INDEPENDENT ORDER OF BNAI BRITH

District Grand Lodge of Great Britain and Ireland.

(District No 15.)

RITUAL
of

THE CONSTITUENT LODGES.

LONDON

1926

p7.,
CONTENTS.

PAGE

ii.

AOpening the Lodge

BClosing the Lodge

Initiation of Members

Ill

Installation of Officers

IV.

Institution of New Lodges

II.
Published by
THE INDEPENDENT ORDER. O~ BNAI BRITH
District Grand Lodge of Great Britain and Ireland.
Districi No 15)
{n~r,dSecrcMry~ Address 21 Church Road, R,chniond. Surrey

V.

AInauguration

14

BInitiation

15

CInstallation

15

Institution of New District Grand Lodges

16

INDEPENDENT OI~DEI~ OF
BNAI BI~ITH
DISTRICT GRAND LODGE of GREAT BRITAiN and IRELAND
(District No. 15)

RITUAL.

I.
I

A.Opening the Lodge.

&gnal to rise

President :Brethren, we are again assembled to exemplify the

teachings of the Independent Order of Bnai Brith. Brother
Vice-President, how can the brethren best carry into practice
the principles of the Order ?
Vice-President :By remaining constant to our motto: Benevolence, Brotherly Love and Harmony. We are to work and
watch, learn and teach, seek peace and pursue it.
President :Brethren, these precepts we are admonished to observe,
not only while in the Lodge, but in our every-day life; and
your presence manifests your desire to promote the purposes
of our Order. Brethren, I request your assistance i1i this
work. Be mindful of your obligations: BENEVOLENCE,
LoVE and HARMONY.
In beginning our labours we implore that Divine Aid which
Israel has called to its support for ages past. The Monitor
will invoke Gods blessing.
BEOTFIERLY

,Jktonitor sAll-Powerful and All-Merciful God, we pray Thee to

grant Thy blessing upon the work before us. May it be a
work of Brotherly Love and Benevolence. Hear our supplication in behalf of the oppressed, the sick, the widow and the
orphan. Heal, console and protect them in Thy mercy.
Enlighten us with the understanding of Thy law, lead us in
the path of truth and righteousness, and grant us Harmony.
Amen.
President s 1 now declare the (name of the Lodge) open for
the transaction of business.
Signal to be seated

IL
Initiation of Members.
The Officers of the Lodge place themselves by the side of the
President.
President Brethren, again fellow-Jews (a yellow-Jew) seek(s)
admission into our Brotherhood. A new link is to be added
to our fraternal chain.

To the Candidate(s) s Will the candidate(s) come forward.

Myfriend(s),I direct your careful attention to the principles and
purposes of our Order. The Independent Order of Bnai Brith
has taken upon itself the task of uniting Israelites in the work
of promoting their highest interests and those of humanity,
of supporting science and art, of practising philanthropy,
of alleviating the wants of the poor and needy, visiting and
attending the sick, coming to the rescue of victims of persecution, and protecting and assisting the widow and the orphan.
Before proceeding with your initiation into this Order, it wilt
be necessary that you pledge yourselves (yourself) to obey its
laws and to further its aims to the best of your ability. Are
you willing to make such a pledge?

B.Closing the Lodge.

Signal to rise
President Brother Vice-President, the business of this Meeting
is ended ; proceed to close the Lodge.
Vice-President sBrethren, we entered the Lodge with the earnest
purpose of promoting the objects of our Order. Let us, on
leaving, endeavour to carry them into practice.
President sBrethren, attend while the Monitor invokes Gods
blessing on our parting.
Monitor sHeavenly Father, we again implore Thy blessing.
Strengthen us by Thy spirit so that we may practise throughout
our lives BENEVOLENCE, BROTHERLY LOVE and HARMONY.
Amen!
President sI now declare the (name of the Lodge) closed until
our next meeting.
Signal to close

Candidate(s) answers (answer).

President sBrethren, I call upon you to witness these candidates
(this candidates) solemn pledges (pledge).
Place your right hand upon your heart. On your honour as
Jews (a Jew), do you solemnly promise to abide by the laws and
regulations of the Order and of this Lodge of which you are
now to become members (a member) ? Do you promise to
promote the principles and purposes of the Order? Do you
promise to defend and protect the fair name of Judaism?
To all this, do you pledge your honour?

-~.

Candidate(s) answers (answer) s I (We) do,

President sI shall now direct your attention to the emblem of

the Order.

