B’rith mission to U.N. satellite organizations in Paris and Geneva. Moderated by B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and Columbia University student and AEPi brother Noah Lederman, the discussion included presentations by Kevin Khadavi, Stanford University; Rina Isaac, Columbia University; Dylan Marks, Arizona State University; and Nate Neustadt, George Washington University.
Center for Senior Services Spring Events
B’nai B’rith’s Center for Senior Services held its annual Housing Managers and Service Coordinators Meeting in Las Vegas in May.
Sessions this year focused on shared building programs, issues of food insecurity and economic affordability. A workshop devoted to formulating strategies for improving communication between staff and residents, and a series of networking events were also programmed. CSS staff and Annie Walters, Social Security Administration regional public affairs specialist, provided updates on issues concerning older adults. Attendees volunteered for the meeting’s service activity at Three Square, the state’s largest food bank, where they packaged frozen meals, stocked shelves and sorted produce.
CSS Stays Involved with Senior Communities
Homecrest House personnel and CSS staff, including Associate Director Janel Doughten and Legislative Director for Aging Policy Evan Carmen, led a tour of the senior residence in Silver Spring, Md., for Ricky Powell-Graves, regional coordinator for Central Maryland from Sen. Angela Alsobrooks’ (D-Md.) office. Powell-Graves visited apartments and public spaces including the gym and library and held discussions with residents.
The tours are designed to provide Members of Congress and their staff with firsthand appreciation of the importance of affordable housing and its positive impact on a community.
CSS continues to be a proactive partner at its properties. This spring, Doughten coordinated a series of online and in-person meetings with senior community resident associations, offering her skills in developing programs, suggesting methods for enhancing relationships between apartment dwellers and building management, and providing expertise on a wide range of issues. She met with staff and residents at Sam J. Stone B’nai B’rith Covenant Apartments I/II in Peoria, Il. and later traveled to New York, where she led a discussion with personnel and resident association officers at the Adelstein Family-Project H.O.P.E. B’nai B’rith House in the Bronx, N.Y.
Advocating on behalf of the needs of older adults, B’nai B’rith is the largest national Jewish sponsor of subsidized housing for older adults in the United States. B’nai B’rith’s Center for Senior Services coordinates and assists in the administration of 35 subsidized residential communities nationwide and engages political leaders at both the national and local levels on their behalf.
B’nai B’rith Sponsors Book Launch
B’nai B’rith International, in conjunction with ORT University and the Israel Allies Foundation, hosted an April 10 reception featuring Ruperto Long, author of “The Girl Who Watched the Trains Depart.” The novel, based on the life of Charlotte de Grünberg, z”l, a Belgian Holocaust survivor and hidden child, who became general director of ORT University in Uruguay, has been recently translated into English from the original Spanish by Gefen Publishing House.
Long was introduced by B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin. Jorge Grünberg, ORT University’s current president and son of Charlotte, also delivered remarks.
Long, who lives in Uruguay, has written three previous books.
The English-language book launch event, whose announcement was circulated by the Embassy of Uruguay, ORT University and the Israel Allies Foundation, was attended by Uruguayan Ambassador Daniel Castillo Gomez and guests from Latin America and the Washington, D.C. area.
Watch the program here.
“Unto Every Person There is a Name” Resonates in America and the Jewish Homeland
On April 14, Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), B’nai B’rith communities in the United States and Israel observed “Unto Every Person There Is a Name,” the essential Holocaust remembrance ceremony conceived by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. As its North American representative, B’nai B’rith has organized nationwide observances focused on the recitation of the names of individuals murdered during the Shoah since its inception in 1989. This year’s theme was “The Jewish Family.”
The award-winning poet Zelda [Zelda Mishkovsky] wrote:
Unto every person there is a name
Which he receives from the sea
And is given to him by his death.
Connect Activities in New York and Nationwide
B’nai B’rith Connect leaders take part in an “Unto Every Person” name reading at the Austrian Consulate in New York City.
The Austrian Consulate in New York City sponsored a Holocaust remembrance and reception for B’nai B’rith Connect. A group of 20 young leaders was in attendance to reflect on the magnitude of Yom HaShoah, recite the names of those who perished in the Holocaust, and engage in a dialogue with Deputy Consul General Johannes Gassner.
“Unto Every Person” ceremonies were also conducted on campuses including George Washington University, Columbia University and San Deigo State University, organized by AEPi and other student leaders, in partnership with Connect.
