Mayer Licht - B’nai B’rith
Most of this information is taken from bound annual volumes of B’nai B’rith bulletins with gold lettering on the cover.
In 1843, twelve German Jewish immigrants met at Sinsheimer's Café on New York‘s Lower East Side. Pooling their ideas and their funds, they started B’nai B’rith, a service organization to provide social services to fellow Jews. The Hebrew name means ‘Children of the Covenant’. Mayer immigrated to the US from Ukraine when he was 16 years old. He came not knowing English and with little money. Soon after arrival in San Francisco, he joined the local B’nai B’rith, and he became a lifelong advocate for that Lodge. It was only available to Jewish men, who called other members ‘brothers’. Some of the members of SF #21 lodge became Mayer’s closest friends. The friends and their wives often entertained at home dinner parties. Lodge 21 had a Committee of Fifty, which was the most active members.
B’nai B’rith became international, creating AZA for young boys, BBYO for young girls, ADL for anti-discrimination, known as antisemitism, Hillel Houses on college campuses for Jewish students, senior housing, emergency relief, and support of Israel after 1948. After successes, the ADL and Hillel split off from the lodge for separate administration and fundraising.
In 1942, Mayer was chairman of the “Service Men’s Activities Committee”, which served service men during World War II. It was so active that it had a one-page report in the Monthly Bulletin, which was written by Mayer’s wife, Sarah, who was the secretary to the general manager of the Emporium Department Store in SF until she got married. The committee served servicemen of any religion. The name of the committee was changed to the War Service Committee.
In the June Bulletin, it listed the names of 42 members of Lodge 21 who were in the armed forces. The February bulletin column was titled “Party for Soldiers Big Success”. It was held at the Ariel Rowing Club at Hyde Street, with 300 servicemen in attendance. The committee invited 150 young ladies as dancing partners at the event. Before the party, the committee obtained donations of furniture, equipment, and accessories for boys in the armed services.”
April 1942: The committee gave a party at the Ariel Rowing Club. 300 servicemen enjoyed dancing to a five-piece orchestra, entertainment, and refreshments. 35 members of the committee participated, including serving the food. It listed 34 items donated to outfit the club and gifts for the servicemen. May 1942 “ reported activities at the club, ie, Mark Lancer after serving his 499th cup of coffee lost count.” June 1942, “reported another party at the Club, also sandwiches and donuts were taken to various military posts.” December 1942 “ Gifts were sent to servicemen far away, ie, razors, blades, and shaving cream. July 1942 “ The committee gave a party at Hospitality House at S F Civic Center, expecting 3,500, 5,000 servicemen were there from noon to midnight. There were refreshments, dancing to an orchestra, and floor shows. The committee men were waiters. About 40 committee members participated.”
September 1942: “The committee began collecting donations of furniture, drapes, curtains, lamps, pictures, and records to be used at various camps.” Norman was in High School during World War II and remembers there were shortages and rationing. The US had been unprepared when the Navy was severely damaged at Pearl Harbor, and the US was increasing its badly needed armaments, which is why much was lacking at military installations. “Later, the committee stated that it would collect musical instruments, sports equipment, appliances, and anything that was needed by the servicemen wherever they were stationed. They were collecting all kinds of furniture, restored if needed, for clubrooms for servicemen at camps, picked up by an Army truck.”
October 1942; “They gave a party at Hospitality House, 3500 attended, and the food used was 75 pounds of meat, 50 pounds of cheese, 45 pounds of coffee, 35 pounds of sugar, 200 loaves of bread, 900 donuts, 600 cup cakes, 15 sheet cakes, 15 gallons of ice cream, 30 cartons of cigarettes.
November 1942: “They collected 2 radios, 3 phonographs, 100 records, rugs, a table, chairs, and a set of dishes. At that time, there were 65 members of the SF Lodge in the armed forces.
December 1942: “The committee supplied donated ping pong tables and a pool table for a new game room at Hospitality House.” That month, the S F Lodge sold $165,000. War Bonds in one evening, which was an auction.
The 1943 bulletins are missing.
January 1944: Parties at Hospitality House continued. “Last month prepared 125 gift boxes for Chanuka: candy, cigarettes, figs, and a pocket novel. In July 1944, there was a call for comic books, and the committee supplied 3,000 copies, and another 3,000 a week later. They helped furnish a library at the Dante Army Hospital.
August 1944: “They gave a piano to the Hospital, and also gave a piano to the Tanforan Naval Station. The Coast Guard needed chairs for their game room, and gave 12 chrome chairs. Aug 2 received a thank you letter from a Supervisor at Hospitality House, for the past 3 years, “B’nai B’rith has been one of the most generous groups, which shows the utmost desire to be helpful and kind to the men wearing the uniform”.
