Constitution and By Laws of the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia

Title
Constitution and By Laws of the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia
Author
United Hebrew Beneficent Society
Date Created
16 June 1822
Location(s)
Philadelphia
Format
Pamphlet. 26 page(s) on 27 sheet(s).
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Pamphlet
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Is Part Of
The Jesselson Family Collection of Isaac Leeser Material
content
A. Pinzi Esq
“United Heb. Beneficent Society”
Not in Rosenbach


#24
Not in Rosenbach!
or
Sengerman?!!
U U Barl?

CONSTITUTION
AND
BY-LAWS
OF THE
“UNITED HEBREW BENEFICENT SOCIETY
OF PHILADELPHIA.”
Hebrew
INSTITUTED IN THE MONTH OF Hebrew
Hebrew
A. M. 5582.—JUNE 16, 1822.
INCORPORATED MDCCCXXIX.
PHILADELPHIA:
PRINTED FOR THE USE OF THE SOCIETY,
BY HASWELL, BARRINGTON, AND HASWELL.
1837.

Hebrew
“For the poor shall never cease out of thy land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.”—Deut. Chap. xv. v. 11.
Hebrew
“It is better to go the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men: and the living will lay it to his heart.”—Eccl. ch. vii. v. 2.
Hebrew
“To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”—Prov. ch. i. v. 4.

CONSTITUTION.
PREAMBLE.
To provide in the best manner possible for the relief of our unfortunate and indigent brethren, and to ameliorate their sufferings to the utmost of our abilities, is the performance of an obligation which strengthens the bonds of society, by the endearing ties of benevolence and gratitude.
Impressed with these truths, we whose names are hereto subscribed, citizens of the State of Pennsylvania, hereby unite in a Benevolent As-sociation, and for our government, as members thereof, adopt the following Rules and Regula-tions; each of us pledging himself to the others to observe them with honour and good faith.
ARTICLE I.
The name of the Society shall be
Hebrew
“THE UNITED HEBREW BENEFICIENT SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA.”
ARTICLE II.
The funds of the Society shall be appropriated to the following purposes:
1. Relief to the poor and sick of the Jewish persuasion.

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2. To procure attendance, medicine, &c., for such sick as are unable to provide for themselves; and in case of death to bury them with decency.
3. To bind poor children apprentices to me-chanical trades, with the concurrence of their parents or guardians.
4. Whenever the funds will admit—to encou-rage the acquirement of the Holy Tongue among the children of the members of our persuasion.
ARTICLE III.
Section 1. The officers of this Society shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight members who shall form a Board of Managers for the transaction of business. They shall be elected separately, by written ballot, by a majority of votes, on the first Sunday after Hebrew in each and every year.
Section 2. Vacancies in office shall be filled by the Board, on such event taking place.
ARTICLE IV.
The President shall preside at all meetings; in his absence the Vice-President shall take his place; and in the absence of both, a Chairman shall be appointed from the members who com-pose the Board.
ARTICLE V.
The Treasurer shall take charge of all moneys and securities belonging to the Society, and shall deposit all sums above fifty dollars, in such bank or other moneyed institution as the Board of Managers shall from time to time direct, in the name and behalf of the Society. He shall make

5
payments agreeably to the written orders of the President for the time being; keep a correct ac-count of all receipts and expenditures, which ac-counts shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Managers; he shall give a statement of the funds to the Board at their stated meetings, and to the Society annually at the general meet-ing. If he leaves the city for more than fourteen days, he shall deliver the balance of cash in hand to the Secretary, or some other fit person until his return, taking a receipt for the same, and giving notice to the presiding officer of the Society.
ARTICLE VI.
The Secretary shall keep records of the pro-ceedings of the Society and of the Board; do all other writing not connected with the office of Treasurer; prepare notice and deliver them to the person who shall be appointed by the Board to serve them.
ARTICLE VII.
Section 1. The general yearly meeting of this Society shall take place on the first Sunday after Hebrew at some convenient place to be ap-pointed by the Board of Managers.
Sect. 2. The President shall have power to call special meetings of the Board or of the Socie-ty whenever he shall deem it expedient; and it shall be his duty to call a meeting of the Society whenever required in writing by seven members, or of the Board, at the written request of any four members thereof.
Sect. 3. Stated meetings of the Board shall be held on the first Sundays of the months of Hebrew
1*

