B'nai Brith Lodge No. 1154 fonds

Admin History/Bio: Brantford’s B’nai Brith Lodge No. 1154 was formed on 31 December 1931 with Max White as its first president. B’nai Brith is an international service organization that was first formed in New York in 1843 to unify the American Jewish Community. B’nai Brith lodges began appearing in Canada in the late 1800s and by 1981 Canadian membership in the organization had grown large enough for the establishment of a separate Canadian district, B’nai Brith Canada. As a member of B’nai Brith, the Brantford lodge shared its mandate of assisting those in need both at home and abroad, supporting the state of Israel, and promoting human rights. The Brantford lodge has not been active since 1974. Brantford’s Jewish community has been largely inactive since 2001, when the diminishing Jewish population finally forced the closure of Brantford’s synagogue, Congregation Beth David.

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of records documenting the founding, presidents, and charitable activities of Brantford's B'nai Brith lodge No. 1154. Included are photographs, certificates, banners, a bell, plaques, a chanukiah, a charity box, pins, and a medal. Records are arranged at the file-level, with two items attached directly to the fonds-level.

Notes: Includes 4 plaques, 4 certificates, 1 photo album, 6 objects, and 2 banners.; Photographers and photography studios are identified on the photographs.