Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-20
Museum in New B mai B 'rith Building
Traces History Of Jews in America

A museum with exhibits trac-
ing the history Of American
Jews from the time the first
party of 16 landed in New
Amsterdam in 1856 and their
contributions to democratic
processes features the hand
some, eight-story office build
ing Of B'nai Birth at Rhode
Island avenue and Seventeenth
street NV.
The 1i4-year-old organiza-
ton, which will be housed UNI
der one roof for the first time.
will formally open the build
ing at ceremonies Sunday.
Heretofore. B'nai Birth Of
fees have been scattered over
several buildings in Washing
ton, New York and Chicago.
All the 200-odd personnel now
will be brought to the new
quarters. Only the organiza-
ton Anti-Defamation League
will remain in separate quar-
tiers in New York.
The growth Of religious lib
erty in the United States-told
in priceless doc u m e nts-is
shown in the exhibit on the
spacious first floor.
Washington Letter
The collection Of original
manuscripts includes George
Washington's letter in 1890 to
Turo Synagogue in Newport.
r. l.. in which the President
affirmed religious freedom with
his famous phrase. ITO bigotry
no sanction. to persecution no
assistance" Also on exhibit is
the Bible which was used when
Washington visited the syna-
gogue.
1t was in 1855 that the first
Jewish colonists petitioned Gov.
Peter StuyveSant for permis-
sion. among other things. for
the right to have a Jewish bur-
ial ground, and that document |
also is among the exhibits.
In 1924, Maryland passed
what was labeled a Jew Bill"
which granted political equality |
in that State. and B'nai Birth |
has a copy of that act. There
also is a 1888 imprint Of |
Thomas Jefferson's speech on |
the subject to the Virginia Leg
islature and a three-page letter
of Jonas Phillips. a Jewish |
merchant of Philadelphia. I'M
ploring the 1888 Constitutional
Convention to adopt the prin-
ciple that all men have a nat
ural and inalienable right to
worship Almighty God accord
ing to the dictates of their own
conscience and understanding"
Art Displayed
The works Of Jewish painters
and sculptors and first editions
of Hebrew Bibles and gram
mar books published in the
United States in the early
10th century also have been
placed on display in the Philip
M. and Ethel Klutznick exhibit
hall. Mr.. Klutznick will be re-
membered here as a former
housing administrator. He is
now a delegate to the United
Nations.
There also are silver goblets
made by Paul Revere. But not
all the exhibits are hierlooms.
There are, for instance, several
letters of the late Eddie Jacob
son, friend and one-time cloth
ing store partner on Kansas
City's Twelfth street with for
mer President Truman. The
jacobson papers are said to
point up the early political re-
lations between the United
States and Israel and include
correspondence he had with
Mr.. Truman and Or. Chain
Weizmann. first Israeli presi-
dent.
The second floor Of the
building contains the -Four
Freedoms Library. provided by
B'nai Birth women in memory
of the late President Franklin
D. Roosevelt. The building was
erected by the Henry Monsky
Foundation as memorial to
that famous Jewish leader who