September 1944: “There were 150 members of SF Lodge in the armed forces. October 1944 gave Hospitality House dishes and tableware, ping-pong balls, and cameras. Monthly gave various hospitals gifts of games, playing cards, books, magazines, cookies, candies, cigarettes, and tobacco.”
October 1944: received thank you letters from a Chaplain, from a Lt Col. Commander of a SF Hospital, from a SF Zone manager, from the Naval Hospital Treasure Island, and the SF USO. “
November 1944: Letters from a chaplain, from the commander of S.S. Lafitte, the Commander S.S. Mifflin for furnishing a game room on the ship, SF League for Service Men for 100 Christmas gift packages. “ Gave baseball equipment for the South Pacific, 500 boxes of Christmas gifts for overseas, and 750 to S F Lodge members in the service. December 1944, Mayer thanked the committee members, “over 30,000. Servicemen have been our guests during the year”. Received a thank you letter from the S F Mayor for 3 years service at Hospitality House. A letter from a chaplain on the S.S. Greely in the South Pacific “with the large number aboard this ship now it would have been impossible to carry on any adequate recreational program without the help B’nai B’rith made possible”.
November 1945: ”The committee equipped a 12-piece band on the U S Biloxi, a light cruiser in the South Pacific. The Biloxi has participated in nearly every major Pacific engagement, and the band members are the ship’s sailors in their free time.”
March 1945: “They gave a party at Temple Beth Israel for 250 servicemen, buffet supper, dancing to a six-piece orchestra.”
December 1945: a column titled “The Boys Are Coming Back,t said the SF Lodge “Gave to 1200 recreation facilities, more than 90,000 pints of blood, service to 678 combat and hospital ships, and sales of $700,000,000. of war bonds”. They gave 7 wheelchairs to Mare Island Hospital.
January 1946: “B’nai B’rith Wins Army’s Citation, by the War Department, for its contribution to the morale and welfare of Army personnel, in recognition of its having provided 1,507 recreation facilities at various military posts and installations for $760,000, in addition to other services.”
January 1946: the bulletin had an article “Mayer Licht Man Of The Year. The testimonial dinner was held on December 26. Over 100 were in attendance, a good turkey dinner and plenty of short talks. The guest of honor, happy with the thought that all of this was in his honor. Bewildered by the realization that what had started as just a job to be done should have ended in such a demonstration. Amazed that men were speaking about him when they spoke of ‘the consciousness of Israel’, the development of an active anti-defamation program of incalculable proportions, the furtherance of a B’nai B’rith record for service that has helped make all America B’nai B’rith conscious. Honored and humble enough when called upon for some words after being presented with a wrist watch and an elaborate testimonial scroll, to think only of those who helped him. Entrusted with such hearts and to such leadership, who among us can question the future of B’nai Brith or Israel? “
A resolution said “the Committee of Fifty recognizes the great and invaluable contribution made to the World War II effort by the War Services Committee for over four years…so zealously exemplified in the devotion to patriotic duty by Brother Mayer Licht … Resolved that the Committee of Fifty ingrateful acknowledgment to its Brother Mayer Licht, for his consistent and painstaking effort on behalf of our service men in the Army, Navy, Air and Marine corps and Coast Guard of the US, present to him this engrossed Resolution”.
June 1946: Mayer Licht received the Grand Lodge Akiba Award, which is their highest award. Mayer added the gold menorah symbol to a ring from his mother he wore all his life.
July 1, 1946, was the last day of operation of Hospitality House, when 4,000 overseas veterans were guests of B’nai B’rith, with a turkey dinner, and dancing to an 8-piece band and hundreds of junior hostesses.”
An article said, “During the last four years, San Francisco Lodge entertained approximately 100,000 service people at the city’s famous Hospitality House. In recognition of this outstanding record, the authorities permitted the Lodge to take over the institution on the last day of its existence, and on that day 2,000 were served a turkey supper by the Lodge, The supervisor wrote ‘as we look back over the years, and think of the gifts that have made it possible carry on so successfully, we think of B’nai B’rith and its members, who worked so diligently and faithfully all these happy years, making the boy away from home feel that he had a home here. Your record will go down in history as an outstanding job. In your new activity, we know your spirit for helping others will carry on .”
August 1946, “Books in Jewish and Hebrew are urgently needed to replace those destroyed by the Nazis in Europe. Mayer Licht, who is chairman, gave books to be forwarded overseas to replenish libraries.”