Atlanta
On April 14, Atlanta’s Achim/Gate City Lodge hosted a live reading of the names at Feldman Hall, accompanied by a streamed webinar.
Israel
Names were read during the Jewish Rescuers citation award ceremony, sponsored by B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF). A founding member of the Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jewish Rescuers during the Holocaust, Dutch Holocaust survivor Chana Arnon read some of the names of over 100 of her own relatives lost during the Holocaust.
Chesapeake, Md.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington partnered with B’nai B’rith’s Chesapeake Bay Region for an “Unto Every Person” ceremony. Also taking part were elected officials from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia and students from local Jewish Day Schools.
Watch the event here.
World Center Honors Jewish Rescuers
B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) on April 14 posthumously awarded the Jewish Rescuers Citation to four Jewish men and women who courageously and altruistically worked to save people of their own faith during the Holocaust. Hundreds of rescuers have been honored since the award was initiated in 2011.
This year’s ceremony at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute was streamed live on B’nai B’rith’s Facebook page.
Those honored included: Shoshana Jansje Litten Serlui and Ellen-Ellie Waterman of the Netherlands, Simha Kazik Rotem of Poland, and Paul Giniewski of France, who all engaged in forging of documents, hiding Jews and smuggling them to safety. Rotem fought in the Warsaw Ghetto and Giniewski was a member of the French underground.
Speakers included Haim Katz, chairman, B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem; Netherlands Ambassador Marriët Schuurman; and Moshe Shapira, a grandson of a rescuer. Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from Europe, Latin America and the Philippines attended the ceremony.
In conjunction with “Unto Every Person there is a Name,” Dutch Holocaust survivor and founding member of the Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jewish Rescuers during the Holocaust, Chana Arnon, recited some of the names of the 100 of her own family members who perished in the Holocaust.
B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem is a leader in recognizing the deeds of Jewish men and women who saved Jews during the Holocaust. In addition to instituting the citation, the World Center has organized panel discussions, commissioned memorials and issued a publication on the topic. In 2025, the World Center dedicated The Heritage Center for Jewish Rescuers, a museum devoted to their lives and achievements, at Kibbutz HaZore’a.
B’nai B’rith Honors Longstanding Passover Traditions
Celebrating spring’s arrival and commemorating the liberation of the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt, Passover evokes the warmth of family for multiple generations of Jewish people. B’nai B’rith has created its own Passover tradition, as its members and friends join forces to create new memories for those who long for a taste of the holiday.
As they have done for many years, Project H.O.P.E. (Help Our People Everywhere) volunteers rallied to prepare special packages, including soup, matzoh, gefilte fish and more in late March for the Seder tables of economically challenged individuals and families.
New York City
Connecticut
Philadelphia
Rockville, Md.
Garsek Lodge Community Seder, Dallas/Ft. Worth
Project H.O.P.E. in Moldova
For the first time, B’nai B’rith Project H.O.P.E. reached all the way to Moldova, contributing funds for Passover Seders and food packages for Jews in the cities of Chisinau, Tiraspol and Dubăsari.
Now residing in Texas, Garsek Lodge President Alex Nason, who recently organized his own lodge’s annual Seder and lunch for seniors in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, responded to B’nai B’rith’s Facebook post regarding the new initiative. He wrote:
“That’s the place I was born and left 47 years ago. Nice to see how the project is making people happy!
I saw a striking similarity between Project H.O.P.E. and what my grandfather and uncle did over 60 years ago. During the Communist regime, it was impossible to buy matzah, so they secretly baked homemade, round matzahs in the wooden oven at our house for our family and for the rest of the Jews in the shtetl.
Today, the way Jews embrace the matzah boxes from B’nai B’rith reminds me of how people held those round matzah when they came to our home to collect them…the same gratitude, the same warmth and the same smiles on their faces.
Thank you, Project H.O.P.E. and BBI for making a Passover celebration possible.”
B’nai B’rith Participates in 2026 Israel Day Parade
B’nai B’rith leaders, volunteers and staff participated in the May 31 Israel Day Parade in Manhattan.
At a time of surging anti-Semitism, it’s vital to unite and stand strong with the Jewish state.
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FROM THE VAULT
B’nai B’rith in the Land of the Rising Sun
In 1853 the American naval officer Commodore Matthew C. Perry sailed to Japan with a fleet of war ships, forcing the then-isolated nation to trade with Europe and America. The results would transform culture and commerce worldwide.