I-

F
4

The Menorah has been made the emblem of the Order of

Bnai Brith, and in each Lodge we find its counterpart. The
seven .branched Menorah stood in the first Tabernacle erected
to the worship of God, and in the Temple of the Holy City.
The Menorah is typical of the Mission of Israel which is to
fill the world with the light of the Divine Truth. Each branch
symbolises a noble ideal.

5
President sMy brother (brethren), these three symbols
JUSTICE and PEACE, are represented by one arm of the
Menorah; the other arm (President points to the three lights
on the left) is dedicated to the three virtues which make up
the Orders motto:
BENEVOLENCE, BROTHERLY
AN]) HARMONY.

LOVE

Light.
President s(Tlie President lights the first light of the Menorak,
commencing from the right.)

Benevolence.
Treasurer (Lighting the fifth light from the right, omitting the centre
light, which is the last one to be lighted)

(Gen. 1, 3.)
In the beginning
darkness x~as upon the face of the
deep
and God said, Let there be light, and there was
light. This was the decisive act of creation. It fashioned the
Universe and made it brilliant and warm with light. Since that
first day nature testifies to a living God.
.

Justice.
Vice-President (Lighting the second light)
(Deut. 16, 20.)
Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.
Justice upholds the world and orders the affairs of men.
Peace.
.Monitor (Lighting the third light)

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth

of his bread to the poor.
In various ways each of us can render some service unto his
fellow-men.

Brotherly Love.
Vice-President (Lighting the sixth light, omitting the centre light ):

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Brotherly love leads us to labour for others, and to contribute
to their happiness; and in the exercise of this virtue we realize
the common fatherhood of God and the common brotherhood
of man.

Harmony.
Monitor (Lighting the seventh light, omitting the centre light)
.4

And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect

of righteousness quietness and confidence forever.
The work of man and the enjoyment of the fruits of his labour
require the guarantee of peace.

LL

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to

dwell together in unity!
Harmony is the strength of a people. This spirit has given
unto Israel the power of its past and the promise of its future.

Truth.
President (Lighting the centre, or fourth, light)
(Rabbinic Saying) ~
KTh
The seal of the Holy One, blessed be lie, is Truth~.
Without Truth, no labour has value, no word has credence,
no talent has power. Israel has borne the banner of truth in
the dark ages of the worlds ignorance, and its mission still
is to hold this banner firmly aloft.
1? shall now impa&to you the signs, signals and passwords
of a Ben Brith, which you shall guard as a means of identification of membership. The password is : (President gives t4e
password).
It was the injunction to Abraham to become a blessinga
blessing to himself and to mankind.
)2

I address you now as a member (members) of the Independent

Order of Bnai BrithSons of the Covenant. This, our name,.
reminds us of the covenant made between God and Abraham
and between God and his people on Sinai, when the divine
words ivere addressed to Israel: And ye shall be unto me a
kingdom of priests and a holy people, a priesthood to proclaim
a divine mission, exclaiming with one voice, amidst trials and
sufferingis, even in the face of death itself:

Hear, 0 Israel. the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Dispersed throughout the world, Israel has diffused the knowledge of God and preserved the truth of Judaism amidst the
overthrow of peoples and the destruction of nations.

There is also a travelling password by means of which you can

gain entrance into sister Lodges, and which will be communicated to you by the President when required.
The signal of admission is gi-ven thus

My brother (brethren), light, represented by the Menorah, is

the symbol of our Order. By becoming a member (members)
of the Bnai Brith you have undertaken to tend this light,
the light of faith, justice and truth.

The signal of salutation, which on entering or leaving the

Lodge you are requested to give to the President, is given in
this manner (President shows the signal).

My brother (brethren), as a Ben Brith (Bnai Brith) the honour

of Israel is in your keeping, as a member (members) of our
Order, you should spread faith, justice and truth, until all
nations will proclaim The Lord is One and His name is One.
I now invoke upon you and upon the brethren here assembled
the benediction which the High Priest invoked upon Israel:

This is the sign of recognition. (President gives the sign).

The signal of admission is also the signal for the brethren
to rise
lit reminds us of the three cardinal principles
of the Order: BENEVOLENCE, BROTHERLY LOVE and
HARMONY.

This

..

TT

TT

~T
~.

~i~

~T:

is the signal to be seated and is also the call to order.

MonitorsMy brother (brethren), while in every fraternal organisation it is customary that there shall be some ceremony of
initiation, this Order is not dependent on rites to captivate
the imagination. Its purpose is to cultivate the sentiment of
common brotherhood and to promote lofty conceptions of
Jewish obligations.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make
His countenance to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May .the Lord turn His countenance toivard you and give

you peace.

