Freedom Benevolent Society Collection

The Freedom Benevolent Society was a mutual aid and fraternal organization founded by Jewish immigrants in the fall of 1882, in the Golden Rule Hall, at Rivington and Essex Streets, on the Lower East Side of New York City. Its main purpose was to provide its members with sick benefits, and relief in times of need, as well as fellowship and entertainment. Eventually it also functioned as a burial society, and maintained cemetery plots. The society received a charter from the State of New York in December 1882 and was incorporated in May 1883.

The early members presumably hailed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria-Hungary), since the original name of the organization makes reference to the emperor: Erster Kaiser Franz Josef Kranken Unterstützungs–Verein, or the First Franz Joseph Sick and Benevolent Society. According to the brief histories published in the society's anniversary programs, there were 14 founding members: Dr. Bleier, Louis Fishel, Louis Fleigel, Louis Fried, Mr. Fuchs (the first president), M. Heidenreich, William Klein, Johann Krauss, Max London, Mr. Luft, Dr. Price, Mr. Reich, Mr. Rottenberg, and Adolph Schroeder.

Early in its history the society held meetings and kept records in the German language. It officially changed its name to the Freedom Benevolent Society on March 27, 1940, and by that time was apparently conducting its business exclusively in English.

At its 50th anniversary, in 1932, at what was probably the peak of its size, the society had close to 300 members. At the 70th anniversary, in 1952, approximately 120 members had attended a meeting in the past year; and at the centennial, in 1982, there were approximately 75 members.

Meetings were held in public venues such as hotels. The Riverside Plaza Hotel on 73rd Street was a regular venue in the 1940s to 1950s, and the Prince George Hotel, on 28th Street, in the 1970s.

In the 1940s to 1950s the society sent delegates to the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and the Austrian Hungarian Hebrew Free Burial Association.

The society had only male members. For at least a time, in the 1930s to 1940s, there was a women's auxiliary, the Franz Joseph Ladies Sick and Benevolent Society.

For most of its history the society had a Relief Committee; a Sick Committee; and a Shiva Committee, or, later on, a Cemetery Board. Until around 1950 it had its own physician. The Relief Committee received no requests for aid after 1970; and the Sick Committee was dissolved, and sick benefits eliminated, in 1974. The cemeteries associated with the society, and the years of acquisition of the plots, were: Mount Zion (1905); Mount Hebron (1920), Cedar Park (1938), and Beth El (1947).

In 1950 the society established a memorial award in honor of one of its past presidents, Hugo Kraus (died May 3, 1945); the "Hugo" award continued to be presented to members for their service on the occasion of anniversary dinners through 1977.

The society began liquidation proceedings in December 1991; burial permits continued to be issued by a designated party, and the proceedings were finally closed in 2013.