Jewish Masons

What did Harry Houdini and Irving Berlin have in common? They were both Jews. And they were both Masons.

I have just learned that there are many Jews who are members of the Masonic Lodge. Of course when you think about it—Masons meet in temples. Sounds Jewish. As you may know, all the Masonic symbols and rituals come from the Old Testament, particularly from Solomon's Temple.

My ignorance has been diminished a little. I've learned that Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf that Freemasonry and Judaism were two sides of the same coin—both trying to take over the world. Hitler put Masons into concentration camps right along with Jews.

The Jewish magazine Moment (Jan/Feb 2010) has an article about all of this, and also discusses Dan Brown's new book Lost Symbol.

Generally speaking, I'm a little suspicious of organizations that operate in secrecy (like the Masons). Not that I think there is anything dangerous going on in those temples. I've known many Masons over the years and they have been good people. I hobnobbed around with the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of Kentucky when I was young. One of the deacons in the Baptist church I grew up in was a Mason, and he always did the ritual of folding the communion table cloth with true Masonic precision. That was the most ritual we had in the Baptist church.

When I was growing up I didn't know any Jews. Except Jesus. And I'm not sure I realized he was Jewish. As far as I know, Jesus wasn't a Mason.