The Hebrew Order of David
History of the order
The Hebrew Order of David is a successor organization to a Jewish brotherhood originally established in England in 1896 as a friendly society for the benefit of its members. In 1904, a branch of the order was formed in Johannesburg, South Africa, by Joseph Distiller, an emigrant from London, whose principal purpose was the establishment of a friendly society to provide companionship and assistance for Jewish immigrants particularly those from Eastern Europe. By 1907, two further lodges had been formed in the other cities of South Africa and the organization began to expand. However, by the end of the 1920s, the Order ceased to exist in England. As emigration from South Africa commenced in earnest from the 1960s, a number of other lodges were formed around the world. In 1995, the order was revived in the United Kingdom and in 1999 a lodge was established in Atlanta, U.S.A.