Connecting = Social + Traditional + Personal

We are in touch: online, on paper and in person.

Our social media reach continues to expand. More than 24,000 people around the world follow us on Facebook. More than 10,000 follow us on Twitter. We post unique historic photos to Pinterest that demonstrate our longevity and historic undertakings.

These platforms amplify our message to a broader audience. In the past few years, we have grown exponentially to reach these levels.

Social media has become an integral part of life for much of the world. Unfortunately, we have seen how it also is used to spread messages of hate and intolerance. Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel pages abound on sites such as Facebook.

We are working regularly to remove them. Our “Erase Hate Speech” program is off to a solid start, with more than 70 offensive pages reported and nearly 40 removed. In the fall, we met with Facebook’s top executive on global policy management to express our concerns and frustrations, and to get assurances that Facebook does take hate pages seriously. This meeting has provided us with a direct link to a top Facebook executive.

We also get our message out through more traditional means. People all over the world have learned B’nai B’rith’s point of view through the publication of numerous op-eds and letters. This fall we had an op-ed in the New York Times urging the United Nations to include Yom Kippur as a holiday on its calendar alongside Christian and Muslim holidays. This op-ed then sparked news stories of the quest to declare Yom Kippur a holiday at the world body.

Other op-eds and letters to the editor have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, the Jerusalem Post, Fox News, the Times of Israel and Algemeiner. We also appear weekly in JAI in Uruguay.

B’nai B’rith Magazine continues to offer unique and inspiring stories you can’t find anyplace else. Our award-winning magazine has brought attention to some of the most thought-provoking topics of the day.

This year alone, we presented a deeply nuanced understanding of the Pew Research Center’s data on Jewish Life in America, visited a vibrant and bustling market in Israel, delved into some of the problems with the Iraqi Jewish Archives and analyzed the ongoing effort to secure restitution for Holocaust survivors.

Our magazine continues to offer insightful analysis that can’t be found anyplace else, as we have since the magazine launched in 1886.

Tribute Dinners/Awards
B’nai B’rith recognized the accomplishments of key community and corporate leaders from around the world in tributes and award ceremonies designed to highlight their good works at the community and global levels. We honor these exceptional individuals and companies for their community service, dedicated leadership and commitment to improving the lives of the individuals they serve.

Highlights from this year:
Western Digital and its President and CEO Steve Milligan received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Los Angeles. The keynote speaker was Carlos Gutierrez, former U.S. secretary of commerce.

After more than three decades of bestowing the Healthcare Award, this year was one of the most successful Healthcare events to date, honoring Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.

The B’nai B’rith Distinguished Humanitarian Award was presented to Joseph Harari and his brothers, Morris, Sion and Raymond at an event in Panama City in conjunction with the International Policy Forum and featured the president of Panama and various Panamanian dignitaries and political officials as honored guests.

The National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets basketball team, its CEO Brett Yormark and the team’s arena, the Barclays Center, earned the B’nai B’rith Distinguished Achievement Award. Guests included Sarah Kustok, on-air reporter for YES Network; Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation; Daniel Jacobs, professional boxer; and Kevin Garnett, Nets all-star player.