Constitution and By Laws of the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia, 1861 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Constitution and By Laws of the United Hebrew Beneficent Society of Philadelphia, 1861

Author

United Hebrew Beneficent Society

Date Created

1 January 1861

Location(s)

Philadelphia

Format

Pamphlet. 24 page(s).

1

Type

Pamphlet

Physical Characteristics

Typescript

Is Part Of

Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Isaac Leeser Collection

content

Rev. I. Leeser.

CONSTITUTION
AND
BY-LAWS
OF THE
"UNITED HEBREW BENEFICENT SOCIETY
OF PHILADELPHIA."
Hebrew
FOUNDED 1822.
______
INCORPORATED MDCCCXXIX.
______
PHILADELPHIA:
STEIN & JONES, PRS., S. E. COR. THIRD AND CHESTNUT STREETS.
1861.
LEESER LIBRARY, HEBREW EDUCATION SOCIETY.

FOUNDERS OF THE SOCIETY.
June 16th, 1822.
LEWIS ALLEN.
JOSEPH ANDREWS.
WOLF BENJAMIN.
JOSEPH DREYFOUS.
SIMEON DREYFOUS.
ABRAHAM ELKIN.
ABRAM L. HART.
SAMUEL JOSEPH.
ISAAC STUTTGARD.
MAYER ULMAN.

CONSTITUTION.
___
PREAMBLE.
To provide in the best manner possible for the relief of our unfortunate and indigent brethren, and to ame-liorate 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 benevo-lence and gratitude.
Impressed with these truths we whose names are hereto subscribed, citizens of the State of Pennsylvania, hereby unite in a Benevolent Association, and for our government, as members thereof, adopt the following Rules and Regulations; each of us pledging himself to the others to observe them with honor and good faith.
ARTICLE I.
The name of the Society shall be
Hebrew
"THE UNITED HEBREW BENEFICENT 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 per-suasion.

4
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 mechanical trades, with the concurrence of their parents or guar-dians.
4. Whenever the funds will admit—to encourage the acquirement of the Holy Tongue among the child-ren of the members of our persuasion.
ARTICLE III.
SECTION 1. The officers of this Society shall con-sist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight members who shall form a Board of Mana-gers for the transaction of business. They shall be elected separately, by written ballot, by a majority of of votes, on the first Sunday after Hebrew in each and every year.
SECT. 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 compose 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 payments agreeably to

5
the written orders of the President for the time being; keep a correct account of all receipts and expenditures, which accounts shall at all times be open to the inspec-tion 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 meetings. 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 proceedings of the Society and of the Board, do all other writing not connected with the office of Treasurer, prepare notices 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 appointed by the Board of Managers.
SECT. 2 The President shall have power to call special meetings of the Board or of the Society when-ever 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. State meetings of the Board shall be held on the first Sundays of the months of Hebrew ("Ab") Hebrew ("Hesvan") Hebrew ("Shebat") and Hebrew ("Iyar") in every year.

6
SECT. 4.* Seventeen members shall form a quorum of the Society, and six a quorum of the Board.
ARTICLE VIII.
SECT. 1. Any Jew residing in the State of Pennsyl-vania, desirous of becoming a member of this Society, may apply in writing at any meeting, which applica-tion shall lie over until the next stated Board meeting, at which time, or at a subsequent stated Board meet-ing, the applicant shall be balloted for; and if he shall receive the votes of two-thirds of the members present shall be admitted to membership, provided 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 Society, 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 So-ciety for one year's subscription and fines, and shall not discharge the same within three months after re-ceiving notice thereof from the Secretary, shall be re-ported by the Treasurer 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
*Altered see postea—p. 12.

7
Treasurer instantly to commence suit for all sums due by said delinquent to the Society.
SECT. 4. Any officer or member may be expelled or otherwise dealt with by the Society on an impeach-ment, 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 inno-cence, and may impose any sentence not amounting to expulsion, which shall require the votes of three-fourths of the members present, or fine not exceeding 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 annual-ly to the Society in quarterly payments; and every member who shall on entrance pay forty dollars, shall be exempted from all contributions during his contin-uance 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 exceed-ing five dollars: if, however, he thinks any applicant entitled to more, he shall in that case consult the Board, and whatever sum may be voted to such applicant, shall be drawn from the funds by an order signed by the President and attested by the Secretary. Weekly