//

,
~1

President sThis~ my brother (brethren), completes the ceremony

of your initiation and constitutes you a member (members)~

of the (name of the Lodge). it should be your endeavour to

attend our meetings regularly, to associate yourself (yourselves)
with the work of the Order, and to perform to the best of your
ability those duties which devolve upon you as a Ben Brith
(Bnai Brith).

/
1>1
~

III.
Installation of Officers.

Lodges are permiUed to hold public installations of their officers,

(President gives name of candidates). I now take great pleasure

in introducing you to the brethren of the Lodge.
The President mentions the name of each initiate, shak.es
hands with him and gives him the grip of recognition.

if they desire to do so.

The installations of officers is to be conducted by members of the

District Grand Lodge. It is the prerogative of the Grand Lodge
President, but he may depute any Past President who is a
member of the D. G. L~, to act in his stead, and if he fail to appoint
the Installing Officer, the Lodge may invite any P.P. to act.
The retiring President hands to the Installing Officer the list of
t~te names of the officers-elect.
The Installinj officer gives the signal to rise ( ) and addresses
the retiring President sBrother President, we have come to
install the officers of the Lodge.
I declare the term for which you were elected President of this
Lodge closed. I tender you the thanks of the Grand Lodge
for the services which you have rendered, and I trust that you
will continue in your labours for the good of your Lodge and
of the Order. In conformity with our laws, you will officiate as
Monitor for the ensuing term. Proceed to your seat and taI~e
charge of your honourable oftice.
..

The 1.0. thereupon takes the chair of the President, gives

the signal for the brethren to be seated, and says sTo you,
Brother Vice-President, and the other officers of the Lodge,
[likewise tender the thanks ~f the Grand Lodge for the services~
you have rendered, and I hereby declare the term of your
offices closed.
At public installations all signals used in executive sessions
must be dispensed with.
The officers-elect will please come forward.
The officers-elect place theniselves in front of the Presidents
seat according to rank. Should any of them not be present,

Li
10
their installation is to be postponed, and their officesftll~d temporarily by the newly installed President.
The 1.0. addresses the President-elect.
Brother
you have been elected President of this
Lodge for the ensuing term. Do you accept the office?
Answer.
Brother
do you promise to discharge the duties
of the office of President~ of this Lodge for the ensuing term in
a conscientious manner and to the best of your ability? Do you
promise to observe the Constitution, the Laws and the RituaL
of the Order; to obey, carry out and enforce the laws, enactments and resolutions of the Constitution Grand Lodge and
of the District Grand Lodge. Do you promise to decide
impartially in all cases that may come before the Lodge, and
to endeavour to promote BENEVOLENCE, BIiOTITERLY LovE
AND HARMONY?
Do you promise to take care of the Charter
of this Lodge, and of the books in which the Ritual of the
Order is contained, and not to make any improper use of them,
or suffer any one to do so? Should the Grand Lodge demand
the Charter from this Lodge, do you promise that you will
deliver the same, together with all property of the Lodge which
may be in your possession, to those whom the Grand Lodge
officers may designate?
Answer.
My brother, I accept your solemn promise, which, as a man
and a Ben Brith, you will ever consider as a sacred pledge.
Please take a seat at my~ight.
The 1.0 ciddressesthe Vice -Preside~~-~elect.
Brother
.,7 ,by the choice of the~fri~ethren, you are called
A~-thW b<nor~tle office of Vice-IPresident. Do you accept that
office?
Answer.
It is your duty, Brother Vice-President, to assist the President
in the discharge of his duties, to officiate in his absence, and
to perform all other duties required of you by the laws of the
Lodge.

The 1.0. addresses the other officers-elect.

~Brethren, are you willing to accept the offices to which you
have been respectively elected
Answer.
It is your duty, Brother Treasurer, to receive all moneys in
the Lodge, to keep true accounts between the Lodge and its
members, and in such condition as to show at all times the
state of their indebt~driess, and to perform such other duties
as the By-Laws of your Lodge may prescribe. It is your duty
to take charge of the funds of the Lodge, to make all necessary
payments, to keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements, and at the end of your term of office to deliver to
your successor all the property of the Lodge that may be in
your possession.

It is your duty, Brother Honorary Secretary, to make a correct

record of all proceedings of your Lodge, to place all commurn~zationsreceived by you before your Lodge at its next meeting,
and to conduct the correspondence of the Lodge; to do and
perform all duties appertaining to your office and required by
the laws of your Lodge and of the Order. You are to guard
faithfully the seal of the Lodge and to see that no improper
use is made of it. At the end of your term of office you will
surrender to your successor all property of the Lodge that
may be in your possession.