There is evidence that a small number of Jewish people were present in Japan during the 16th century; from about 1865, their numbers increased as persecuted Jews from Europe and Russia immigrated and opened trading businesses in Yokahama and other coastal cities. During World War II, Japan was a transit point for Jews fleeing occupied Europe, many of whom were rescued by diplomat Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara. Posted to Lithuania in 1940, he ignored his government’s instructions and issued visas that saved the lives of over 2,000 individuals.
Although Japan was an Axis power, its government protected its Jewish citizens, which included members of the prominent Sassoon and Kadoorie families.
Relief Aid
Since the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, B’nai B’rith has provided relief assistance to Japan in the wake of earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and heat waves, notably during the last 30 years.
B’nai B’rith’s History in Japan
It’s possible that Jewish men in Kobe established a B’nai B’rith lodge before or during the 1930s, as recorded in a January 1937 letter from J. Ashkenazi to B’nai B’rith’s national publication.
In May 1957 Harold Korn, a B’nai B’rith officer and noted Jewish historian, instituted a multinational lodge in Tokyo, headed by President Rhamo Sassoon.
A lodge was also active in Okinawa prior to 1963. Its 31 members were mostly American soldiers.
In an unprecedented action, Philadelphia B’nai B’rith leader Steve Rudman, assisted by past B’nai B’rith president Jack Spitzer, father of current B’nai B’rith President Rob Spitzer, recruited Tokyo’s entire Jewish population, about 90 families, who all joined the “B’nai B’rith Jewish Community Lodge” in December 1982.
In the decades since 2000, Japan has established Holocaust education centers and Jewish museums in locations including Tokyo, Hiroshima and the Gifu Prefecture, where a memorial to Sugihara operates in his hometown. The Japanese government maintains close ties with B’nai B’rith through the Kakehashi (Friendship Ties) Project, a program dedicated to advancing intercultural relations, which sponsors an annual trip to Japan for B’nai B’rith Connect members engaged in leadership and community service activities.
Edith "Pat" Wolfson and Roselle and Benjamin Bernard Roseman Fund Aids Children in Sderot
Five siblings, ranging in age from two to 12 living in the Gaza envelope city of Sderot, were recipients of an award from the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Edith “Pat” Wolfson and Roselle and Benjamin Bernard Roseman Endowment Fund for Israeli Youth in early April.
The children’s father, Maor Jacob, died five months ago at the age of 38 after a heroic battle with cancer.
The children and their partially blind mother have been dealing with their loss as well as suffering from the trauma of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on their city, when they spent many hours hiding in a safe room.
The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem worked closely with the Sderot municipality to identify the Jacob children as this year’s endowment recipients.
The World Center-Jerusalem has administered the B’nai B’rith Edith “Pat” Wolfson and Roselle and Benjamin Bernard Roseman Endowment Fund for Israeli Youth since 2005. The donations have helped more than 60 Israeli youths who have endured the loss of loved ones as a result of terrorism and other events.
Congratulations to us! B’nai B’rith Magazine Winter 2025 Issue Wins Top Prizes at American Jewish Press Association Rockower Awards for Journalistic Excellence
First Place: Award for Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel—“A Dead Sea Journey: Biking through the Negev”—Uriel Heilman
First Place: Award for Excellence in Writing about Jewish Heritage and Jewish Peoplehood in Europe—“YIVO at 100: Preserving Ashkenazi Culture of the Past for the Present and Future”—Beryl Benderly
First Place: Award for Excellence in North American Jewish History—“Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round: Desegregating Glen Echo Amusement Park”—Deborah Lynn Blumberg
Honorable Mention: Award for Excellence—Publication Design—Simeon Montesa and B’nai B’rith staff
Second Place: Award for Excellence in Long-Form Writing—“A Dead Sea Journey: Biking through the Negev”—Uriel Heilman and Simeon Montesa
The B’nai B’rith Podcast: Conversations with B’nai B’rith
The B’nai B’rith International podcast offers listeners an engaging look at the issues, ideas and people shaping the Jewish world and beyond. Through thoughtful conversations with authors, diplomats, community leaders, policy experts and cultural voices, the podcast delivers unique perspectives you won’t hear elsewhere.
Each episode explores a topic that matters—from Israel and global affairs to anti-Semitism, humanitarian work, culture, history and Jewish identity. Listeners gain insight into current events, discover inspiring personal stories and hear directly from influential figures making a difference around the world.