8
allowances may be given to poor resident families ap-plying 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 or-ders being also signed by the President and attested by the Secretary; Provided 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 Mana-gers to visit the sick, order medical assistance, 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 representa-tions. They shall employ proper persons to sit up with the dying and the dead, who are unable to pro-cure such attendants 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 ap-prentice by this Society, it shall be the duty of the Board to see that he is bound out in such a manner as to keep his Sabbaths and Holy-days, and in all other respects to adhere as nearly as possible to his religion, agreeably to the Jewish laws; they shall also inquire previously to such binding, 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 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

9
learn mechanical trades, unless he shall give a satis-factory 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 Apprentices, 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 meetings; 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 sub-jected 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 concurred in at a sub-sequent meeting, by the votes of three-fourths of the members present: and such alterations and amend-ments are to be certified by the Attorney General and Supreme Court, and enrolled according to law.
SECT. 2. All By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations, not repugnant to the Jewish laws or to this Constitution, which may from time to time be agreed on by this Society, shall be binding on its members, and have the

10
same effect as if they were part of this Constitu-tion: Provided, They shall have been proposed in writing at any meeting, and concurred in at a subse-quent general meeting 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 Common-wealth.
This Constitution was adopted as the Charter of the Society; was approved by the Attorney General and Supreme Court of Pennsyl-vania, and is enrolled in the Office of the Secretary of the Common-wealth, in Charter Book No. 4, page 363, &c.

11
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 Israelites, edu-cating poor children, and binding them apprentices to learn mechan-ical trades, ministering to the sick, and burying the indigent dead: And whereas, under present circumstances its sphere of usefulness is greatly circumscribed by a requisition in its Charter that appli-cants for membership shall reside within this Commonwealth, and shall apply in writing: And whereas, a large majority of the mem-bers 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 Representa-tives 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.
SECT. 2.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, from and after the passing of this act, any member of the said Society may propose another for membership, and that a written ap-plication shall not be indispensably necessary.
SECT. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That so much of any portion of the Charter of the said Society as is inconsistant 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.

12
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION,
Adopted Sept. 12th, 1858.
That Section 4th of Article VII., be altered so as to read, that eleven instead of seventeen members of the Society shall form a quorum.
This amendment was approved by the Attorney General and the Judges of the Supreme Court, and is recorded at Harrisburg, in the Secretary of State's Office, in Charter Book, No. 8, page 128, &c.

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 or-der, and have the minutes of the preceding meeting read and submitted for approval, 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 pow-ers as are enjoined on, and exercised by the President.
III.
All motions regularly made in writing and seconded, 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.

14
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 pre-scribed, 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 followings sums—viz: President or Vice-President, ten dollars; Treasurer or Secretary, seven dollars and fifty cents; Member of the Board, five dollars: provided always, that any member who may have served in

15
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 delinquencies, from which an appeal may lie to the President, 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 by such leaving the meeting should break a quorum, . . . .
1 00

For not attending Hebrew
50

For not attending Hebrew or finding a prop-er substitute, . . . . .
12

For not attending Hebrew or finding a prop-er substitute; . . . . .
25

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 ceremony 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 Dispensary five dollars, annually, and to the Northern and Southern Dispensaries three dollars each, annually. [Repealed September 15th, 1839]
XIII.
Any person leaving a legacy of fifty dollars or more to the Society, shall have honorable mention 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 charita-ble designs of their Institution."
XIV.
Donations may be received from the persons of every religious denomination, whose names shall be honora-bly 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 Soc-iety, 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 con-sent of a majority of the Board.
XVIII.
Any member wishing to resign, must pay all ar-rearages 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.

18
XIX.
When a person shall be admitted to membership 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 at-tend in turn morning and evening prayers, Hebrew Hebrewor 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 fun-eral of every member of the Society.
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 obliga-tory 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 apprehensions are entertained of his death, the Board, or their Committee on the sick, shall procure suitable 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 consent 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 regula-tions already adopted by the Hebrew estab-lished in this city.
XXVII.
The name of every member of the Society shall be entered on a list, to be kept by the Secretary, and on the requisition of the committee on the sick and dead, it shall be his duty to summon in turn, a sufficient number to attend Hebrew taking care that the same names are not selected twice, until the whole roll of the So-ciety shall have been gone through.