6
(“Ab”) Hebrew (“Hesvan”) Hebrew (“Sebat”) Hebrew (“Yar”) in every year.
Sect. 4. Seventeen Eleven members shall form a quorum of the Society, and six a quorum of the Board.
ARTICLE VIII.
Section 1. Any Jew residing in the state of Pennsylvania, desirous of becoming a member of this Society, may apply in writing at any meeting, which application shall lie over until the next stated Board meeting, at which time, or at a subsequent stated Board meeting, the applicant shall be ballotted for; and if he shall receive the votes of two-thirds of the members present, shall be admitted to membership, pro-vided he signs this Constitution, and pays one dollar on entrance, to the Treasurer, within three months after his election.
Sect. 2. No person who shall be married other-wise than according to the Jewish rites, can apply for, or be admitted to membership in this Society: and if any member shall marry otherwise than according to the Jewish laws, he shall, by the vote of a majority at any Board meeting, forfeit his membership—from which vote an appeal may lie to the next general yearly meeting of the So-ciety, whose decision thereon shall be final.
Sect. 3. No member in arrears to the Society shall be permitted to vote at any general election for officers; and every member who shall be in arrears to the Society for one year's subscription and fines, and shall not discharge the same within three months after receiving notice thereof from the Secretary, shall be reported by the Treasurer

7
at the next stated meeting of the Board, who may, by a majority of votes, expel such delinquent if they think proper, and order the Treasurer in-stantly to commence suit for all sums due by said delinquent to the Society.
Sect. 4. Any officer or member may be ex-pelled or otherwise dealt with by the Society on an impeachment, provided such impeachment be signed by at least four members, and a copy of the same, with a notice of the time and place of meeting furnished to the accused, at least one week previously; a majority of the members of the Society present at any such meeting, shall determine the question of guilt or innocence, and may impose any sentence not amounting to ex-pulsion, which shall require the votes of three-fourths of the members present, or fine not ex-ceeding one hundred dollars, or suspension from membership, either of which shall require the votes of two-thirds of the members present.
ARTICLE IX.
Every member shall contribute four dollars annually to the society in quarterly payments; and every member who shall on entrance pay forty dollars, shall be exempted from all contri-butions during his continuance in the Society.
ARTICLE X.
Sect. 1. The President shall, at his discretion, on application by any person professing Judaism, whom he may deem an object worthy of charity, have the power to relieve such applicant with a sum not exceeding five dollars: if, however, he thinks any applicant entitled to more, he shall in

8
that consult the Board, and whatever sum may be voted to such applicant, shall be drawn from the funds by an order signed by the Presi-dent and attested by the Secretary. Weekly al-lowances may be given to poor resident families applying in writing to the President, who shall lay the same before the Board to decide thereon, and order such amount as the applicants are to receive; these orders being also signed by the President and attested by the Secretary; Provid-ed always, That the aforesaid weekly allowances, and all other expenditures, shall never exceed three-fourths of the yearly income of this Society.
Sect. 2. It shall be the duty of the Board of Managers to visit the sick, order medical assist-ance, nurses and other necessaries required.— They shall call on poor applicants, inquire into their distresses, and see that the Society is not imposed on by false representations. They shall employ proper persons to sit up with the dying and the dead, who are unable to procure such at-tendants at their own expense, and to watch their remains at the Hebrew In every instance where a child of a poor person may be bound an appren-tice by this Society, it shall be the duty of the Board to see that he is bound out in such a man-ner as to keep his Sabbaths and Holy-days, and in all other respects to adhere as nearly as possi-ble to his religion, agreeably to the Jewish laws; they shall also inquire, previously to such bind-ing, as to the moral character of the intended master, as well as to his capacity to teach the child his trade in a workmanlike manner: and they shall exercise a kindly guardianship over such child, so far as they may with propriety, and see justice done him in every respect. And

