A Camden, New Jersey Combination Synagogue and Burial Society, 1894

Introduction

My friend! Before you are accepted as a member of our hevrah [confraternity] I, as president, have the duty to acquaint you with the principles of our organization. The hevrah was organized for the purpose of maintaining Orthodox Judaism: to uphold the spiritual and moral values of our Jewish name, to visit the sick, to help and protect widows and orphans. A member should be helpful morally and financially to his fellow member in a friendly and brotherly way. The hevrah expects every member to cooperate to the best of his ability. We don’t have any secret signs. We consider our words and our promises as a sign of brotherly love. Whatever takes place here must be kept secret. And, with this, I accept you and welcome you to our hevrah. I introduce you to our members and wish you luck.

Constitution of Congregation sons of Israel of Camden, New Jersey

ARTICLE 1

Name and Purpose of the Hevrah

1. The name of the hevrah shall be: Hevrah Sons of Israel, Camden, N.J.

And that name can never be changed as long as there are ten good standing members, nor can it be dissolved. The hevrah [building] cannot be sold or moved without the consent of the seatholders.

2. The purpose of the organization is to be an Orthodox synagogue where daily services will be held. The Ashkenazi nusach [German version] will be followed . . .

3. There should be a cemetery and a permanent hevrah kaddisha [holy society] with responsibility for caring for the dead and arranging for proper burial . . .

ARTICLE 2

Introduction of New Candidates

1. Only candidates eighteen years and over can be accepted for membership; he must be Jewish and married in accordance with Jewish law.

2. When a member presents a candidate, he has to give his age, his address, and his occupation, and has to pay a fifty cent introductory fee.

3. The president shall then call a committee of three members and investigate the character and health of the family and bring a report to the next meeting . . . [they want to be sure that the new family is not sick.]

5. The membership dues from applicants shall be $1.50 for those up to forty-five years of age. For those over forty-five years, the amount shall be a decision of the membership.

6. No member is entitled to any benefit during the first six months, with the exception of a cemetery plot. However, he must pay $2.00 for the first year.

ARTICLE 4

Membership Dues

1. Dues of $1.50 should be paid every three months . . .

ARTICLE 6

Duties of the Officers

1. The president is obligated to be present at each meeting and to open the meeting promptly.

2. When a member is ill, the president is obligated to visit him once a week. He is also obligated to keep order at meetings, and to permit a member to speak on demand . . .

5. When a member makes a suggestion that has support, the president must submit that suggestion to the membership for decision by majority vote . . .

ARTICLE 10

Duties of the Gabbaim

1. The gabbaim [board members] must be present at every meeting and report on the synagogue income.

2. It is the duty of the gabbaim to see that there should be a quorum for the prayer services, to distribute the honors on the Sabbath and holidays, but not on the High Holy Days . . .

ARTICLE 12

Duties of the Visiting the Sick Committee

1. During an epidemic, or in the event of a contagious disease, the president or vice-president are not obligated to visit the sick.

2. When it is necessary to stay with a sick person the entire night, the president and secretary should select two persons from the membership to stay with the sick patient from 10:00 pm until 4 o’clock in the morning; a substitute can be sent at his expense.

3. When the sick person is dying, the gabbai of the hevrah kaddisha should be notified immediately and he should send two men to be there until the person expires.

4. When a member dies, the members are obligated to show their last respects by following the hearse, wearing respectable clothes, until the outskirts of town. From there, the gabbai and the members of the hevrah kaddisha should follow the hearse to the cemetery.

ARTICLE 13

Duties of the Hevrah Kaddisha

1. The hevrah kaddisha must elect one gabbai on the 13th day of the Kislev [December].

2. The gabbai must know which members are healthy and which are sick, and must give a report about the sick members at every regular meeting.

3. When someone dies, the gabbai must be there first, and must notify the president if he is entitled to any benefits.

4. The gabbai must see to it that the funeral is conducted according to the customs of Poland or Lithuania, and must arrange for ten members of the hevrah kaddisha to follow the hearse to the cemetery.

5. Pledges [gifts] made on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret and the last day of Passover belong to the hevrah kaddisha.

ARTICLE 14

Privileges of the Membership

3. If a member has any grievance against another member, he must not go to court before bringing it up before the hevrah, and the hevrah must try to settle it . . .

7. When a member has Yahrzeit [anniversary prayer for the dead], he should notify the gabbai and the gabbai must provide a quorum for the prayer service.

8. Every member is obliged to buy one ticket for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur [New Year and Day of Atonement services]. If he wants an honor he must purchase it . .

ARTICLE 15

Benefits of Membership

1. Every member in good standing has the following benefits: the right to demand visits in case of illness for himself and his family, if the president finds it necessary.

2. In case of the death of a child under the age of three, the hevrah supplies a casket and a carriage; over the age of three an additional hearse. If a member or any of his family dies, the hevrah supplies a casket, two carriages, and a hearse.

3. A daughter is under her father’s care [covered for insurance] until she marries; and a son until the age of eighteen. In that case, all expenses are covered except shrouds.

4. The hevrah is obliged to provide a minyan [prayer quorum] during the shivah [week of mourning]. The secretary should select the minyan from the membership list, and if a chosen member does not come, he is fined $1.00.

5. If the amount in the treasury is over $100.00, the hevrah must pay $5.00 for shivah money. Also, when a member loses someone in Europe, he must be paid the $5.00.

6. The board of officers has the right to sell a plot to an outsider for a price that is satisfactory to the hevrah. The buyer must give security that by the end of the year he will put up a tombstone . . .