NOTE*** - Most textual material moved to off-site Storage in August 2009. Parliament Lodge Membership Roster 1984 donated by Sam Ages September, 2010.
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.
See Robert and Blanche Edelstein fonds for related material.
1. Organizational history taken from History of B’nai B’rith in Eastern Canada, by Abel Selick ed., 1964 and The Jew in Canada 1926. 2. Material donated by Irving Rivers, Jacqui Vital, Nap Kapinsky and David Freedman. 3. Further accrual of 1970-1973 Camp B’nai B'rith photograph donated by Laura Greenberg. 4. Framed charters are stored in the framed and wrapped items shelf within the vault. 5. Most material from the B'nai B'rith fonds has been moved to offsite storage. There is one box remaining in the vault as of March, 2013. 6. Baseball uniform donated in 2022 by Donna Kruger. It was worn and owned by her husband Joey Kruger. Located in Mixed box 2
Textual records, 205 B&W, 2 colour photographs, 2 framed charter documents, 6 framed panoramics, 1 small book, 1 textile uniform The Jewish Star issue located in OS Mixed Box 14; Uniform in Mixed Box 2
-1. One sole box remains in the collection: The Covenant: The Covenant is the official newspaper of B'nai B'rith. Articles contain mentions of Emergency Fund, Board of Governors, J. Horowitz, Board Committee, Ottawa Lodge News, M. Kapinsky, Parliament Lodge, E. Cohen, New Members, Herb S. Gray - 1967-1972; Minutes - April 1924- January 1927; Book of records of B'nai B’rith's Officer's meeting activities and minutes. Book contains descriptions, invitations, and letters, from the general meetings, events, and activities performed by B'nai B'rith - 1946-1949; Executive and General Meetings Minutes – handwritten - May 1978 - May 1979; Minutes/Reports presented at B’nai B’rith conferences - 1928 – 1933, 1938-1943; B'nai B'rith Members Manuals: Manuals contain information related to the structure of the organization, the programs involved, and the required rituals and procedures - 1996, 2003; Folder on Abe Bookman: Contains Article and Photograph of Abe Bookman. Article from 2010 was published in 55+ Magazine- 1982, 2010; Readings from the Holy scriptures for Jewish sailors, soldiers, and airmen- 1943; Folder on Herbert Wolf: Contains Wolf's letters home during his training as well as newspaper articles related to his service as a pilot and his death and burial. Articles clipped from The Shofar and The Evening Citizen - 1941, 1942;"The Fact"- A booklet on Anti-Semitism in Canada. Discusses the history, the contributing factors, and the types of discrimination related to Anti-Semitism of The Jewish people in Canada - 1949; Lodge Rules and Guidelines, Constitutions, and by-laws- 1887, 1946, 1962, 1979, 1996; Ottawa Lodge No. 885 Stationary. Contains lists of members of B'nai B'rith as well as custom B'nai B'rith letterhead - 1954, 1988; Ottawa Lodge No. 885 – Program – 1930; Ottawa Lodge No. 885 Membership Lists and Lodge Rosters - 1945, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1990; Ottawa Lodge No.885 Program listing the officers of the organization and members of the committee 1930; Ottawa Lodge No.885 Ephemera Bulletins. Contains invitations and letters related to organization meetings, gatherings, and dinners - 1946-2000; Ottawa Lodge Correspondence letters - 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1971 Ottawa Lodge No.885 Cult Information. Contains information, documents, and pamphlets related to cults - 1979-1984; Ottawa Lodge No.885 History. Includes cassette tape - ca. 1970, 1982, 1986; B'nai B’rith Buttons, House of Commons Button - 1987, ?; Newspaper Articles – 2010; Miscellaneous – n.d. Fonds consists of various Series: 1. Ottawa Lodge Material, (1887, 1945 - 2000) 2. Parliament Lodge, (1962, 1982 - 1984) 3. Bytown Lodge, (1985 - 1987) 4. Confederation Lodge, (1963 - 1969) 5. Camp B’nai B’rith, (1947 - 1964, 1985, 1990) 6. Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA), (1939, 1940, 1961) 7. B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (B.B.Y.O.), (1947) 8. Women’s Auxiliary, (1943 - 1955, 1967) 9. B’nai B’rith Foundation, (1985 - 1989) 10. Jewish Students’ Union, (1986 - 1990) 11. League for Human Rights, (1987, 1988) 12. B'nai B'rith Canada - Invoices - 1995 13. Lodge Rules and Guidelines (1887 - 1996) 14. Conferences and Conventions, (1955, 1962, 1982) 15. Certificates, (1952 - 1963, 1971 - 1988) 16. B’nai B’rith Publications, (1937, 1940, 1960 - 1996) 17. B'nai B'rith: Articles and Publications about B’nai B’rith (1936, 1951, 1970, 1977 - 1987) 18. Tributes and Awards, (1946, 1967 - 1983, 1987 - 2000) 19. Scrapbooks, (1928 - 1932, 1950 - 1954) 20. Memorabilia (1943 - 1994) 21. Photographs: 2 colour. photographs of the Barney Weiss trophy and 95 B&W photographs, primarily of the Jewish Boy Scout camp. BOX LIST 1. Ottawa Lodge No. 885: Boxes 1, 2 B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodge Charter – January 29, 1921 (Stored on the wrapped items shelf - see 4-729). Membership lists and lodge rosters - 1945, 1972 - 1976, 1980 - 1981 Correspondence - 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1971 Ephemera - 1946 - 2000 Minute book - 1946 - 1949 Stationery - 1954, 1988 History – c.1970, 1986 Membership cards – 1972 - 1995 Activities and fund raising - 1974, 1981 Lodge Line: newsletter - January 1976 - October 1977, 1979, 1986 - 1990 Notice of general meeting – 1977 Cult information – 1979 - 1984 Balance sheets - 1980 Minutes – 1981 Thank you letters – 1990 – 1993 Blank certificates – no date 2. Parliament Lodge No. 2519: Box 3 Charter – November 23, 1957 Presentation of charter - November 23, 1957 Correspondence - 1962, 1983, 1989 - 1995 Minutes -1983, 1994, 1995 Parliament Bulletin - 1983, 1991 - 1992 Notices and invoices - 1984 Passover baskets – 1993 - 1995 Membership list- no date, 1984 Gavel, Parliament Lodge, #2159 3. Bytown Lodge No. 3061: Box 3 Talk of the Bytown: newsletter - 1985 – 1988 Members list – 1987 – 1990 Foundation – 1987 - 1989 Correspondence – 1988 – 1989 4. Confederation Lodge No. 2429: Box 3 Charter – June 26, 1963 (see Photographic Database - 4-727). Minutes of the executive meeting – 1963 – 1967 News bulletin – November 1966 Balance sheets – 1969 Blue felt banner -"Confederation Lodge No. 2429 B'nai B'rit" (see Photographic Database). 5. Camp B’nai B’rith: Box 3 Jewish Theatre Guild program - 1937 Financial receipts and bills - 1947 - 1961, 1964 Financial statements - 1949 - 1963 Handbook and promotional material - 1949, 1953, 1959, 1985, 1990 Newspaper clippings - 1953, 1954, 2010. (2010 articles stored in onsite box in vault) Miscellaneous.- Report of Camp B'nai B'rith. Provides overview of camp and short history. Written by Steven Victor, trustee of Parliament and member of board of directors of camp - 1971; Architectural drawing of the layout of the camp, map based on original drawing by H.A. Reitapple. Includes architectural stamp by the firm Hazelgrove, Lithwick and Lambert - 1960; (Miscellaneous items stored in a folder in the onsite B'nai B'rith box in vault);1 blue baseball uniform owned by Joey Kruger consisting of a shirt, a set of blue socks, and a pair of pants. B’nai B’rith Agencies and Chapters: 6. Aleph Zadik Aleph – Moved to separate box. See Series Level Description for A.Z.A. 7. B’nai B’rith Youth Organization – Membership list - 1947: Box 3 Newspaper clippings - 1990, 1991 Statement of relationships between Jewish Community Centre and B.B.Y.O.