9
no person shall have any claim to the charity of this Society, unless when applied to by the Board, he will agree to their binding his child or children apprentices to learn mechanical trades, unless he shall give a satisfactory reason why he will not comply with their wishes.
Sect. 3. The Board may, if they think proper, form themselves into Committees on Charity, on the Sick and Dead, on Education and Apprenti-ces, and such other committees as may facilitate and more fully carry into effect the objects of this Institution.
Sect. 4. The Board shall elect a Messenger and fix his salary: his duties shall be to collect moneys due; attend the Society and Board at all meet-ings; keep the place of meeting in order; visit the sick, and make report to the Board; attend all funerals and Hebrew deliver all notices of meetings, of attending Hebrew and Hebrew and such others as may be delivered to him by the proper officers of the Society; give the female relatives of the members notice to attend sewing, and report to the Secretary every member who has subjected himself to a fine.
ARTICLE XI.
Section 1. No part of this Constitution shall in any manner be altered, nor any addition made thereto, unless the same shall have been proposed in writing at a meeting of the Society, and con-curred in at a subsequent meeting, by the votes of three-fourths of the members present: and such alterations and amendments are to be certi-fied by the Attorney General and Supreme Court, and enrolled according to law.

10
Sect. 2. All By-laws, Rules, and Regulations, not repugnant to the Jewish laws or to this Con-stitution, which may from time to time be agreed on by this Society, shall be binding on its mem-bers, and have the same effect as if they were part of this Constitution: Provided, They shall have been proposed in writing at any meeting, and concurred in at a subsequent general meet-ing of the Society, by the votes of two-thirds of the members present; And provided, That such By-laws, Rules, and Regulations, be not repug-nant to the Constitution and Laws of the United States, or the Constitution and Laws of this Commonwealth.

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AN ACT
To authorize certain alterations in the Charter of the
United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia.
WHEREAS the United Beneficent Society of Philadelphia has been incorporated for the purpose of relieving poor Israel-ites, educating poor children and binding them apprentices to learn mechanical trades, ministering to the sick, and burying the indigent dead: And whereas under present circumstances its sphere of usefulness is greatly circumscribed by a requisi-tion in its Charter that applicants for membership shall reside within this commonwealth, and shall apply in writing: And whereas a large majority of the members of the Society have petitioned for such alterations in their Charter as, in their opinion, the General Assembly alone can grant. Therefore
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re-presentatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia shall have the power to elect as its members individuals residing out of the State, in the same manner as other members may be elected, according to the provisions of the Charter of the said Society.
Section 2. And be it further enacted by the authority afore-said, That, from and after the passing of this act, any mem-ber of the said Society may propose another for membership, and that a written application shall not be indispensably necessary.
Section 3. And be it further enacted by the authority afore-said, That so much of any portion of the Charter of the said Society as is inconsistent with the foregoing provisions of this act be, and the same is, hereby repealed, annulled, and made void.
JOHN LAPORTE,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
WM. G. HAWKINS,
Speaker of the Senate.
Approved April 7, 1832.
GEORGE WOLF.

BY-LAWS.
I.
The President shall take the chair within half an hour after the time specified in the notices for meeting, provided there be a quorum—call the members to order, and have the minutes of the preceding meeting read and submitted for ap-proval, prior to any other business being brought forward.
II.
When the Vice-president or other chairman shall preside, in the absence of the President, he shall be bound by the duties, and invested with the same powers as are enjoined on, and exer-cised by the President.
III.
All motions regularly made in writing and se-conded, shall, before any debate takes place thereon, be stated from the chair, and no other shall be received but to amend, postpone, reject or adjourn, which last shall always be in order, and be decided without debate.
IV.
All votes shall be viva voce, except in elections for members or officers, which shall be by ballot; and at the request of any three members, the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes.
2

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V.
No vote by proxy shall be allowed in any case whatever.
VI.
All questions, not otherwise provided for, shall be determined by a majority of the voters present; and on such occasions the chairman shall not vote except on an equal division, when he shall have the casting vote.
VII.
No member shall be allowed to speak more than twice on the same question, without the consent of the presiding officer; nor shall any member leave the meeting without permission from the chair.
VIII.
The Secretary shall attend all meetings, and it shall be his duty to bring with him, or send at the time prescribed, such books and papers as may be required.
IX.
Any member elected to an office and refusing to serve, or accepting any office and afterwards resigning, shall, unless liberated by the Board, be fined in the following sums—viz.: President, or Vice-President, ten dollars; Treasurer, or Se-cretary, seven dollars and fifty cents; Member of the Board, five dollars: provided always, that

15
any member who may have served in office, or paid his fine, shall not be obliged to serve again in that or any other office, for three years after the expiration of the first term for which he shall have been elected.
X.
The following fines shall be imposed by the society on its members for neglects or delinquen-cies, from which an appeal may lie to the Presi-dent, who may remit them on proper excuses being shown, and from his decision an appeal shall be further had to the next stated Board-meeting, whose decision thereon shall be final.
FINES.



