Order of Ancient Maccabeans

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Order of Ancient Maccabeans (also Maccabaeans) is an Anglo-Jewish and Zionist society.[1] The order is a friendly society established in 1891,[2] and registered on 8 May 1901, under the Friendly Societies' Act, as amended 1896.[3]

History

The Maccabaeans were founded in 1891 by Ephraim Ish-Kishor and named after the Maccabees. The order was founded with the goal of cooperation between members and an interest in Judaism. Many members were also part of the "Lovers of Zion".[2] As is usual for friendly societies, its members had to pay a fee of one shekel and received social and medical support. In addition to that, Jewish and "non-Jewish honorary members"[2] alike had to profess support for the Zionist movement. The funds were used to support the settling of Jews to Palestine[3] with a "Maccabean Land Company" being founded in 1911 to help shareholders purchase land in modern-day Israel.[1]

After a visit by Theodor Herzl in 1896, Herbert Bentwich organized a trip to Palestine which he called the "Maccabaean Pilgrimage". Herzl declined an invitation to the pilgrimage but supported it. According to Maja Gildin Zuckerman, a scholar of modern Jewish cultural history, this was a turning point after which the Maccabaeans' Zionism took a political form rather than religious.[2]

The order was:

Its aims are those of all British friendly societies, namely, to assist members in distress, provide free medical aid, etc. Its special character is laid down in its rules concerning membership: all persons "of the Jewish faith who declare themselves adherents to the Zionist Movement" can become members. From its inception the order was a firm supporter of Zionism, contributed to its various funds, and became a champion of practical Zionist work in Ereẓ Israel. In 1914 a Maccabean Land Company was founded to enable its shareholders to acquire land in Ereẓ Israel. The organization of the order displays masonic features. A grand beacon and high degree council supervise its work; branches are called beacons, of which there are 25 (there once were beacons in Palestine as well); the principal officers are called grand commander, grand treasurer, and grand secretary. Members are called upon to obey the decisions of their order and are forbidden to inform nonmembers of the order's activities.
The revised statutes of the Zionist Organization passed by the Tenth Zionist Congress (1911) permitted the establishment of so-called Sonderverbaende (separate unions), in addition to the existing territorial organizations, on the condition that every Sonderverband numbered at least 3,000 shekel-buying members and that it professed special views on Zionist work. The Order of Ancient Maccabeans applied for this status, and though its claim was opposed by the English Zionist Federation, the order prevailed. In 1912 the Zionist Executive decided in favor of the order's status as Sonderverband on the condition that a Joint Zionist Council be formed, comprising representatives of both the order and the federation. In the 1930s, however, the order lost its special status. Prominent members of the order were Herbert Bentwich, who served as grand commander; Chaim Weizmann, who represented the order at Congresses; and Selig Brodetsky, who served as grand commander. In 2004 its president was Sir Ian Gainsford. Its papers from the 1890s to 1964 are held at the Parkes Library, Southampton University.[4]

Zionist Year Book - 1951

According to the Zionist Year Book of 1951-52: ORDER OF ANCIENT MACCABEANS.

  • Central Offices: Maccabean House, sl, Bellott St., Manchester.
  • Tel.: COLLyhurst 1832.
  • This Order was established in 1891 in London ,and is particularly linked with the Zionist Movement. It has a membership of over 1,900 and a capital of over £13,000. It is approved under the National Health Insurance Act, and has a State membership of 2,361. The Order has twenty-two Beacons (branches).
  • Dep. Grand CommandersI. E. Gilbey and H. Cohen.
  • Gen. Sec.A. H. Freeman.
  • Grand T.- S. S. Asser.[5]


Beacons

Compiled from various sources including especially The Jewish Year Book and Nahum Sokolow's book on Zionism.[3]

Additional Beacons

1947 - Jewish Year Book

According to the Jewish Year book of 1947[54]: ORDER OF ANCIENT MACCABEANS. This Order established in 1891 in London, and is particularly linked with the Zionist movement. It has a membership of over 1,900 and a capital of over £13,000. It is approved under the National Health Insurance Act, and has a State membership of 2,361. The Order has twenty-two Beacons (branches).

