Amid Strife, Freemasonry in Israel Serves as a Beacon of Peace and Harmony

by Brother Eric M. Lankin

Reading or watching the news about Israel and its neighbors these days, one might think there is little hope for serenity and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean.

However, Freemasonry in the Grand Lodge of Israel, in general, and Holy City Lodge No. 4 in Jerusalem, specifically, are important examples of brotherhood in action among different religious and ethnic communities in Israel.

This isn’t something new in Israeli Freemasonry. On a family trip to Israel 25 years ago (before my family permanently moved there to be closer to our homeland), my father, two brothers and I, all Masons, attended a lodge meeting in Tiberias, along the Sea of Galilee. Those in attendance included the Muslim District Superintendent, a Jewish Worshipful Master and a Druze (Arabic-speaking minority group in Syria, Lebanon and Israel) candidate for the Sublime degree of Master Mason. The ritual was conducted in the Hebrew language. It was an extraordinary experience!

What makes our Grand Lodge special is that Christians, Muslims and Jews participate actively in lodge activities. In our lodge, the Worshipful Master, Mahmoud Masri, is a young Muslim businessman. Our Senior Warden, Moshe Silver, is an Orthodox Rabbi. We care for, encourage and support all our brethren as they progress, deepening their commitment to Freemasonry.

We are diverse, but through the values of Freemasonry, we are committed to the tenets of brotherhood and genuine concern for one another. In all societies, people like to associate and socialize with people like themselves. Freemasonry creates the environment for diversity to flourish.

Lodge No. 4 is one of six English-speaking lodges of the 56 lodges in Israel. English is not the mother tongue of any of the local native populations, so no one group’s culture dominates. Most other lodges speak Hebrew, but there are also lodges that speak Arabic, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish and Russian, reflecting the diversity within Israel.

With about 40 members, we meet in a shared lodge space (with four Hebrew-speaking lodges, two Royal Arch chapters and a Lodge of Perfection) literally a mile from where Hiram Abiff – the central character of an allegory presented to all candidates during the third degree in Freemasonry – was known for leading the effort to build King Solomon’s Temple.

Last summer, our Worshipful Master invited the entire lodge to his home in a beautiful Arab neighborhood in northern Jerusalem for a summer evening BBQ. Since a percentage of our brethren observe the Kosher Jewish dietary laws, I brought a special BBQ, plenty of Kosher meat and cooked for the Jewish members. Next to me, the Worshipful Master cooked for his family and the other members. It was a wonderful example of kindness and generosity, and we all had a great time together.

This year, one of our Master Masons was ordained as a Deacon in his Protestant Church, and we enjoyed noting that we have five ordained clergy from different faiths and traditions among our brethren!

Our charitable efforts reflect our commitment to diversity and shared society. Each year, we dedicate a portion of our charitable funds to Yad Elie, an Israeli nonprofit organization dedicated to providing food for Jewish and Arab children in Western and Eastern Jerusalem who are unable to bring their own food to school.

Like all worldwide Masonic lodges, we abstain from discussing politics in the lodge. There may be disparate views on political issues among our brethren, but you would not know it from the supportive relationships we foster.

When one of our members, a widower without children, was on hospice last year, we tended to him and sadly arranged for his funeral and burial.

We are not immune to the challenges of life in Israel. Moving here meant acclimating to a new Eastern Mediterranean culture and living with Jews and Arabs who came and brought their styles of living from countries from all over the world. Although English is commonly understood by many Israelis, to truly be included in society is to speak Hebrew fluently. It’s a real challenge, but I’m getting better.

Sadly, during the recent war, our Grand Lodge was seriously damaged from a missile that made a direct hit on the building next door. Thankfully, since the attack was in the middle of the night, no brethren were hurt.

We return to the United States about twice a year to visit family and friends. America, its blessings and challenges are never far from my thoughts. However, my family, including our four children and their families, are proud to make our permanent home in Israel.