B'nai B'rith

The vote was a victory for Catholic Charities, which bought the building historically known as the B’nai B’rith Lodge in 2018 but later said it was “seriously dilapidated and structurally unsound” and could threaten the safety of the surrounding neighborhood.

The B’Nai B’rith lodge was designed by the famed Jewish architect Samuel Tilden Norton, who also designed the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

At the time, members of the B’nai B’rith felt a “desire to really be accepted by the leaders of the city,” according to Steven Luftman, a heritage conservation consultant.

B’nai B’rith International said in a statement that the lodge “represents an important part of the history of our organization in Los Angeles.”

“However this is resolved, it would be important to the history of Los Angeles Jewry to note that B’nai B’rith met there,” the statement said.