After 179 years, B’nai B’rith Lodge #22 has closed. The St. Louis Jewish institution’s demise was tied to dwindling membership and contributions. At its largest point, the lodge had a total membership of 1,200. The final roster showed 110 members.
Lodge #22 was the sole surviving B’nai B’rith lodge in St. Louis. The last of the other five lodges closed in the late 1970s. Some of those organizations had migrated into Lodge #22 over time. In 1862, the Missouri B’nai B’rith lodges wrote to President Abraham Lincoln asking him to halt Ulysses Grant’s general order expelling Jews from the Southern Territories under his command. When Lincoln learned of the order, he immediately rescinded it.
The lodge served as an important social organization for Jewish St. Louisans for many years. It also offered educational programs and supported community service projects. A recent example was the teddy bear project, according to Marcia Blumenthal Lyons, a longtime member.
“It was one of our charitable events where we went to children in preschools and hospitals and brought them teddy bears,” Lyons said.
The teddy bears were part of the lodge’s “B’nai B’rith Cares for Kids” program that fell under the David and Betty Blumenthal Community Service Project. David Blumenthal, who died in 2012, was Lyons’ father and known around town as “Mr. B’nai B’rith.”
“From the time he was 16 years old and joined AZA, he was really active in B’nai B’rith,” Lyons said. “As he got older, he became district president. He didn’t have a lot of money to donate but he had a lot of time, and he had a love of B’nai B’rith and Judaism and bringing more people into the community.”
During its heyday, the lodge hosted dinners with entertainment, bingo parties, music, and events with current events and sport topics.
“The one that always struck me was they used to go to Lake Carlyle for a weekend in the summer,” said Hesh Lyons (Marcia Blumenthal Lyons’ husband). “They would have well over 100 people. There would be meaningful speakers. A portion of the weekend was devoted to religious speakers and part had secular topics like entertainment history.”
The number of B’nai B’rith lodges around the world has decreased over the years. A B’nai B’rith International spokesperson said there are still lodges in the United States and internationally. However, the organization has transitioned to a new model that incorporates more at-large members and community groups.
Membership in other fraternal organizations is also declining. Masonic lodges had more than 4 million members in the U.S. at one point, but in recent years membership has dropped about 75%. The Knights of Pythias, Elks, Moose and Odd Fellows have seen a similar trend.
The active B’nai B’rith lodge closest geographically to St. Louis is Lodge #67 in Springfield, Ill. The lodge is 157 years old, but its days may be numbered, according to Patrick Chesley, past president.
“We have the same issue of membership dwindling,” Chesley said. “At one point before COVID, we were under 25 members, and it has decreased since then. We used to have a chili dinner to raise funds for the community. We used to have a Super Bowl party, too. We used to be very active. We haven’t closed our books, and we sometimes still will get together and offer financial help for someone who may need the money to go to camp. We still have funds.”
Lodge #22 also had money on its books at closing. That trust fund of nearly $35,000 will be put to good use and sponsor the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival and St. Louis Jewish Film Festival for many years. A plaque now affixed to the Cultural Arts Department office at the Jewish Community Center also memorializes the B’nai B’rith Missouri Lodge.
Another legacy of Lodge #22 is the continuing volunteer efforts and community support of Mr. B’nai B’rith’s daughter.
“I loved everything about it,” said Marcia Blumenthal Lyons. “I got involved. That is why I’m a volunteer for so many things. I saw how my parents were so supportive of the Jewish community and how important it was to bring everyone together and how they brought young children through AZA and BBYO to learn how important Judaism is.”