August 1946, a Bulletin of the SF Bay Area Camp and Hospital Council Service wrote about B’nai B’rith. “ This is a story of a man who led his organization of 1900 strong through more than four years of war and carried a banner high overhead. If a chain is as strong as its weakest link, the chain that Mayer Licht has wrought is unbreakable - his work outstanding. His reward? The greatest any man can have – the knowledge within himself that he has given comfort and happiness to thousands of our boys in the Armed Forces. In the dark days of 1941, after Pearl Harbor, Mr Mayer Licht was appointed chairman of the War Services Committee of B’nai B’rith Lodge 21. It is easy to understand his success – the broad open smile, and the sincerity and modesty with which he spoke, could only inspire enthusiasm and confidence.” It goes on to report the many accomplishments of the committee. It concludes, “This is the story of a man – Mr. Mayer Licht, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘can’t’, and his 1900 followers of Lodge 21, should be the inspiration to us all.”
When the World War II Museum opened in New Orleans in 2000, I became a charter member, and I listed my father, Mayer Licht, for his services in the war.
November 1946 “Armistice Day was celebrated, and the program arranged by Mayer is to have top officials of the armed services and the American Red Cross the guests, who will speak about what B’nai B’rith meant to them during the war. Present were a chaplain from the Presidio, from Mare Island, from Letterman Hospital, the twelfth Naval District, and representatives from the Red Cross and the Jewish Welfare Board. “
In a bulletin, there was a picture of the car, a 1948 Chevrolet, 4-door sedan, from dealer Les Vogel. It looks similar to my first car, but it was a 2-door coupe Chevrolet.
February 1948: “Mayer Licht Announces Big Fund Raising Drive, Committee of Fifty’s most pretentious undertaking, a gigantic fund raising automobile campaign has been launched. Heading the drive is Mayer Licht, Old Reliable himself, a man whose entire heart and soul have ever been devoted to B’nai B’rith causes. A 1948 Chevrolet from the Les Vogel Chevrolet Block will be the device; proceeds will go to the Post War Rehabilitation and Foreign Relief Fund. We hope to make $20,000. In June 1948, the task was ticket selling.
In September 1938, Nate Cutler wrote, “The incomparable Licht, a man who has unselfishly devoted himself through countless years of B’nai B’rith work to fund-raising projects, indicated that action will crystallize in September and continue through October. Tickets for sale have been distributed to members, there are display cards and signs for store windows”. There was a photo of the 4 door sedan car. (My first car was a Chevrolet with similar appearances but a smaller two-door coupe.
October 1948: It is titled “Mayer Licht Does His Toughest Job, When a man has done as much as Mayer over the past two decades, when a man has given so completely of himself, his time, his thoughts, and his energy, and it still doesn;t compare to what he is doing this year, then the job he is doing must cdfrtainly be of molnumental magnitude".
November 1948: Nate Cutler wrote “Mayer Licht Does His Toughest Job, when a man has done as much as Mayer over the past two decades, when a man has given so completely of himself, his time, his thoughts, ands his energy, and it still does not compare to what he is doing this year, then the job he is doing must certainly be of monumental magnitude. Mayer has labored vigorously and courageously for the Auto Drive. The drive closes November 6th with a dinner dance at the Fairmont Hotel. Mayer has known heartache and disappointment. First, there were other drives; help was lagging. Then Mayer was stymied by an emergency fundraising which took top priority in view of the Israel situation and work, which Mayer was among the first to join. (Israel became a State in 1948 after the War of Independence). Maybe the Auto Drive won’t make all the money Mayer Licht has set his heart on at the beginning. When the final dollar has been counted, all Ben Briths will be singing the praise of Mayer Licht as they have never done before.”
December 1948: Mayer wrote, “The Auto Drive was a success. We made all the money we need for our commitments, and we may have some pleasant surprises. It was a tough job, the biggest I ever had in B’nai B’rith, but I feel very satisfied. I want to thank all those who did so much to help.+
February 1949 “The committee gave a U S flag to the Mare Island Naval Hospital.”
June 1949 “The entire proceeds of this year’s Souvenir Bulletin will be devoted to the rescue of 12 unfortunate children and to our general aid to the people of Israel. There is a letter from Sara, Belgium, age 13, thanking the Lodge for adopting her. There is a form for ads for the bulletin and rates, and it is addressed to Mayer Licht, Business Manager, B’nai B’rith Bulletin. As I have looked through years of bulletins, I noted many ads from individuals and companies that were contacts of my father, Mayer.
November 1949. There are 2 pages titled “Veterans Not Forgotten. The Lodge took 50 veterans from the V A Hospital to the Ice Follies, each was taken to a supper and given a gift”. There are thank you letters from the Red Cross, Letterman Hospital at the Presidio, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the V.A. Hospital. The next page is titled “Committee of Fifty Adopts Children, There are several thousand children in Europe whose parents were killed by the Nazis. We express our deep appreciation to Mayer Licht for his inspiring understanding of our work and the children in our homes. Like his name, Mr Licht has illuminated a beautiful road in the B’nai B’rith Lodge 21, and the orphans will bless him”. There were letters from Hillel Bernstein, Paris, ‘We hope to go to Israel soon’. And from Jacque Sansoulh, France.