It is your duty, Brother Warden, to preserve order, and to

perform such other duties as the By-Laws of your Lodge
prescribe.
It is your duty, Brother Guardian, to demand the password
from every brother and visitor who wishes to enter the Lodge
when in executive session.
Do you each promise faithfully to perform all the duties
connected with your respective offices
(Answer.)

12

13

You will now proceed to your stations and enter upon the
performance of the duties of your respective offices.

Lodge, No. installed according to law.

If newly elected Trustees of the Lodge are to be installed, thel,

place themselves in front of the 1.0. who addresses them a&
follows

The newly-installed President may now address words of thanks

and appreciation to the G. L. officers. The President then
proceeds with the business of the-meeting in due order.

Brethren, the confidence which the members of the Lodge

repose in you has induced them to elect you as Trustees of this
Lodge. As such, the funds of the Lodge, their safe and advantageous investment, in accordance with its laws and instructions, are confided to your care.
Are you willing to perform these duties conscientiously and to
the best of your ability?
Answer.
I accept your answer as a sacred pledge that during the term
for which you have been elected you will act strictly in accordance with the promise you have now given.
The 1.0. may now address to the newly installed President
and the officers and members of the Lodge remarks
appropriate to the occasidnespecially on the aims and objects
of the Order; that these are infull harmony with the principles of
our religion, which are realized in the elevation of our earthly
life; that faith is born of work; that our duty to God is man2
fested in our duty to man, as our Prophet said:
What
does the Lord require of thee but to act justly, to love mercy and
to walk humbly before thy God.
-

The 1.0. then closes with the following words

Brother President, to your charge I confide the charter of this
Lodge and the books in which the Ritual is contained. You
will now take your seat ~nd enter upon the discharge of the
duties of your office.
And now, in the name of the District Grand Lodge of Great
Britain and Ireland, District No. 15, I declare the officers of

for the ensuing term, duly

14

15

IV.

Are you willing to impose these obligations upon each person

hereafter elected to membership ?

Institution of New Lodges.

Answer.

B.Init jation.
The regular Initiation Ceremony will then be proceeded with
(see above, pp. 3 to 8.)

A.Inauguration.
The President of the District Grand Lodge, or his representative
duly authorized, takes the chair, appoints a temporary VicePresident, Monitor and Secretary.

G. L. President :I now deliver to you the charter and the books of

the Ritual, and I declare in the name of the District Grand
Lodge of Great Britain and Ireland, District No. 15, this
- Lodge, No.
duly instituted as a Lodge of
the [ndependent Order of Bnai Brith under the jurisdiction
of District Grand Lodge No. 15.
,

~G.L. President :As representative(s) of the District Grand Lodge

of Great Britain and Ireland, District No. 15, of the Independent
Order of Bnai Brith, ii am (we are) here to institute, under i~~
jurisdiction,
Lodge, No
a charter for which
has been duly granted.

(Signal to rise

LOVE AND HARMONY?

Answer.
Are you willing to preserve the charter of the Lodge now to
be instituted and to preserve the books of the Ritual and
deliver them as well as all other property of the Lodge, which
unay at any time be in your possession, upon demand of the
District Grand Lodge?
Answer.

li

- -

7 Monitor :Unto Thee, 0 God, we pray, and beseech Thy blessing

upon our work. Give unto this new Lodge strength and
duration. Endow with knowledge and with perseverance
those who may be entrusted with the direction of its affairs.
Amen.,
/
All respond: Amen.

The members of the new Lodge will stand facing the VicePresident.
Vice-President -Gentlemen, you have been elected to membership
in
Lodge, No.
about to be instituted. Your
association as members of the Order of Bnai Brith is one which
implies service not for yourselves, but for the benefit of others.
Are you desirous of uniting with our Brotherhood, to further
the aims and objects of the Order of Bnai Brith and to carry
into practice its teachings of BENEVOLENCE, BROTHERLY

G L. President :Brethren of
Lodge No.
your
Lodge is now prepared to proceed to business, the first of
which is the election of your officers as prescribed by law.
I announce to you, and it will be recorded on your minutes,
that dispensations are now granted to any officers elected
where such dispensation may be necessary for him to assume
his office.
(A dispensation to a Monitor shall not thereby constitute him a
Past-President of the Lodge, but merely authorize him to hold the
position of Monitor withont having served as President.)
-.

C.Installation.
The officers-elect are now installed (for Installation of Officers
see above, pp. 9 to 13)
The Lodge will close as prescribed in the Ritual, see above p. 2.

16

V.
Institution of New District Grand Lodges.
The form of the institution of a New District Grand Lodge is left
to the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Constitution.
Grand Lodge.