Bnai Brith Magazine Spring 2012 : Page 2

D Editor’s note In Sweden, the son of a Holocaust survivor chron-icles his family’s story through a unique postcard collection on the Internet. On the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, a once-thriving Jewish commu-nity, diminished by the Spanish Inquisition, seeks to reconnect with its roots. And in Curaçao, in the Caribbean, Passover brings the sweet heritage of its distinctive holiday cuisine. It’s quite a menu, all for you in this spring issue of B’nai B’rith Magazine. uring Passover, we retell the story of the Exodus of the Jewish people out of Egypt to the land of Israel—the first aliyah. Within the pages of the magazine, we examine the current state of aliyah in a world where Jews have many more options. Among them, strikingly, is Ber-lin, the former capital of Nazi Germany, which three generations after World War II has a vibrant and diverse Jewish community. But even in the Diaspora, memories of past persecutions remain. —Eugene L. Meyer From the Vault A History of Berlin’s B’nai B’rith Lodge T By Cheryl Kempler operated employment bureaus. A source of he Berlin Grand Lodge of B’nai special pride was the Toynbee Halls—cultural B’rith, District 8, was established centers where all Berliners could enjoy free in 1882. By 1930, 11 lodges were lectures and concerts every month. functioning in Europe’s most modern and During World War I, many Berlin lodge sophisticated city. Three thousand women members won medals for battlefield hero-had joined the lodge auxiliaries, whose ism. Those at home supported a 120-bed mission focused on the care of single hospital and a public kitchen feeding 450 mothers and their babies. people daily. The Grand Lodge’s hospital Dedicated in 1912, the Grand Lodge’s train, where B’nai B’rith doctors and nurs-palatial Kleist Strasse headquarters was ing academy graduates tended to wounded decorated with sculptures and frescos, and soldiers, was honored by the government. featured meeting rooms, a banquet hall and Poverty in Berlin was rampant after the war, a conservatory. The German Jewish Acad-In 1923, the Grand Lodge published a when lodge brothers often used personal emy, a rabbinical seminary established by the lodges, conducted classes in the library. newsletter devoted to B’nai B’rith artists savings to help their own. Lodge participation escalated after 1933, Membership, open to a select elite, was and their work, including this illustration when Hitler’s anti-Jewish laws isolated the comprised of accomplished businessmen, of Abraham by E.M. Lilien. community and engendered the need for increased philanthropy. attorneys and physicians whose free time was spent writing Toynbee Hall programs continued, with the Berlin police stand-about Jewish history or performing chamber music. From the ing guard. The District’s president, renowned theologian Leo beginning, lodge directories included the names of academics, Baeck, refused to close the lodges, but they were forcibly shut novelists, movie producers and others identified with the city’s down in April 1937. Rabbi Baeck continued to serve the pastoral intellectual persona. needs of Berlin’s Jews until his arrest and imprisonment in the Donating to many causes, these men opened schools and kin-Theresienstadt concentration camp. After the camp was liber-dergartens—an important advancement in modern education— ated in 1945, he settled in England and went on to head B’nai endowed education and health foundations, published scholarly B’rith Europe after its rededication in 1955. books and journals, set up a hospital and a nursing academy, and B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum 2 Spring 2012

Editor’s Note

During Passover, we retell the story of the Exodus of the Jewish people out of Egypt to the land of Israel—the first aliyah. Within the pages of the magazine, we examine the current state of aliyah in a world where Jews have many more options. Among them, strikingly, is Berlin, the former capital of Nazi Germany, which three generations after World War II has a vibrant and diverse Jewish community. But even in the Diaspora, memories of past persecutions remain. In Sweden, the son of a Holocaust survivor chronicles his family’s story through a unique postcard collection on the Internet. On the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, a once-thriving Jewish community, diminished by the Spanish Inquisition, seeks to reconnect with its roots. And in Curaçao, in the Caribbean, Passover brings the sweet heritage of its distinctive holiday cuisine. It’s quite a menu, all for you in this spring issue of B’nai B’rith Magazine. —Eugene L. Meyer

From the Vault

Cheryl Kempler

A History of Berlin’s B’nai B’rith Lodge The Berlin Grand Lodge of B’nai B’rith, District 8, was established in 1882. By 1930, 11 lodges were functioning in Europe’s most modern and sophisticated city. Three thousand women had joined the lodge auxiliaries, whose mission focused on the care of single mothers and their babies. Dedicated in 1912, the Grand Lodge’s palatial Kleist Strasse headquarters was decorated with sculptures and frescos, and featured meeting rooms, a banquet hall and a conservatory. The German Jewish Academy, a rabbinical seminary established by the lodges, conducted classes in the library. Membership, open to a select elite, was comprised of accomplished businessmen, attorneys and physicians whose free time was spent writing about Jewish history or performing chamber music. From the beginning, lodge directories included the names of academics, novelists, movie producers and others identified with the city’s intellectual persona. Donating to many causes, these men opened schools and kindergartens—an important advancement in modern education—endowed education and health foundations, published scholarly books and journals, set up a hospital and a nursing academy, and operated employment bureaus. A source of special pride was the Toynbee Halls—cultural centers where all Berliners could enjoy free lectures and concerts every month. During World War I, many Berlin lodge members won medals for battlefield heroism. Those at home supported a 120-bed hospital and a public kitchen feeding 450 people daily. The Grand Lodge’s hospital train, where B’nai B’rith doctors and nursing academy graduates tended to wounded soldiers, was honored by the government. Poverty in Berlin was rampant after the war, when lodge brothers often used personal savings to help their own. Lodge participation escalated after 1933, when Hitler’s anti-Jewish laws isolated the community and engendered the need for increased philanthropy. Toynbee Hall programs continued, with the Berlin police standing guard. The District’s president, renowned theologian Leo Baeck, refused to close the lodges, but they were forcibly shut down in April 1937. Rabbi Baeck continued to serve the pastoral needs of Berlin’s Jews until his arrest and imprisonment in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. After the camp was liberated in 1945, he settled in England and went on to head B’nai B’rith Europe after its rededication in 1955.

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