Dolls. Cts.


For absence at roll-call from any meeting of the



Society or Board, . . . . .
25


For absence from any entire meeting of the



Society or Board, . . . . .
50


For leaving a meeting without permission from



the chair, . . . . .
50


And if such leaving the meeting should



break a quorum, . . . .
1 00


For not attending Hebrew . . . . .
50


For not attending Hebrew or finding a proper substi-



tute, . . . . . . .
12


And if there be no Hebrew in consequence, each



absentee shall be fined . . . .
50


For leaving the burial ground before the grave is



filled and the ceremonies concluded, . .
25



16
XI.
Any member guilty of any disorderly conduct at a meeting, may be fined by the chairman to an amount not exceeding five dollars, from which an appeal may lie to the same meeting, who may reduce or release the fine, and their judgment shall be final and conclusive.
XII.
The Society shall subscribe to the City Dis-pensary five dollars, annually, and to the North-ern and Southern Dispensaries three dollars each, annually.
XIII.
Any person leaving a legacy of fifty dollars or more to the Society, shall have honourable men-tion made of his name at every yearly meeting.
FORM OF A LEGACY.
“I give and bequeath to the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia, the sum of —- dollars, to be paid to their Treasurer for the time being, —- months after my decease, and to be applied towards carrying on the charitable designs of their Institution.”
XIV.
Donations may be received from persons of every religious denomination, whose names shall be honourably mentioned at every general yearly meeting of the society.

17
XV.
Life-subscriptions, legacies, and donations to the amount of thirty dollars and upwards, shall be invested in public stocks when they amount to five hundred dollars, as a permanent fund, the interest only to be expended.
XVI.
In all legal controversies between the Society and any of its members, the books and accounts of the Society, verified by the oath of the proper officer, shall be evidence of contributions or fines due from such member to the Society.
XVII.
If any member purposes leaving the state for any considerable length of time, he may notify the same to the President, and pay up all arrears to the end of the quarter in which he resigns; and if such member shall again return to the state, and wish to be re-admitted, he may again be considered a member without being ballotted for, or paying any new entrance fee, by consent of a majority of the Board.
XVIII.
Any member wishing to resign, must pay all arrearages to the end of the quarter in which he resigns, and notify his intention, in writing, to the President, who shall lay it before the Board for consideration at their next meeting
2*

18
XIX.
When a person shall be admitted to member-ship in the middle of a quarter, his first quarterly subscription shall become payable at the same time as that of the other members.
XX.
On the death of a member, it shall be the duty of the Society to follow his remains to the grave, and attend, in turn, morning and evening prayers Hebrew, or if a member becomes Hebrew the Society shall in their turns attend Hebrew, and prayers shall be said in the Hebrew desired by the Hebrew.
XXI.
All the members who shall be in the city or county of Philadelphia, shall be summoned to attend the funeral of every member of the So-ciety.
XXII.
Male relatives of a member who are not more than twenty-one years of age shall be entitled to the services of the Hebrew.
XXIII.
Female relatives of a member on whom it is obligatory to make Hebrew and to observe the seven days mourning, are entitled to the services usually rendered by a Hebrew to females.

19
XXIV.
If any indigent Jew lies sick, and apprehen-sions are entertained of his death, the Board, or their Committee on the sick, shall procure suita-ble persons to attend him in his last moments, and they shall in all instances appoint the hours for Hebrew and regulate all proceedings thereto.
XXV.
The committee on the sick and dead, shall select eight members to perform Hebrew who shall permit no person to interfere, without the con-sent of the chairman of said committee; nor shall any member be permitted to give to any other person that duty which he shall have been called on to perform, without the consent of the same chairman; and no member shall depart the burial-ground, until all the ceremonies are performed— except in cases of contagious disease.
XXVI.
The aforesaid by-laws Nos. 24 and 25, shall on no account whatever, interfere with the rules and regulations already adopted by the Hebrew Hebrew established in this city.
XXVII.
The name of every member of the Society shall be entered on a list, to be kept by the Se-cretary, and on the requisition of the committee on the sick and dead, it shall be his duty to sum-mon in turn, a sufficient number to attend Hebrew