What makes the podcast especially compelling is its ability to inform while remaining accessible and engaging. Whether you are looking to deepen your understanding of today’s challenges, stay connected to the global Jewish community or simply hear fascinating conversations with accomplished guests, the Conversations with B’nai B’rith Podcast, hosted by CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, offers meaningful content that educates, inspires and keeps audiences coming back for more.
Recent podcast highlights:
- The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World
- Once a Paratrooper: The Story of a Lone Soldier in the Gaza War
- The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Built America’s Toy Industry
- Our CEO and podcast host, Daniel S. Mariaschin, was also a guest on the Mitzvah Expo podcast.
Watch here.
Amplify Pro-Israel Voices — Join the Spark Activist App Today
We’re excited to share that B’nai B’rith is partnering with Oct 7, an Israeli initiative focused on turning the tide of negative public opinion about Israel and the Jewish community. Oct 7 is approaching the public opinion problem as a large-scale numbers game, aiming to mobilize pro-Israel and pro-Jewish voices through technology. The goal is to use a new app (Spark Activist) to transform our community into activists who can effectively counter hostile propaganda.
The Spark Activist app is a way around the algorithm barrier put up by all of today’s social media companies. Even our most important content only reaches a small percentage of our own followers. We cannot control the algorithm, and therefore, we cannot control whether and when our followers are actually seeing our posts. The Spark Activist app gets around the algorithm gates…helping us to actually reach all of the people who are on the app.
To support this effort, we are asking you—our members and supporters—to download the Spark Activist App, the core platform of oct7’s work. Within the app, various B’nai B’rith staff members will post regular action items you can take. These could be something such as liking and sharing a Tweet/X post, reading an article by one of our Subject Matter Experts, or responding to an Action Alert—all to help our content reach a broader audience.
What You Need to Do:
- Download the Spark Activist App on your phone as soon as possible here.
- Be sure to turn on the notifications on the app, so you will know when a new action item has been shared.
- Start (and continue) engaging with the actions posted by our team.
Please join our community on Spark!
Garsek Lodge Honors its Jewish Person of the Year
Nearly 120 people attended a celebration in Fort Worth on June 7, when Cindy Simon, communications and engagement manager at the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, received Garsek Lodge’s Jewish Person of the Year Award.
The award, which recognizes an outstanding individual who contributes to the life of the community and honors Jewish values, is an annual tradition first instituted by the lodge in 1951.
Coalition to Counter Online Anti-Semitism High-level Roundtable
B’nai B’rith International’s EU Affairs Director Alina Bricman participated in a virtual roundtable discussion organized in March by the Coalition to Counter Online Antisemitism (CCOA). The purpose of the meeting was to address escalating anti-Semitism online and how to navigate its challenges.
Bricman expressed the need to address anti-Semitic content on a larger scale in order to monitor emerging trends, and influencers spreading anti-Semitic narratives for monetization and algorithm boosts of hate content.
EU regulators, researchers and civil society actors were included in a discussion on the drastic increase in anti-Semitism, especially with the rise of AI, in addition to its impact on Jewish communities throughout Europe. Participants concluded that European regulatory tools such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) can be effective in countering anti-Semitic content and networks.
Backstory: Anita Brenner
Legendary photographer Tina Modotti took this picture of her friend Anita Brenner (1905-1974), a journalist, anthropologist and art historian, in Mexico. It was there that Brenner worked for B’nai B’rith in the 1920s and 30s, where she volunteered with immigrants at the organization’s Mexican Bureau and published articles on its activities, on Jewish-Mexican relations, and other subjects for B’nai B’rith’s national magazine. The Mexican Bureau provided medical and dental services, employment assistance and language classes for the country’s new arrivals from Europe after World War I.
Brenner was living in Texas as a young woman but chose to return to her native Mexico after B’nai B’rith leader Joseph Weinberger, the Mexican Bureau director, promised her parents that he and his wife would look after her. She became interested in her own ethnic roots and developed relationships with important artists including Modotti and another master photographer, Edward Weston. Earning a doctorate in anthropology, she later published articles and scholarly books on the arts of Mexico.
More recently, Brenner has been the focus of academic studies, a biography and an exhibit, “Another Promised Land: Anita Brenner’s Mexico,” held at the Los Angeles Skirball Culture Center in 2017.