B’nai B’rith has a long history of social justice advocacy, support for Israel, and helping to shape public policy. But it also has a history for bringing people together to just enjoy being Jewish. Nashville’s B’nai B’rith Social Unit was created in that tradition about 30 years ago when a group of couples at The Temple decided to join the storied organization. Gil Fox is one of the original members of the group. He says the group began as a havurah for couples but was in need of greater support. “It was sort of drifting, so somebody suggested we talk to B’nai B’rith about forming a group that really gave us a purpose.”
At the time, the group was made up of young couples, including Fox and his late wife Joyce, looking for social connections and support raising families. And so began Nashville’s own B’nai B’rith Social Unit. Over the years the group evolved as people grew older, couples divorced, or people passed away. But Fox says today there about 96 members ranging from native Nashvillians to newcomers, some as recently as last month. Members belong to all five of the area congregations, and some are unaffiliated.
Monthly programs include picnics, tours of Jewish Nashville and the Nashville Holocaust Memorial, theater parties, and holiday celebrations. There are also service projects such as sponsoring Hanukkah parties for local assisted living facilities, book collections for Book-Em, and more.
Fox says one of the byproducts of the group is helping to welcome newcomers to Nashville, especially during the past several years of skyrocketing growth. “Over the years we have worked hard to try to integrate newcomers into the activities here in the community.” He says members new to town met many people from across the Jewish community, some of whom have become the best of friends and becoming family.
Today the group’s membership does tend to be empty nesters and retirees, but Fox says they are open to everyone and hope to attract younger people who will carry on the B’nai B’rith tradition in Nashville. “In the last year or so, it has improved considerably. We have a membership vice president who is very good at talking to people and we’ve had a very nice increase in our membership.”
To learn more about Nashville’s B’nai B’rith Social Unit, contact Gil Fox, gsfox3@comcast.net, or Joyce Levin, joylevin8@gmail.com.
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