Albert Lazarus Benjamin

Not to be confused with his cousin Albert Lazaraus Benjamin (b 1913)

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Albert Lazarus Benjamin (1 April 1909 – 17 January 2006; Mother's maiden name Winer) was a Glasgow Zionist activist and international Bridge player.

His mothers maiden name was Winer. He married Judith Benjamin (née Golombok) of the well known Glasgow Zionist Golombok family in Pollok in 1939.

Mother was Katie Benjamin (nee Winer). Father was Hymen Benjamin.

Albert L Benjamin (born 1909, married Judith Benjamin (nee Golombok) in 1939 in Pollok, died 2006) Albert Lazarus Benjamin (1909–2006), a university student leader and mathematician, qualified as a professional Chartered Accountant. By 1940, he was living at 117 Forth Street, Govan, volunteering as the Honorary Financial Secretary managing the benefit books of the Grand Order of Israel Odessa Lodge, No. 97. He was also a mathematical mastermind who became a famous International Bridge Player for Scotland. In 1939, he married Judith Golombok (1909–1986), the daughter of Israel Golombok, legally uniting the lodge's financial engine with the city's premier publishing dynasty.

Family

• Parents Hymen Benjamin (1870-1951) and Katie Benjamin (nee Winer) who married in 1906 in the Gorbals.

Bridge career

He lived in Glasgow all his life, though his father came from Sweden and his mother from Siberia. He was a leading player in his day, wrote a daily bridge column from 1937 to 1976, ran a bridge club, and was a teacher of bridge.

Benjamin was born in Glasgow and discovered bridge at Glasgow University, studying medicine. In 1939 he married Judith Benjamin (née Golombok), who duly became his favourite bridge partner. They had met at the University and in 1930 were both committee members of the Glasgow University Jewish Society. During World War II Benjamin was drafted into the Ambulance (Home Defence) Service; he paid another ambulance man to take over his night shift, and made a small fortune by playing poker, winning 47 months out of 48. Nevertheless, he regarded poker as a boring and soul-destroying game.

Benjamin picked up bridge again after the war. He opened the Kenmure Bridge Club (universally known as "Benjamin's") in a suburb of Glasgow. He wrote his daily column in the Glasgow Evening Citizen and wrote on other card games for the Scottish Weekly News. He opened a business buying and selling second-hand electrical measuring instruments after overhearing a man mention the need during a train journey. The business continued for the rest of his active life.

Benjamin represented Scotland 28 times, and eventually had the joy of beating England in 1964 (the first time in a Camrose Trophy match). However, his greatest contribution to the game was his invention of the most popular variant of the Acol system of bidding.

Timeline

• 1951 - Hymen died in 1951 in Cathcart at 71 years of age. He is listed as a retired commercial traveller living at 127 Cartvale Road in Glasgow. His father was Albert Benjamin a Drapery traveller and his mother was Mary Benjamin afterwards Rosen nee Reinstein. The death certificate was signed by Albert Lazarus Benjamin of 595 Shield Road, Glasgow.
• 1934 - 'During the course of the evening Golden Book Certificates were presented by Rabbi I. Goodman to Mr. and Mrs. A. Links (on the occasion of their son’s departure for the Mikveh Yisrael Agricultural School, Palestine), to Master Elliott Winocour (on the occasion of his Barmitzvah) and to the Glasgow University Jewish Society, who had raised the £2O required to buy the certificate from the J.N.F. contributions made by their members. The recipients, Mrs. A. Links, Master Winocour and Mr. A. L. Benjamin, president of the Jewish Students’ Society, replied.
• 1932 - GLASGOW.—The University Jewish Society is organising a Summer Holiday Camp far its members at Wemyss Bay. Further information can be obtained from the Convener, Mr. A. L. Benjamin," 127, Cartvale Road.
• 1930 - Member of the Committee Glasgow University Jewish Society; Librarian Miss J. Golombok.
• 1929 - A. L. Benjamin - Treasurer Glasgow University Jewish Society 1929
• 1925 - 127 Cartvale Road, Glasgow
• 1921 - Census Katie Benjamin (34, born Samara, Russia) Head of household, Clarice Benjamin (13, born Glasgow), Albert L. Benjamin (12, thus born 1909) Address 127 Cartvale Road, Glasgow (3 rooms), Lewis Benjamin (9)
• 1920 - Valuation rolls show that he lived at 127 Cartvale road in 1920.
• 1915 - Valuation rolls show that he lived at 127 Cartvale road in 1915.
• 1911 - In the 1911 Census Hymen (30) and Katie (24) lived with Albert Lazarus Benjamin (2) and Claire Benjamin (3).
• 1901 - In the 1901 Census Hymen (21) lived as a boarder with his older brother Charles Benjamin (23) with their mother Mary Rosin (41) and her second husband Morris Rosin (43), two other children, two other boarders and a widow, at 32 Govan Street a flat with three rooms.

Resources

• https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/albert-benjamin-2469103