B'nai B'rith (Bene Berith, "Sons of the Covenant," in Hebrew)

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B'NAI B'RITH (Bene Berith, "sons of the covenant," in Hebrew)

Association founded in 1843 in the United States for the purpose of helping new Jewish immigrants. In time, B'nai B'rith turned to the defense of human rights and the struggle against antisemitism and racism. In 1913, its leaders formed the Anti-Defamation League, whose goal was to protect the rights and status of Jews as well as to develop inter-confessional relations. Having become a group with considerable influence, B'nai B'rith is one of the nongovernmental organizations represented at the United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the European Council.