B'nai B'rith leo Baeck London Lodge

The Leo Baeck Mens' Lodge was established in 1943. It was in this year that a group of 200 refugees from Nazi persecution met up in the First Lodge of England, and established 'Section 1943'. In 1945, this group split off from the First Lodge of England and became a Lodge in its own right. It was named after Rabbi Leo Baeck, a brave leader of German Jews during the Nazi period.

Leo Baeck arrived in London in July 1945 from Theresiënstadt. He was welcomed with open arms by his Brothers and agreed to become Honorary Life President of the new Lodge. Leo Baeck was not only an academic, but also a businessman and that is why he chaired the B'nai B'rith Rehabilitation Fund, which was supported by other German-speaking Lodges in New York, Israel, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia.

On 5th May 1946, the President of Leo Baeck Men's Lodge, Brother Schwab, inaugurated the Leo Baeck (London) Women's Lodge, which had more than 200 members.

The two Lodges always worked well together, particularly when it came to helping the needy. Various committees were set up, in particular the 'Charitable Trust', as well as social funds, donations, legacies and large scale investments. The 'Home Help Scheme', a social fund for needy people and the elderly, provides support for sick people and grants for university students.

In May 2006, the two Lodges merged and the Leo Baeck (London) Lodge became a mixed Lodge.