January 1950: There are photos of a presentation of a phonograph and records to Colonel Stapleton, gifts to servicemen, and a Christmas party at the Presidio clubhouse by the Lodge.
January 1951: There are photos of the Veterans Rehabilitation Committee’s gifts at a Christmas party at Letterman Hospital at the S F Presidio. Mayer Licht presented a check to the Building Fund for $5,720.72 raised in the Auto Drive of 1948.
10/13/1952 Marsh Maslin wrote an op-ed in the S.F. Call Bulletin: Mayer Licht has been a wonderful nuisance to every other furniture man in town. Sgt. Frank Cohen of the Air Force had just been out to see Licht about getting some sewing machines for the WAF’s day room at Hamilton Field, and gave me a quick description of how Mayer works. Licht got a sewing machine back from an auction house and gave it to Sgt. Cohen. “Licht walks into a store, says he needs a sofa or a chair, or a table, and doesn’t leave until he gets what is needed for a recreation room at Fort Scott or that day room at Hamilton Field. Sgt. Cohen says he’s the most tireless, enthusiastic demander for the armed forces that he’s ever known, and he never says no and never lets anybody else say no”.
Membership Achievements
Whenever Mayer met another Jew, he invited him to join B’nai B’rith.
1935 “Mayer Licht now has a total of thirty new members. This accomplishment stands as a record for results obtained through the individual effort of a single brother.”
In June 1946, Mayer Licht got 6 new members, total members 2,100. In August 1946, Mayer Licht brought in 9 new members.
In May 1947, Martin Field, age under 30, brought in 45 new members in one month. Mayer Licht, ‘old faithful himself’, has brought in 10 new members, a remarkable record, because Mayer has been bringing them in for years and years, and you’d think some day he’d exhaust his prospects“.
July 1949: “Mayer Licht Honor Class. If every member made an effort to get a new member, it would be one of the largest classes in the history of the Lodge. As usual, he’s in there himself getting new members and setting a good example for all of us. It is the least we can do to show our appreciation to Mayer for his unswerving and complete devotion to the interests of the Lodge.”
Accolades and Accomplishments
March 6, 1965, there was a dinner honoring Mayer Licht for 50 years of service to B’nai B’rith. Carolynn and I, and our children, Ron and Diane, were there, as were Stan and Carolyn Wiener and their children, Gary and Joel. My in-laws, Jack and Sarena Pinsler, and many friends and relatives attended. I have a guest book signed at about 189 lines. Many are couples. The master of ceremonies was optometrist Irv Marder; one of the speakers was Judge Karesh. I have an audio tape which I plan to post to the Licht Family website.
Mayer always dreamed of Lodge 21 having a building of its own. He raised funds, starting with the Auto Drive of 1948, and saved the money in a savings account for many years. During that time, the Grand Lodge or national lodge voted that individual Lodges could no longer raise funds for their own buildings, but funds already raised could be used. In time, the Lodge did buy a retail storefront building in the Richmond district, and later sold it and bought a larger retail building in the Sunset, and remodeled it to use as a meeting place, and for events.
In 1946, the District Grand Lodge of B’nai B’rith awarded Mayer the title of Past President, ”in appreciation of the zeal with which Brother Mayer Licht has served B’nai B’rith in general, and S.F. Lodge No. 21 in particular.”
When Mayer and Sarah moved from SF to Redwood City, he suggested and organized the B’nai B’rith Lodge in Redwood City. It was active and successful. When Mayer passed away, they changed the name to the Mayer Licht Lodge. After that, I changed my membership to that lodge, from San Mateo previously, and became President. The attendance decreased, and my friend Bernie Scheier and I tried to continue, but eventually it closed. Then Carolynn and I joined a Unit in San Mateo, which had men and women members. Then that Unit closed. Slowly, all the Lodges in S F had also closed. Membership became International, instead of local lodges and chapters for women.
Mayer was foreign-born in Ukraine and had no English education. He was very good in person-to-person communication. He did not do much public speaking. His wife, Sarah, was born in New York, was educated at S F Commerce High School to be a secretary, skilled in typing, shorthand, spelling, and grammar. Sarah wrote reports for the Lodge Bulletin and the many letters sent from Mayer.
My father Mayer, earned a great amount of recognition, but my mother Sarah, was his partner in all his philanthropic efforts, and she handled his communications.