Grand Order of Israel Queen Esther Lodge, No. 77a

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Glasgow ladies’ lodge of the Grand Order of Israel and Shield of David (No. 77a)

Grand Order of Israel Queen Esther Lodge, No. 77a was a Glasgow ladies’ friendly-society lodge, first reported as the Ladies’ Lodge of the Order Shield of David and subsequently as a lodge of the Grand Order of Israel and Shield of David Friendly Society. It took the name Queen Esther at its consecration in March 1933. The Jewish Echo initially printed its number as 77, and printed 77a in March 1938. The lodge was still listed under No. 77a in the 1947 Jewish Year Book.[1][2][3][4]

History

Revival and naming

The Jewish Echo of 18 December 1931 reported the “revival of the Ladies’ Lodge, O.S.D.” and the election of a provisional executive. It gave neither the name Queen Esther nor a number. Its word “revival” does not establish a foundation year.[5]

On 26 February 1932 the newspaper reported a meeting of the Ladies Lodge, Order Shield of David, at the Lodge Rooms, care of Mrs. Caplan, 77 South Portland Street, C.5. Sister Schain presided, assisted by Vice-President Sister Mundlake. Miss Gertrude Kapkin was elected sponsor; the paper described her as the first young lady to undertake sponsorship “in the history of the Ladies’ Friendly Society Movement”. The secretary was Miss Rifkin, 160 Oxford Street, C.5. The 77 in this notice was the house number, not a lodge number.[6]

The consecration and first installation were reported on 24 March 1933 as having taken place “last Sunday”, i.e. 19 March 1933, in the lodge rooms, Stockwell Street. The report described the Ladies Lodge of the O.S.D. as “now to be known as the ‘Queen Esther Lodge’”. The ceremony was held together with the annual installation of the brother lodge, the Judean Memorial and Maurice Bloch Lodge. Grand President Bro. J. Goldberg and Grand Secretary Bro. M. Lipton came from London. Sis. Schain was installed as President and Sis. Mundlake as Vice-President.[1]

Bro. Schain, who proposed the toast to Queen Esther, “was chiefly responsible for establishing the new Lodge”, according to the report. Sis. Schain thanked her colleagues and members, and hoped that Queen Esther would “become the foremost Ladies Lodge in Glasgow”.[1]

A national notice in the Jewish Chronicle of 6 January 1933 stated that amalgamation between the Grand Order of Israel and the Order Shield of David “has now been ratified by the contracting bodies”. This was an order-level announcement, not a minute of Queen Esther Lodge. The Chronicle’s March 1935 report appeared under the Grand Order of Israel and Shield of David, while still calling the Stockwell Street venue the “O.S.D. Hall”.[7][8]

Number

The Echo printed Queen Esther Lodge No. 77 on 5 May and 4 August 1933, and Queen Esther Lodge (77) on 20 October 1933. It still printed No. 77, without an “a”, on 31 December 1937.[2][9][10][11] The heading of 18 March 1938, under “G.O.I. and S.D.”, printed No. 77a; the suffix is a lowercase “a”. The 1947 Jewish Year Book likewise listed Queen Esther Lodge No. 77a. Neither the reason nor an effective date for the change is given in these notices.[3][4] The Jewish Chronicle notices of the lodge do not print No. 77 or No. 77a.[8][12][13][14]

Rooms and activities

The South Portland Street rooms of February 1932 were followed by rooms in Stockwell Street, where the March 1933 consecration and the meeting reported on 5 May 1933 took place. The joint installation reported by the Chronicle on 22 March 1935 was held at the O.S.D. Hall, Stockwell Street.[6][1][2][8] By the election meeting reported on 7 February 1936 the lodge was meeting in Warwick Street.[15]

The Chronicle of 20 November 1936 reported the consecration of new premises at 9 Cumberland Street, Glasgow, shared by the Judean Memorial and Maurice Bloch Lodge and Queen Esther Lodge. The Rev. Dr. I. K. Cosgrove and the Rev. I. Hirshow conducted the consecration, and Bro. M. Caplan declared the premises open. Sister Schain responded to the toast to the lodges on behalf of Queen Esther. The report does not give the date of the ceremony.[12] At the joint annual supper reported on 9 April 1937, Sister Schain announced the successful inauguration of club activities in the Cumberland Street premises. Sister D. Jacobson received a presentation for introducing new members.[16] The Echo’s sympathy notice of 31 December 1937 printed the address as 9 Cumberland Street, C.5, and offered condolences to Mrs. Rifkind and her family; it gave her no office or initial.[11]

In May 1933 Sister Schain was elected to represent the lodge at the Order’s annual conference, to be held in Liverpool in June. In August the lodge decided to institute a holiday fund for members and friends, beginning on Monday 7 August, and to draw up its rules and constitution.[2][9] The quarterly balance sheet reported on 20 October 1933 showed a “substantial gain”, without a sum being printed.[10]

The 1938 installation supper was held on 13 March at Geneen’s Restaurant, according to the Echo; the Chronicle called the venue Geneen’s Hotel.[3][13] The annual installation reported by the Echo on 31 March 1939 was again at Geneen’s Hotel, on the preceding Sunday, i.e. 26 March. Sis. J. Schain presided, with delegates from the other Glasgow lodges of the Grand Order of Israel and Shield of David attending.[17]