- no date. A large charter for B'nai B'rith Girls Youth Organization (charter is stored in Oversized Certificates Box 1 within the special collections area of the vault). 8. Women’s Auxiliary – Correspondence, 1943: Box 3 Newsletters - 1946 – 1948 Newspaper clippings - 1951 - 1953 Invitations - 1952, 1955 Meeting notes - 1967 9. B’nai B’rith Foundation- Fund raising campaign - 1985, 1988 – 1990: Box 3 Holocaust and Hope fund raiser - 1988, 1989 10. Jewish Students’ Union – Correspondence - 1986, 1990: Box 4 Jewish Student Union Newsletter- 1986, 1987, 1989 Review of Jewish Student Union mandate and programming - 1990 Resumes and job applications - 1990 Interview questions - 1990 Potential programs - 1990 11. League for Human Rights – Holocaust lecture invitation - 1987 Box 3 Correspondence - 1987, 1988 Charles Goldlust Centre promotional materia l- no date Raoul Wallenberg article - no date Donation request form - no date Holocaust lecture invitation - 1987 Correspondence - 1987, 1988 Museum of History of Jews in Poland event - 2008 12. B’nai B’rith Canada - Invoices - 1995: Box 4 Emperor of Atlantis theatre program - 1996 Insurance coverage - no date 13. Lodge Rules and Guidelines: Box 4 Constitution and bylaws – 1887, 1946, 1962, 1979, 1996 Bulletin chairman and publicity chairman syllabus – 1981 Community volunteer service chairman syllabus – 1984 Financial secretaries syllabus – 1984 A Guide to accounting terminology - no date How to create and maintain bulletin syllabus – 1964, 1965, no date Induction of new members syllabus – no date Lodge leadership syllabus – no date Operating and closing of meetings syllabus - no date President’s syllabus – no date Programming syllabus – no date Program chairman syllabus – no date Treasurer and trustees syllabus – no date 14. Conferences and Conventions: Box 4 Eastern Canadian Council conference in Ottawa – 1950, 1955, 1962 Eastern Canadian Council conference in Hamilton - 1956 International convention in Toronto - 1982 15. Certificates: Box 4 Gift of love in honour of Greta Cohen to the Women’s Children’s Home - 1971, 1972 25 year membership certificates - 1976 - 1978 Centenary certificate for B’nai B’rith Canada - 1991 50 year membership certificates (blank) – no date 16. B’nai B’rith Writings and Publications from Ottawa: Box 4 The Reporter ( Ottawa Jewish Youth Paper) - number 5, January 1 c. 1940s Speeches and addresses - 1960, 1964 Carnival show script - 1968 The Jewish Star - 1989 B’nai B’rith Writings and Publications from Outside Ottawa: Box 4 History of B’nai B’rith in Eastern Canada/ Abel Selick, ed. Toronto, District Grand Lodge No. 22, 1964. The Gazette (Montreal) - April 1964 The National Jewish Monthly (Washington) - September 1967 The Reporter: League for Human Rights (Downsview) - vol. 1 no.2, January 1981 The Review of Anti-Semitism in Canada/ Frank Chalk, ed. Vol IV, No. 5 Anti-Semitism in Canada May 1949 of"The Fact" Reported monthly by the Civil Rights Division, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. Downsview, The League for Human Rights, 1987. The B’nai B’rith Covenant (Downsview) - vol.19 no. 4, September 1, 1988 The Covenant - The Official Organ of District Grand Lodge No. 22 (Montreal) 1967 - 1972 (with gaps). Issues contain Ottawa info. Foundation News - September 1988 The Hillel Star (Montreal) - 1989 17. Articles and Publications about B’nai B’rith: Boxes 4, 5 Newspaper clippings - 1936, 1951 - 1956, 1961, 1966, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1992 Ottawa Jewish Bulletin - 1955, 1970, 1977 B’nai B’rith The Story of a Covenant/ Edward E. Grusd. New York, Appleton-Century, 1966. 