This Lodge, which dates from a long-time ago, was re-established in June 2004, by Brother David Lévy-Bentolila, President of B’nai B’rith Europe. It is led by Brother Gilles Dahan, former member of the Central Committee of District 19.
Joseph Kessel was born in Clara (Argentina) on 10th February 1898, son of Samuel Kessel, a Jewish doctor of Lithuanian origin, who had studied in Montpellier, before leaving to practice in South America. Joseph Kessel grew up in Argentina, before moving to Orenburg, in the Ural (1905-1908) and then moving back to France.
He graduated with a bachelor of arts in 1915, and was hired as a foreign political correspondent for the Paris newspaper Journal des débats, aged 17.
He was admitted to the Conservatoire in 1916, and did some acting at the Odeon, but at the end of 1916, he signed up in the artillery, then in the air wing, where he served in Squadron S.39, inspiring his first successful novel L’Equipage.
His last war mission was in Siberia, and when the war was over and Kessel applied for French nationality, he had already been awarded the Croix de guerre and Médaille Militaire.
He started working for the Journal des Débats again, also writing for La Liberté, Le Figaro, and Mercure, amongst others.
Driven by a desire for adventure and unusual acquaintances, wherever and whoever they were, he had a double career as reporter and novelist. He explored the Berlin underworld, flew on the first Aéropostale flights over the Sahara, and sailed with the slave ships on the Red Sea. He wrote a large number of novels, including: La Steppe rouge L’Equipage, Mary de Cork, Les Captifs (awarded the Académie française Grand Prix in 1926), Nuits de Princes, Les Cœurs purs, Belle de jour, Le Coup de grâce, Fortune carrée, La Passante du Sans-Souci , Mermoz.
Kessel was part of the Pierre Lazareff's great team at Paris-Soir.
He worked as a war correspondent in 1939-1940, and after the defeat, joined the Resistance with his nephew Maurice Druon, with whom he later joined General de Gaulle's Free French Forces. Kessel and Druon wrote the words to Chant des Partisans in May 1943, which quickly became the resistance movement's rallying song.
After the war, he again worked as a reporter in Palestine, Africa, Burma and Afghanistan.
He also wrote Le Tour du malheur, Les Amants du Tage, La Vallée des Rubis, Le Lion, Tous n’étaient pas des anges, Témoin parmi les hommes.
His crowning glory was his election to the Académie française on 22nd November 1962, replacing the Duc de la Force (seat 27).
He died on 23rd July 1979 and Michel Droit succeeded him in seat 27.
