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Society “Damen Ferein” (“Serene Women”).

In 2010 a young men interested in the history of his own town-Kaushany found a document at a local museum dated December 27, 1923. It was about a Jewish Women society organization. Original document in Romanian.
Following is a translation of that document.

Statute of a Society

Society “Damen Ferein” (“Serene Women”) to help poor Jews in town of Kaushany-Noi, district of Tighina (Bendery)

(In pencil written-December 27, 1923)

The Purpose of the Society

Article 1. Aim of the Society “Damen Ferein” is to help the poor in health care, medicine, food and whichever other sustenance.

Article 2. To any poor women society will provide medical aid at home, and if necessary, the Society will hospitalize the sick in a local hospital or any other area hospital which could treat her.

Article 3. To fulfill Article 1 and 2 Society will contract with a doctor, a midwife, with one of the pharmacies to acquire the help & medicines and will permanently employ a doctor who will be available by request of the Society to visit & consult the assigned sick in order to treat her however, expenditures will be disbursed from the fund of the Society.

Construction of the Society

Article 4. The Society members can only consist of females, adult (namely, of 21 years of age) dames & damsels, excluding schoolgirls and students.

Article 5. Members of this society might be women, which will pay a monthly fee of at least 10 lei, payable a month ahead.

Article 6. With respect to members enrolled in the society, who will not pay fees as in Article 5 within six months, the general assembly will call for their exclusion from the Society.

Article 7. Member or members, who cause disorder in the Society, or act against the Society, will all be excluded from the Society, in the same manner, by general assembly vote.

Funds of the Society

Article 8. Funds of the Society consist of: a/member registration fees which will be 20 lei & above; b/of the percentage of reserve capital which remains unused, c/ from donations made by members of the Society or Private; d/ of collections which the society will organize in various weddings in Kaushany or any other town; e/ donations to the society for the orphans at a time when a person dies in the family; f/ from spectacular evening balls, benefit soirees, concerts, readings & all other similar which would be organized by the Society; g / the subscription lists that will be made by the Society.

Article 9. Of all amounts collected, a bookkeeping register will be kept in which the all the sums received will be entered daily.

Article 10. Similar bookkeeping register will be kept for expenses made & entered daily.

Article 11. Accounting will be kept by a bookkeeper of the Society.

Article 12. Company funds will be recorded by two of the Society‘s members elected each month by the Executive Committee, which they will pass onto the society’s cashier also elected by the Executive Committee.

Article 13. Any revenues collected by society’s recording members & Cashier will consist of the forenamed through the release of receipts.

Article 14. Any payments made by the society to the poor will be performed vis-à-vis receipts as well as doctor’s payment following a visit of the sick.

Article 15. Aid given to the poor and be determined by the Society‘s Executive Committee every time it is requested.

Society’s Business management

Article 16. Business Management of the Society is divided over: a / General Assembly and b / the Executive Committee.

a/ General Assembly

Article 17. Convening society’s members in an ordinary general assembly, takes place in January of every year. Extra-ordinary meeting will be convened by the Executive Committee or, as many times as it decides.

Article 18. Ordinary General Assembly will choose: a/ a president of the Society to administer all affairs of the Society. The election of a president will be made annually. b / Executive Committee for a term of three years and their deputies (substitutes) for a term of a year and c / a review commission composed of at least three members for a year.

Article 19. At ordinary general meetings, executive Committee will create an account of all operations which have effected over the course of the year & of all Society‘s activities.

Article 20. General Assembly will preside over all matters, as well as Society's activities & its operation during the year. In order for decisions to be taken by a majority of voters to resolve issues: a/ status change and wholeness and b / liquidation of the Society, a majority of at least two thirds of members present is required.

Article 21. The general assembly is legal if ___ is present

(continuation of text is missing from this point on! Translator.)

Translated from Romanian by Avi Klammer.

Copyright © 2011, Yefim Kogan

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