  • CENTRAL OFFICES: Maccabean House, 137 Cheetham Hill Rd., Manchester, 8. T.: Blackfriars 3769.
  • – I. M. Sieff, B.Comm., F.R.E.S.
  • Grand Commander S. Brodetsky M.A., B.Sc., Ph.D.
  • Dep. Grand Commanders
  • Grand T.- S. S. Asher. Gen. Sec.— A. H. Freeman.

BEACONS (The name and address of the Secretary are given)

People

Past presidents

Other notable members have included:

Glasgow


Further reading

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Philipp Israel, "Maccabaens, Ancient Order of". In: Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd Edition, Vol. 13, p. 316, Thomson Gale (2007)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ilan Pappé, Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic, London, Oneworld Publications (2024): 19-22
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Nahum Sokolow, The History of Zionism, 1600-1918: Vol II. London: Longmans, Green and Co. p. 70
  4. ↑ https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/maccabeans-order-of-ancient
  5. ↑ p. 56
  6. ↑ JC 13 February 1920
  7. ↑ 21-04-1939
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GASTER%2F9%2F1%2FM%2FMACCABAEANS%2FBEACONS
  9. ↑ JC 13 February 1920
  10. ↑ https://papuraunewydd.llyfrgell.cymru/view/3815301/3815307
  11. ↑ ajpcglclefindmkaj/https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/559700455/Jewish_Identity_and_Community_in_Belfast_1920-1948.pdf
  12. ↑ JC, 19 November 1920.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/e391d57b-b08b-47a2-9996-c76b59782f5d
  14. ↑ https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/archives/files/7091-records-of-the-jewish-community.pdf
  15. ↑ Mr. Wilks presented the Morris Wilks trophy to Mr. S. Rosenberg, Commanderof the Simon-Maccabeus Beacon No. 17.Sheffield, which had enrolled the largest number of members-during the past year.The annual report of the Order states that the membership at the end of 1952 was 960. compared with 1,040 at the end of 1951.JC,12-06-1953.
  16. ↑ JC, 23-04-1948
  17. ↑ JC, 21-10-1921
  18. ↑ JC, 02-01-1920
  19. ↑ https://unejh.humap.site/map/records/order-of-ancient-maccabeans-mount-gilead-beacon
  20. ↑ JC, 28-02-1913.
  21. ↑ JC, 22-11-1912
  22. ↑ JC 13 February 1920
  23. ↑ JC, 27 January 1933.
  24. ↑ JC, 09-10-1914
  25. ↑ JC 13 February 1920
  26. ↑ JC, 15-04-1977
  27. ↑ ?
  28. ↑ ?
  29. ↑ ?
  30. ↑ ?
  31. ↑ JC, 16 February 1940.
  32. ↑ ?
  33. ↑ Jewish Echo - Friday 01 February 1929
  34. ↑ Published: Friday 07 December 1928 Newspaper: Jewish Echo
  35. ↑ ?
  36. ↑ ?
  37. ↑ 14 February 1930
  38. ↑ Jewish Echo - Friday 22 June 1934
  39. ↑ ?
  40. ↑ ?
  41. ↑ ?
  42. ↑ Jewish Year Book, 1947, p. 86.
  43. ↑ ?
  44. ↑ ?
  45. ↑ ?
  46. ↑ ?
  47. ↑ JC, 11-07-1952
  48. ↑ JC, 10-10-1975
  49. ↑ JC, 10-06-1977
  50. ↑ Liverpool Courier and Commercial Advertiser - Friday 17 March 1911
  51. ↑ JC, 12-01-1912
  52. ↑ Jewish World - Friday 10 July 1903
  53. ↑ Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper - Sunday 30 March 1902
  54. ↑ <p. 85-6
  55. ↑ p. 85-6
  56. ↑ HEBREW ORDER 0i DRUIDS. Until the new title "Order Shield of David" is registered, this Order must continue to be known as the Hebrew Order of Druids. Whether the members will easily exchange the now well-known letters "H.O.D." for "O.S.D." remains to be seen. Certain it is that members of Jewish Friendly Societies hold dearly to a name. Indeed, whenever an amalgamation is proposed between anytoy two Lodges or Societies, the greatest diffictilty is the name. They hold to a "title" denoting a locality, or the name of a person who has done no more than enrol himself a member, as tenaciously as if either were a tradition. That the "H.O.D." have now broken from this and become the "O.S.D." - Order of Shield of David - is a matter on which they deserve to be congratulated. (JC, 09-10-1914)
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