20
taking care that the same names are not selected twice, until the whole roll of the Society shall have been gone through.
XXVIII.
The committee on the sick and dead, shall, whenever it is practicable, employ Jews, and no others, to dig the graves of the deceased mem-bers, or such poor Jews as shall be interred at the expense of the Society; and it shall be the duty of such persons so employed, to direct and see them filled and finished.
XXIX.
Any member who shall pay two dollars quar-terly, in lieu of the contribution required in the 9th Article of the Constitution, shall be exempted from all fines, except fines for improper conduct at a meeting, and every member who shall have signified his intention of thus becoming an ex-empt member, shall continue to be so considered until he shall otherwise direct in writing, to the Secretary.
XXX.
Any member who shall, on entrance, pay fifty dollars in lieu of the life contribution required in the Constitution, shall, during his continuance in the Society, be exempted from all further con-tributions, and from all fines except fines for im-proper conduct at a meeting: Provided, neverthe-less, that nothing contained in this or the forego-ing by-law, shall be so construed as to exonerate any such exempt member from his liability to the

OFFICERS FOR 5597.
PRESIDENT—ABRAHAM L. HART.
VICE PRESIDENT—J. ALTAMONT PHILLIPS.
TREASURER—LEWIS ALLEN.
SECRETARY—A. DESSAU.
MANAGERS.


Jacob Phillips
Zadok A. Davis


I. J. Levy
Herman Van Beil


Samuel Lyons
Abraham Hart


Simeon Dreyfous
Henry M. Phillips


MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY,
January 8th, 1837.


Moses Abrahams
George A. Davis


Lewis Allen
Goodman Davis


Joseph J. Andrews
Mark Davis


Mitchel Ancker
Z. A. Davis


Mayer Arnold
Isaac De Young


Joseph Bomeisler
M. H. De Young


M. Breslau
Michael De Young


M. H. Cardozo
A. Dessau


M. Cauffman
S. Dreyfous


Abraham H. Cohen
M. I. Drucker


Benjamin W. Cohen
Simon Elfelt


David Cohen
Abraham Elkin


Moses Cohen
Dr. M. Emanuel


Benjamin Davis
B. Eytinge


David A. Davis
Jacob Ezekiel


George Davis
M. Freidenburg




Officers 5619


President
L J Leberman


V President
M. Cauffman


Treasr
I J Phillips


Sectry
M. M. Allen


Managers


I A Phillip
I. Newhouse


A Hart
I. Hunt


M A Mitchell
L Mayer


L. L. Moses
I Langdorf




M. Rosenbach
Jacob J. Phillips
Abm Isaacs
Harding Newhouse
David Solomon
Isaac Myers
B. Brummer

24


Abraham Hart
Joseph L. Moss


Abraham L. Hart
A. Myers, (Richmond)


B. B. Hart
Joseph Myers


Hyman M. Hart
A. C. Peixotto


Andrew Isaacs
H. M. Phillips


George Isaacs
Jacob Phillips


Jacob I. Keys
J. A. Phillips


Abraham Lazarus
Isaac J. Phillips


Henry Lazarus
Levy Phillips


Henry Lazarus (Mobile)
Zalma Rehine


Isaac Leeser
Edward Roget


Lyon Lemberger
G. D. Rosengarten


David Levine
Aaron Samuel


A. Levy (Richmond)
David Samuel


Alexander Levy
Frederick Samuel


I. J. Levy
Mayer Shoyer


Jacob A. Levy
R. J. Switzer


L. J. Levy
Israel Tobiason


Samuel Lyons
Jacob Ulman


August Mendelsohn
H. Van Beil


Simpson Morris
Simon Weil


Hart I. Moses
Wolf Weil


John Moss
Jonathan Zachariah


Isaac M. Moss
Identifier
LSTCAT_item216
Date
1822-06-16

Part of Constitution and By Laws of the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia

United Hebrew Beneficent Society, “Constitution and By Laws of the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia”, 1822-06-16, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/65515