Maurice Bloch

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A portrait of Sir Maurice Bloch, commissioned in 1954 for the Glasgow Jewish Board of Guardians

Sir Maurice Bloch, 73, a leader of the Glasgow Jewish community and a noted philanthropist, died here today [21 February 1964]. The Glasgow Jewish community decided last November to plant a 10,000-tree forest in Israel in recognition of Sir Maurice’s contributions to Jewish life in Scotland during the past 50 years. He created the Bloch Trust in 1956, a charitable foundation with assets of more than 400,000 pounds sterling ($1,120,000).

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Maurice (centre right) at the opening of the Aberdeen Synagogue, 1945.

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Two lecture theatre plaques at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, dedicated to Maurice Bloch, 1959.

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An advert for the Bloch Brothers (Distillers), which Maurice founded with his brother Joseph in Glasgow, 1951.

Role

According to Braber:

Bloch138 was born in 1882, grew up in Dundee and came to Glasgow as a young man. He went into business with his brother Joseph and created Bloch Brothers (Distillers) Ltd. With his success in business he entered Jewish communal life. He was, for Example, active as fundraiser for the Queen's Park synagogue and President of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council. In the general political world he joined the Unionists. His public services lead to a knighthood in 1938 (by comparison,Wolfson was knighted after the Second World War). In the 1950s he sold his shares in Bloch Brothers and found a charitable trust for the advancement of religion, education and Medicine.

Unlike Emanuel Shinwell, the Unionist candidate Maurice Blocn who from 1929 to 1935 stood three times against ILP MP George Buchanan4frthe Gorbals could hardly avoid the matter of his Jewishness and made no attempt to do so. Bloch, bom in 1882 in Dundee and educated there, had come to Glasgow as a young man and found his fortune in the distillery business. He remained unmarried and became an outstanding philanthropist and communal leader - the “uncrowned king” of Glasgow Jewry. In 1929 he was honoured for his involvement with the Jewish Board of Guardians, said to have started in 1911. An oil painting was commissioned and a dinner in his honour was to be held,When he was appointed as candidate by the Unionist party, he eventually became vice-president of the Glasgow Unionist Association, a committee was formed to support him during the election campaign and Zevi Golombok, editor of the Jewish Echo, who said to have taken a neutral position in previous elections, declared his support. Bloch was said to add to the “prestige of our people”87.

Connections with the Irgun?

The Lynskey Tribunal

COMMISSION OF THE PEACE (SIR MAURICE BLOCH)

• HC Deb 14 February 1949 vol 461 cc787-8787

§48. Mr. Emrys Hughes asked the Attorney-General why Sir Maurice Bloch's name has been erased from the list of Justices of the Peace for Glasgow.

§The Attorney-General The name of Sir Maurice Bloch was removed from the Commission of the Peace at the direction of the Lord Chancellor. After considering the Report of the Tribunal presided over by Mr. Justice Lynskey, my noble Friend decided that it would be undesirable for Sir Maurice Bloch to remain a Justice of the Peace.

§Mr. Hughes Is this the only gentleman who has been treated in this way, and is the Attorney-General aware that there is a widespread feeling in Glasgow that this savours of petty persecution; and, further, can he say why the appendix to this gentleman was removed while his prefix was left to him?

§Mr. Hector Hughes Can my right hon. and learned Friend say what supervision is kept by him over the conduct of Justices of the Peace in order to ensure that it remains up to the standard

788

§appropriate for the effective discharge of their judicial and other duties?

§The Attorney-General That is another question.

Affiliations

• 1936-40 Glasgow Jewish Representative Council - President
• 1947-50 - Glasgow Jewish Institute - Hon President
• 1955/6 - Maurice & Joseph Bloch Trust - created 1956
• A. Gillies & Co was founded by Sir Maurice Bloch, founder of whisky blender and broker Bloch Brothers.
• 1963 - Glasgow Jewish Community Trust - co-founder.

• BLOCH, Sir Maurice, J.P.; H.P., and T., Glasgow Jewish board of Guardians; H.P. Glasgow Jewish Institute; Convener, Consumptive Fund; Ch., for Scotland, Jewish War-Services Committee. ; P. Maryhill Unionist Association]]; V.P. Glasgow Unionist Association; C., Glasgow Soc. Social Service; Income lax Com. for Glasgow; Cttee., Air Training Corps; Tr., Scottish Nat. C. for Refugees; contested Gorbals Division of Glasgow 1929, 1931 and 1935 as Unionist. Address: Newark Drive, Pollokshields, Glasgow. T.: Pollok 0648.

Resources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynskey_tribunal
• https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bloch-sir-maurice