20
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 members 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 quarterly, 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 exempt 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 dol.lars in lieu of the life contribution required in the Constitution shall, during his continuance in the So-ciety, be exempted from all further contributions, and from all fines, except fines for improper conduct at a meeting: Provided, nevertheless, that nothing contained in this or the foregoing by-law, shall be so construed as to exonerate any such exempt member from his lia-bility to the fine incident to a resignation of any office to which such exempt member may have been elected and have accepted.
XXXI.
Any Member who shall be more than sixty years old, shall be exempted from all fines except for

21
improper conduct, or for resigning any office accepted by such member.
XXXII.
The Board of Managers may, at all times, strike off the name of a member, owing more than five dollars, and close his account with the Society. Provided, that such person may be at any time restored to membership, on paying up all arrearages, or by a vote of the Board.
XXXIII.
Any person who shall not circumcise his children shall not be admitted a member of this Society, and any person so offending, who shall have been admitted after the passage of this law, shall be forthwith expelled by a majority of the Board.
XXXIV.
Any person who, in future, does not have his sons circumcised, shall be expelled from this Society.

PAST OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY.
PRESIDENTS,

ZALEGMAN PHILLIPS,
ABRAM L. HART,

WOLF BENJAMIN,
JOSEPH L. MOSS,

LAZARUS J. LEBERMAN.

VICE PRESIDENTS,

LOUIS BOMEISLER,
ABRAM L. HART,

WOLF BENJAMIN,
J. ALTAMONT PHILLIPS,

JOHN MOSS,
L. J. LEBERMAN,

MARCUS CAUFFMAN.

TREASURERS,

ABRAHAM ELKIN,
JOSEPH L. MOSS,

LEWIS ALLEN,
ISAAC J. PHILLIPS.

SECRETARIES,

WOLF BENJAMIN,
BENJAMIN W. COHEN,

HART STORK,
ABRAHAM DESSAU,

JOSEPH J. ANDREWS,
ZADOK A. DAVIS,

J. A. PHILLIPS,
EDWARD S. MAWSON,

ABRAHAM HART,
MICHAEL M. ALLEN.

Officers of the Society
FOR THE YEAR 5621.
President,
M. A. MITCHELL.
Vice President,
MARCUS CAUFFMAN.
Treasurer,
ISAAC J. PHILLIPS.
Secretary,
MICHAEL M. ALLEN.
Managers,

A. HART,
MAYER ARNOLD,

J. A. PHILLIPS,
BERNHARD SPATZ,

LAZARUS MAYER,
I. BINSWANGER,

SAMUEL HUNT,
HENRY NEWHOUSE.

Collector,
ABM. FINZI.
Messenger,
ELIAS S. LINSE.

Members of the Society,
MARCH 1, 1861.

Joseph J. Andrews,
Samuel Hunt.

Lewis M. Allen.
Solomon Kayser.

Michael M. Allen,
Jacob Langsdorf,

Mayer Arnold,
Henry Lazarus,

Simon W. Arnold,
L. J. Leberman,

Hezekiah W. Arnold,
David Levine,

Leon Berg,
Samuel Loewengrund,

Morris Bermas,
B. Matthias.

Samuel Benswanger,
Edward S. Mawson,

I. Binswanger,
Jacob May,

Charles Bloomingdale,
Lazarus Mayer,

Bernhard Brummer,
M. A. Mitchell,

Marcus Cauffman.
Joseph L. Moss,

Jacob Caufmann,
E. L. Moss,

Henry Cohen,
Wm. Moss, M. D.

Benjamin Davis,
Michael Moyer,

George Davis,
Isaac Myers,

Goodman Davis,
Philip Nathans,

Mark Davis,
Moses Nathans,

Wm. K. David,
Samuel Nathans,

Henry DeBoer,
Joseph Newhouse,

S. Dryfoos,
Henry Newhouse,

David Eger,
Ernst Nusbaum,

Joseph Einstein,
Solomon Oelsner,

Abraham Elkin,
Isaac J. Phillips,

Solomon Gans,
J. A. Phillips,

Myer Gans,
Henry M. Phillips,

Daniel Gans,
Isaac Rhine,

Philip Goldsmith,
Isaiah Roggenberger,

Wm. Goldstein,
P. S. Rowland,

Emanuel Goldstein,
G. D. Rosengarten,

H. Gunsenhauser,
David Salomon,

Abram L. Hart,
M. Siedenbach,

Barnett B. Hart,
Bernhard Spatz,

Abraham Hart,
Rudolph Stein,

Eleazer Hart,
Emanuel Strauss,

Samuel Hart,
Wolf Tandler,

Joseph J. Harvey,
Solomon Teller,

Simon Heiter,
Louis Tobiason,

Lazarus Hecht,
Abm. S. Wolf

Identifier

LSKAP13-1185

Date

1861-01-01