Perlman, Anita M.

Anita M. Perlman was born in 1905 in the tiny town of Butte, Montana. At age 16, Perlman attended Northwestern University and began embodying the loftiest spirit of volunteerism in American Jewish womanhood.   

After the establishment of Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA), efforts began to create a parallel group for young Jewish women. The first group emerged in Seattle, Washington, in 1926 and another the following year in Newark, New Jersey; however, these groups soon dissolved. In December 1927, the first permanent chapter of what is now the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) was organized in San Francisco, California. Many other groups formed soon after without any central structure or support. Many of these groups, modeled after AZA, were sponsored by B’nai B’rith Women and divided into districts.

In 1936, Perlman joined the B’nai B’rith Women’s North Shore Chapter in Chicago, Illinois. Three years later, she became the Chairwoman of District 6 of the B’nai B’rith Junior Auxiliaries. Perlman’s appointment as chairwoman of B’nai B’rith Girls was a major step in organizing the loosely structured chapters. She established channels of communication with the leaders of BBW and BBG and developed program resources for the various chapters. 

On April 22, 1944, the B’nai B’rith Girls was officially established as an International Order. That same year, the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization was created as an umbrella organization for BBG and AZA.

Perlman’s vision to build the largest organization of young Jewish women unfolded with thousands of participants organizing and getting involved in BBG’s early years. In 1955, following her induction as a proud lifetime member of BBG, Perlman served as the President for B’nai B’rith Women. 

Perlman’s goal was for BBG to be a place where young Jewish women could find and express their Jewish identities, expand their circle of friends, work towards a better world, and strengthen the Jewish community. Although BBG was her main passion, Perlman was also involved with other philanthropic pursuits. She donated land for the campus of the Soref Jewish Community Center in South Florida and worked to launch the March of Dimes’ Operation Stork, a program designed to educate young women about the importance of prenatal care. She contributed time and money to many organizations, including the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Brandeis University, and Northwestern University. For the rest of her life, Perlman continued inspiring and championing future generations by visiting BBYO programs worldwide. Even after her passing, people still wear Perlman’s iconic t-shirt that declares, “Anita Perlman is Alive and Well.” 

Today, BBYO members who better their communities through consistent and quality community service are honored with the Anita M. Perlman Stand UP Award. 

Perlman died in 1996 at the age of 90.