B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodges Fonds

B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodges Fonds 

Ottawa Lodge 885 was officially founded in February 1921 with 25 members. It was the third Lodge formed in Canada after the rejuvenation of B'nai B'rith in Eastern Canada. The first presidents were Dr. Harry Dover, J. J. Marks and Benjamin Goldfield. It was also the first Lodge to sponsor a ladies’ auxiliary in Canada in about 1925. A local chapter of AZA was formed in 1932. The Ottawa Lodge also supported a Jewish Boy Scouts camp which was first located at Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario. It evolved into the first Ottawa B’nai B’rith summer camp for Jewish youth. Children who could not afford the camp fees were sponsored by the Lodge. In 1938 it was located at Dunrobin, Ontario and moved to Quyon, Quebec after WWII. The scout camp was sponsored by the Ottawa Lodge of B'nai B'rith but was run under the strict supervision of the District Boy Scouts Association. By the mid 1920's the Lodge established a Free Loan Association and was contributing annually to the support of an orphanage in Turkey. In the 1940's Ottawa Lodge put their full support behind the war effort. During World War II, every eligible AZA member went on active duty. This accomplishment was noted in the government folder “Canadians All”. After the war it set up a citizenship committee to help veterans reintegrate themselves into society. The Ottawa Lodge was also active in fundraising and charity. It offered scholarships at Carleton and Ottawa Universities. It also provided buses for outings for seniors and disadvantaged children. The Lodge gave tributes and awards to individuals who had played a significant role in shaping Canadian society. Past recipients include James Durrell, Allan E. Gotlieb and Gordon Henderson. Parliament Lodge 2159 was founded in November 1957, mainly by former AZA members (see 4-730). Confederation Lodge 2429 was organized in 1963. Its membership was comprised mainly of civil and public servants. It merged with Ottawa Lodge in 1968. Bytown Lodge 3061was formed in May 1977. 

B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodges Fonds