As soon as some of the womens' Districts came into being, they undertook sponsorship of the Junior Auxiliaries on a District-wide basis. Some collected dues from each girl and used this money to promote the girls' programs; others made supplementary allocations to further the District organization of the B'nai B'rith Girls. Today, B'nai B'rith Women contribute a major portion of the money needed to operate BBYO.
The girls' Chapters' future was tied to that of the B'nai B'rith Women. It was difficult to form a national organization of girls until there was a national organization of B'nai B'rith Women. Although Women's Auxiliaries of the B'nai B'rith had been in existence since 1897, they did not organize on a national basis until 1940 when they formed the Women's Supreme Council.
Anita Perlman Becomes Chairman
At its very first meeting, the Women's Supreme Council, under the leadership of its first president, Judge Lenore D. Underwood (later Mills) of San Francisco, voted to establish a national girls' program patterned after the AZA. Judge Underwood appointed Anita Perlman as chairman of B'nai B'rith Girls.
The Appointment of Anita Perlman was certainly a positive step towards the future of the many loosely organized Chapters of girls that were sprouting up in virtually all parts of the country. Few women were ready to give as much of themselves for the cause. Though many hands and hearts have gone into the buliding of the girls' groups over a period of more than five decades, no woman has put as much of herself into this work as Anita Perlman. As soon as Anita Perlman received this appointment, she carried on an amazingly large amount of correspondence with leaders of B'nai B'rith Women, Advisors, and officers of the girls' Chapters. In this first year, with a budget of only $600 she was able to supply the girls' Chapters with an Advisor's manual, a president's manual, a membership manual, and other materials.
Name Adopted in 1941
In the Spring of 1941, the Women's Supreme Council adopted the name "B'nai B'rith Girls" and an upper age limit of 21 for all girls' groups under B'nai B'rith sponsorship. There were now 117 junior groups and 27 sub-junior groups with a total membership of about 7,000 girls.
Although the number of groups and the number of members continued to grow, it was generally believed that the time was not yet ripe for the formation of a national organization of girls.
The long awaited breakthrough finally occurred late in 1943 when the AZA Supreme Advisory Council (the policy making body for AZA) agreed to form a Youth Commission to govern both AZA and a new national organization of BBG.
The National Organization of BBG officially began at a meeting sponsored by the Womens' Supreme Council April 22 and 23, 1944 at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago. This first conference was primarily one of adults. Indeed, it was a special meeting of the Women's Supreme Council. However, there were present girls representing each District with a BBG program.
The conference decided that the main objectives and general program of activities of AZA be adopted in principle with modification where necessary to meet the special needs of girls. It recommended that AZA publications be edited so as to meet the needs of both groups and called for the preparation of a uniform ritual for the girls' Chapters. Future leadership training courses were to include BBG as well as AZA officers and Advisors.
The conference agreed upon two divisions : B'nai B'rith Girls for girls of high school age, and B'nai B'rith Young Women for girls out of high school to the age of 25 years. (Later, the older group became B'nai B'rith Young Adults and still later became coed units of B'nai B'rith and B'nai B'rith Women.)
A few months later, on November 10, 1944, the newly recognized national organization became a part of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization with the B'nai B'rith Youth Commission as the overall governing body. The first charter was issued to San Francisco BBG #1, successors of the first group of girls to form a permanent Chapter of B'nai B'rith Girls. The next nine cities to recieve charters were Oakland, Calif., #2; Linda Strauss, Los Angeles, Calif., #3; Harrisburg, Pa., #4 Highland Park, Los Angeles, Calif., #4 Judah, Worcester, Mass., #6; Lancaster, Pa., #7; Ramah, Chicago, #8; Potsville, Pa., #9; and Homestead, Pa., #10.
Although AZA and BBG were now a part of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, each continued to have its identity. Now, however, the opportunities to work together increased chances to make friends from around the world. At conventions, AZA and BBG members had a chance to meet one another and to establish lasting relationships. Many marriages have had their beginnings in BBYO.
