ABSTRACT
Over the course of the nineteenth century B’nai B’rith was mainly a fraternity order. At the same time, there was definitely a component of Jewish solidarity in its functioning. Towards the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, B’nai B’rith concerned itself with a variety of humanitarian activities that called for a degree of professionalism. In his farewell address as President in 1938, Alfred Cohen criticized Arab opposition and British inflexibility as responsible for preventing Palestine from becoming a bigger and safer shelter for persecuted Jews. His criticism did not go beyond the bounds of non-Zionism; rather, it could be called the ‘refuge Zionism’ version of the criticism. The spirit of Alfred Cohen’s summary was that of a humanitarian fraternal order rather than that of an organization manifestly dedicated to solidarity; its interest in Zionism was very narrow, sporadic and ambiguous.