At the annual general meeting reported on 30 June 1939, Sis. Schain presided, assisted by Vice-President Sis. Brodie. Treasurer Sis. Amdor and Secretary Sis. Riffkin credited members’ co-operation and assistance from other lodges for the financial results. They thanked Bro. A. Benjamin, Secretary of the Odessa Lodge, for his work as Panel Auditor, and Bro. C. Trager, Secretary of the Judean Memorial Lodge, for help with secretarial work over the previous eight years. Mrs. Morris Caplan was an honorary member, and Mrs. A. Benjamin was elected an honorary member. No membership total or fund total was printed.[18]

Later notices and the 1947 Year Book

The Chronicle of 21 July 1939 reported an annual meeting in the lodge rooms. Sister Amdor, Treasurer, submitted the annual report; Sister F. Riffkind gave the secretarial report; and Sister J. B. Schain presided. No later Chronicle notice of the lodge has been found.[14]

The Echo of 1 May 1942 named Sister Shane of Queen Esther Lodge as seconding a vote of thanks at a meeting of the Subsidiary Lodge. This was not a Queen Esther Lodge meeting.[19] On 10 January 1947, the Echo printed condolences from “The Executive and Members of the Queen Esther Lodge” to the family of the late Mrs. Fanny Sayers. No later Echo notice naming the lodge has been found. The notice gave her no officer title.[20]

The 1947 Jewish Year Book listed Queen Esther Lodge No. 77a under the Grand Order of Israel and Shield of David in Glasgow, with secretary Miss F. Rifkin, 160 Oxford St., Glasgow, C.5. This was the same secretary’s address printed for Miss Rifkin in February 1932, not a statement that the lodge rooms were at that address.[4][6] These later notices establish continued use of the lodge’s name and its inclusion in the 1947 directory; they do not give a dissolution date.[20][4]

Officers

Names and titles below follow each dated report. The newspapers print both Schain and Shane, and Rifkin, Riffkin and Riffkind; these forms are given as printed.[15][21][13][14]

Provisional executive, December 1931

The provisional executive of the Ladies’ Lodge, O.S.D., reported on 18 December 1931 comprised:[5]

Joint installation reported March 1935

The Queen Esther officers installed at the joint ceremony with the Judean Memorial Lodge were:[8]

Election reported February 1936

The Echo’s report of 7 February 1936 named the following principal officers:[15]

Installation, March 1938

Bro. J. H. Levin, Grand Master of the Scottish Subsidiary Grand Lodge, acted as Installing Master on 13 March 1938. The Echo named the following officers:[21]

The President installed Mrs. Morris Caplan as an honorary member in recognition of her help with the lodge’s undertakings.[21] The Chronicle’s account of the same installation instead printed President Sister J. B. Schain, Treasurer Sister L. Ginsburg, Hon. Secretary Sister F. Riffkin and Recording Secretary Sister J. Bushell.[13]

Installation reported April 1939

The Chronicle of 7 April 1939 reported that Bro. M. Caplan installed:[22]

Distinct lodges

Queen Esther was distinct from Glasgow’s Lady Rothschild Lodge, No. 67, whose delegate Sis. Klineberg attended the 1938 installation.[3] It was also distinct from the Queen Esther Lodge, No. 10 of the Grand Order Sons of Jacob in London, and from London’s Warsaw Divisional Lodge, No. 77 of the Grand Order of Israel, both listed in the 1917 Jewish Year Book. The Glasgow Queen Esther Lodge is not listed in that volume’s Grand Order of Israel directory; this is not evidence of a foundation or dissolution date.[23]

Other separate bodies included Dublin’s I.O.B.B. Queen Esther Lodge, No. 51, reported with King Solomon Lodge No. 17 in March 1943; Manchester’s Order Achei Ameth Queen Esther Lodge, No. 16; and Ethel Mitchell Lodge No. 49, named separately from Queen Esther in the Echo of 5 May 1933.[24][25][2]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jewish Echo, 24 March 1933, p. 6, BNA.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Jewish Echo, 5 May 1933, p. 6, BNA.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Jewish Echo, 18 March 1938, p. 13, BNA.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Jewish Year Book, 1947, pp. 87–89 (David Miller’s copy), Grand Order of Israel and Shield of David, Glasgow list.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jewish Echo, 18 December 1931, p. 6, BNA.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Jewish Echo, 26 February 1932, p. 6, BNA.
  7. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 6 January 1933, p. 16, archive.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Jewish Chronicle, 22 March 1935, p. 28, archive.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jewish Echo, 4 August 1933, p. 6, BNA.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jewish Echo, 20 October 1933, p. 11, BNA.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jewish Echo, 31 December 1937, p. 9, BNA.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jewish Chronicle, 20 November 1936, p. 24, archive.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Jewish Chronicle, 18 March 1938, p. 39, archive.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Jewish Chronicle, 21 July 1939, pp. 32/33, archive.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Jewish Echo, 7 February 1936, p. 7, BNA.
  16. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 9 April 1937, p. 39, archive.
  17. ↑ Jewish Echo, 31 March 1939, p. 6, BNA.
  18. ↑ Jewish Echo, 30 June 1939, p. 6, BNA.
  19. ↑ Jewish Echo, 1 May 1942, p. 7, BNA.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Jewish Echo, 10 January 1947, p. 6, BNA.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Jewish Echo, 18 March 1938, p. 13, BNA.
  22. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 7 April 1939, pp. 22/23, archive.
  23. ↑ The Jewish Year Book, 1917, pp. 74–75, Jewish Miscellanies.
  24. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 12 March 1943, pp. 10/11, archive.
  25. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 10 February 1905, pp. 32/33, archive.
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