18. Tributes and Awards: Boxes 5, 6 25th anniversary booklet (3 copies) - 1946 Citizen of the year newspaper articles - 1958 - 1960 Samuel Mirsky citation award dinner - 1967 Noel Kerr citation award dinner (3 copies) - 1973 Alex Dayton citation award dinner - 1974 Mervin Mirsky citation award dinner (3 copies) - 1975 Earl Bullis sportsman of the year award - 1976 William J. Sparks Citizen of the year 1976 Mayor Lorry Greenberg citation award dinner (2 copies) - 1977 Reverend Norman Johnston citation award dinner - 1978 60th anniversary booklets (4 copies) - 1981 Ottawa Negev dinner - 1983 Jean Pigott award of merit - 1987 Gord Atkinson Citation Award Dinner, 1987 Norman Zagerman citizen of the year award - 1988 Gordon Henderson award of merit - 1988 Gordon Henderson dinner video cassette - March 1988 Allan Gotlieb award of merit dinner (organizational planner) - 1989 James Durrell and Michel Gauener award of merit - 1990 William Grossman citizen of the year - 1993 John P. Ne;;ogan Award of Merit, 1998 John and Shirley Westeinde award of merit - 2000 19. Scrapbooks: Box 6 Nap Kapinksy – 1928 – 1932, 1950 – 1952, 1957, 1968 Ottawa Lodge – 1952 – 1954 20. Memorabilia: Trophy – 1943 - 1944 Plaques – 1981 – 1994 Stamp - no date A small pocketbook titled,"Readings from the Holy Scriptures for Jewish Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen" - Printed in 1943 in New York (see 9-030 for more information) 21. Photographs - See Database 22. Women's Parliament Lodge: White silken banner belonging to the Women's Parliament Lodge No. 1041. Various patches are sewn onto the banner with the dates ranging from 1963 - 1976. (See database) Various panoramics of the campers from Camp B'nai B'rith (see 4-733-01 to 07). 1954, 1955, July 1956, August 1956, July 1957, 1979. B&W photograph of the B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodge sports dinner. Left to right: Sam Koffman, Jack K. Willknow, Bill Westwiick, Tony Golab, Bob Edelson, ..., Tom Shields, Jack Koffman, Jim McCaffrey. At the table: Al Bloom (with glasses), Max Koffman. Date unknown (see 4-248). Box Photographs: B'nai B'rith Meeting and Dance - [1970's]; B'nai B'rith Meeting, Irving Rivers, Isla Rivers - 1973; B'nai B'rith Special Olympics - 1977-1978; B'nai B'rith, UJA Mission to Israel, Hy Hochberg, Bill Shinkman - [1980s]; Camp B'nai B'rith - 1987; B'nai B'rith BBQ Lou Hanignan House - 1990; AZAA Basketball, Beauhert ball, Conclave - 1994; B'nai B'rith Youth - 1995-1996; B'nai B'rith Youth Conclave - 1998; B'nai B'rith Meeting and Award Presentation - [undated]; Unidentified individual - [undated]; Robert Edelstein - [undated]; Maxwell Yalden - [undated]; Class on Steps of Talmud Torah - 1932-1933; Aleph Zedex Aleph - 1939; Installation of War Veterns to B'nai B'rith by J.C Horotwitz - 1945-1946; B'nai B'rith Ottawa Meeting - [1950's]; B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodge 26th Annual Convention, eastern Canadian Council - May 1950; B'nai B'rith for Bonds - 1955; Unidentified Awards, Binder 2 - [undated]; Unidetified, Binder 1 - [undated];
B'nai B'rith Ottawa Lodges Fonds