Whither the Morrow
Woolf Kantor
PGM, Grand Lodge of the State of Israel
Reprinted from The Israeli Freemason

Freemasonry is an universal Fraternity, which is not concerned with wealth, social standing, or religious conviction, but only with the positive development of man's character. It draws and binds together vast numbers of men from diverse political ideologies, of virtually every culture and society in the world. Yet, they meet as Brethren on an equal basis.

The strength of Freemasonry lies not in its numerical power, but in the extent to which the ancient and universal tenants of friendship, brotherly love, relief, and truth, are put into everyday practice.

The usually accepted theory suggests that Freemasonry had its roots in the Middle Ages building Guilds, but masons nowadays band together for building not structures of stone, but men of character.

Our jurisdiction (the State of Israel) has close to 2000 brethren in nearly 70 lodges, working in 23 Masonic temples spread over the length and breadth of Israel. We are the only world-wide Grand Lodge working in eight different languages, namely: Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Romanian, Spanish, and Turkish.

At any lodge working in Israel, you can find brethren of all faiths — be it Jew, Christian, Moslem, Druze, or Bahai — sitting shoulder to shoulder in harmony and friendship, sharing, and enjoying each other's company.

In fact, in 1981, our Grand Master was a Christian Arab. Does this not show that we in Israel really put brotherhood into practice?

Our Great Seal includes the signs of the three Holy Faiths, the Hebrew Star of David, the Christian Cross, and the Moslem Crescent, all intertwined and interwoven, portraying friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love.

Freemasonry has so much to offer to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. In today's climate of moral decline, it is inevitable that Freemasonry receives its share of criticism, which is made without any real understanding of the Craft and its teachings. Let us leave behind a dark age, when our habit of responding to any criticism, however inaccurate, was with a wall of silence.

Let us talk about Freemasonry proudly, openly, and at every possible opportunity.

Let us present Freemasonry's true and correct image and purpose, positively and forcefully, whenever and wherever the occasion arises.

Let us enjoy the present time, without looking over our shoulders at a vanished past, or dreading a future which may never come.

We have a need for dedicated and committed men. Our call for duty has sounded. Seldom in history has it sounded more ominously. The hour is now!