What is the connection between Judaism and Freemasonry? The
following is extracted from a paper by Paul M. Bessel of
Arlington VA that accompanied presentations in February 1989:
Jews were actively involved in the beginnings of Freemasonry in
America. There is evidence they were among those who established
Masonry in seven of the original thirteen states: Rhode Island,
New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina, and
Virginia. A Jewish Mason, Moses Michael Hays, helped introduce
the Masonic Scottish Rite in America. Paul Revere served under
him as Deputy Grand Master. There were several other Jews who
held the Masonic titles in the late 1700's: Solomon Bush in
Pennsylvania, Joseph Myers in Maryland and later in South
Carolina, and Abraham Forst of Philadelphia in Virginia in 1781.
Another Jewish Grand Master was Moses Seixas in Rhode Island
from 1791 until 1800. There were many other American Jewish
Masons in early American history, including one in George
Washington's original Fredericksburg Lo