B'nai Brith
Kitchener’s B’nai B’rith Lodge No. 1127 was organized in 1930 with 25 charter members from Kitchener and Guelph. B’nai B’rith coordinated most of the Jewish cultural and social activities in the area, with an aim to further the welfare of the Jewish people through education, financial support and civic service. It was closely intertwined with the synagogue, as many of the synagogue presidents were B’nai B’rith presidents as well. In the early years, they included William Clavir, Louis Budovich (Budd) and Ben Foster.
The hall that B’nai B’rith rented above a downtown store functioned for many years as the Jewish community centre, hosting the events of various groups. B’nai B’rith also had big picnics every summer that included people from Galt, Guelph, Brantford, and Preston. On a Sunday afternoon, families packed a lunch and drove to a park outside Cambridge to enjoy activities such as baseball, cards, knitting and other summer pleasures.
Two-time president of Kitchener B’nai Brith, Alec Orzy, commented, “It was nice because we had meetings, we had camaraderie, and we had social events that everybody took part in. We brought in famous names that spoke to us for socials, or comedians. It was the organization of the area, definitely… More active than the synagogue.” In 1951, the Lodge hosted the convention of the Eastern Canadian Council of B’nai B’rith. It was an immense honour for Kitchener, since it was rare for small towns to host such large conventions. In 1955, B’nai B’rith sponsored the first annual Brotherhood Dinner. This event was the highlight of Brotherhood Week, and by the end of the 1960s hosted 300 guests. Every B’nai B’rith member was invited to bring one non-Jewish guest to a special dinner with a well-known speaker from either the Christian or the Jewish community. Tickets in 1956 cost $1.50.
