Events
| ISRAEL AT WARWe've all seen the images and heard the stories and asked how to help. There are many requests for help of dubious legality or legitimacy. (See below). HOD International is supporting United Hatzalah in Israel. HOD Galil will be matching up to $ 5,000 in donations, as well as donating $ 5,000 directly. In addition, the Korenvaes family has generously offered to match up to $150,000 in donations though HOD through Oct 17th, so every dollar donated here will be matched at least 2-for-1 and potentially 3-for-1.
If you don't know what United Hatzalah does, they are an emergency response organization in Israel, composed of thousands of volunteers across the country, to enable rapid response to any casualty. Needless to say, they are stretched to the limit. Note that there are stories of well-meaning, but misguided individuals buying military equipment that is non-standard in Israel, and therefore unusable, or similar efforts that aren't well-coordinated. With a donation to United Hatzalah, you know that your donations will go DIRECTLY to an organization that can use those funds to do good work TODAY.
Nat Levy Scholarship HOD Lodge Galil creates the Nat Levy Scholarship Fund in memory of our Worthy Brother Nat Levy, to help fund Jewish education in Houston. Stay tuned for more information on eligibility and application. Just like the Gravestone project, below, we cannot do this by ourselves - please consider donating. Click here to donate to the Nat Levy Scholarship Fund
Houston Gravestone ProjectWe have placed over 50 markers on unmarked Jewish graves in all of the Jewish cemeteries in Houston, and we are committed to making sure no Jewish grave in Houston goes unmarked. HOD Lodge Galil is proud to lead the project, but we need help from you to complete it. Please donate, or read more. Please email if you'd like to discuss the project in more detail.
Click here to donate to the Gravestone Project
Premier Lodge of the OrderHOD Lodge Galil - Wor. Bro. Lawrence Barris accepted the award at the HOD 2020 Biennial in Atlanta. He was also Inducted into the Grand Executive of HOD International for the 2020-2022 period as Deputy President of the Governing Lodge of North America .
Great Honor for Houston HOD. Lodge Galil founder, Lawrence Barris honored by becoming the incoming President of all of HOD North America. Currently there are 10 Lodges around the Country including two in Houston. *** Sunday 10-10-2021 at the NAGL (North America Governing Lodge) meeting in Atlanta, Wor. Bro. Lawrence Barris became President. He was accompanied by his son-in-law Bro. Josh Sanchez and Bro. Joe Blog, President of his Mother Lodge, Lodge Galil in Houston, Texas, USA. In the picture Wor. Bro. Lawrence is holding his Dad’s badge from when he was a Worthy Brother in HOD in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * May 2023 at the HOD 2023 Biennial Conference in London, of world-wide Brethren. Joint winners - Premier Lodge of the Order shared by Houston Lodge Galil & Atlanta Lodge Shimshon. Repeat winner pictured below: Award presented to President WB Alan Lipman (on the right side) by WB Paul Wainstein on behalf of NAGL in Houston at June OLM.
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Hebrew Order of David Lodge Galil celebrates
7th Anniversary with Installation & Formal Dinner
On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, Houston’s Hebrew Order of David International, and Lodge Galil held several ceremonies and events.
HOD Representatives from South Africa, The United Kingdom, Atlanta, and Dallas visited Houston to attend. This included the Hebrew Order of David International Grand President, Avron Krasner, HOD UK Governing Lodge President Laurence Gishen, HOD North America Governing Lodge President Lawrence Barris, HOD North America Governing Lodge Past President, Alan Smirin and HOD North America Governing Lodge Officer, David Joss.
Dignitaries L/R: David Joss, Avron Krasner, Laurence Gishen & Lawrence Barris.
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The evening began with a special ceremony at which nine Hebrew Order of David International’s brethren were raised to the third degree, giving them the title “Worthy Brother.” On conferring this honor, Grand President Avron Krasner said that these HOD brethren have dedicated many years of loyal service to their respective Lodges with no thought that their efforts would be recognized and rewarded. He added that the true measure of their achievement is the esteem in which they are held by their brethren and the example of understanding of the needs of others, which is the measure of their success. The honor was bestowed upon HOD brethren from Houston Lodges Galil and Tikvah and Dallas Lodge Shimon Peres.
Back row: Worthy Brethren Steven Meyer (Lodge Tikvah), Matt Kurtzman (Dallas),
Alan Lipman (Lodge Galil), Lowell Michelson (Dallas), Paul Wainstein (Lodge Galil).
Front row: Joe Blog & Mark Katzenellenbogen (Lodge Galil),
Chaim Segall & Ivor Segall (Lodge Tikvah).
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This ceremony was followed by a very well attended HOD Lodge meeting at which the new officers for 2023 were installed by the Grand Lodge delegation. Worthy Brother Alan Lipman was installed as the Hebrew Order of David Lodge Galil President along with new Vice-President Brother Eric Bishop. The installation of HOD Galil officers was broadcast via teleconference to HOD brethren around the world.
New President Alan Lipman gets the HOD Galil Gavel from Immediate Past President Joe Blog.
HOD Lodge Galil Officers for 2022 / 2023:
Back row L to R: Harry Brown, Andrew Toubin, Josh Sanchez, Lawrence Barris, Bradley Olitzki, Jeff Klein, Meir Kirshner & Paul Wainstein.
Front row L to R: Eric Bishop, Alan Lipman, Joe Blog & Mark Katzenellenbogen.
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Family members of HOD brethren then joined the events for a formal kosher dinner, at which
Mark Katzenellenbogen was presented with the much deserved, HOD Galil Brother of the Year award for 2022. HOD Galil past President Joe Blog highlighted the dedication and hard work Mark has put into HOD over the last seven years.
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On the morning following these ceremonies, the HOD International delegation visited the original Hebrew Order of David Gravestone Project, which was initiated by HOD in Houston. The Gravestone Project has now been taken up by HOD Lodges in Atlanta and London UK.
Back row L to R: Boris Gremont & Michael Beren (Dallas), Steve Meyer (Houston Lodge Tikvah)
Avron Krasner (South Africa), Eric Bishop, Zak Katzenellenbogen, Alan Lipman, Mark Katzenellenbogen, Phillip Turboff, Harold Minkowitz and Paul Wainstein (all Houston Lodge Galil).
Front row L to R: Ivor Segal (Houston Lodge Tikvah), Alan Smirin (Atlanta), David Joss (Atlanta), Lawrence Barris (Houston Lodge Galil) and Laurence Gishen (UK).
Houston’s Hebrew Order of David Lodges Galil and Tikvah look forward to another busy and successful year of community involvement and friendship. For more information on Hebrew Order of David Lodge Galil, see: https://www.hodgalil.org/
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