Collection GB 1556 WL 1288 - B'nai B'rith leo Baeck London Lodge: Members' life histories

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1556 WL 1288

Title

B'nai B'rith leo Baeck London Lodge: Members' life histories

Date(s)

  • 1995-1996 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

2 files

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

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.

Repository

Archival history

These personal histories were produced by specific request of the B'nai B'rith Leo Baeck London Lodge. Len Bow, long-serving member of the lodge, and author of his own memoir was the interviewer for a number of the memoirs in the form of interview transcripts.
GB 1556 WL 1288 1995-1996 collection 2 files 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.

These personal histories were produced by specific request of the B'nai B'rith Leo Baeck London Lodge. Len Bow, long-serving member of the lodge, and author of his own memoir was the interviewer for a number of the memoirs in the form of interview transcripts.

Henry Jonas

Papers of B'nai B'rith leo Baeck London Lodge, 1995-1996, comprise personal, mostly autobiographical accounts of former German and Austrian Jewish refugees, who subsequently became members of the Leo Baeck London Lodge and a list of authors at 1288/56.

Alphabetical.

Open

None of the material in this collection may be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright holder.
English

Description exists to this archive on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

Weiner Library holds cassette tape interviews: John Manford and Ludwig Lion

Entry compiled by Howard Falksohn. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. February 2008 B'nai B'rith leo Baeck London Lodge European history German history Jews Literary forms and genres Literature Migrants National history Nonfiction Personal narratives Prose Refugees Religious groups

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Henry Jonas

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of B'nai B'rith leo Baeck London Lodge, 1995-1996, comprise personal, mostly autobiographical accounts of former German and Austrian Jewish refugees, who subsequently became members of the Leo Baeck London Lodge and a list of authors at 1288/56.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Alphabetical.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Conditions governing reproduction

None of the material in this collection may be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright holder.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Weiner Library holds cassette tape interviews: John Manford and Ludwig Lion

Finding aids

Description exists to this archive on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wiener Library

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area