Board of Deputies president honours legacy of his predecessor Montefiore

Montefiore served eight non-concurrent terms as BoD president between 1838 and 1874.

Rosenberg continued: “Few leaders in our history can match his stature… [and] I think my role is continuity, carrying forward the values he embedded into the Board and into our community.

“My aim is that we honour his legacy by ensuring that the Board remains true to the path afforded and established by Sir Moses. It’s a privilege to continue the work he began.”

Montefiore was born in Italy in 1784 to a family who were based in London. He amassed a considerable fortune as a stockbroker and was an early investor in the emerging gas industry, helping to finance the expansion of piped street lighting across Europe.

Once retired, he became a philanthropist for both British and Jewish causes, donating substantial sums of money to promote economic development and education in the Jewish community and beyond.

In addition to his terms with the Board, he was elected Sheriff of the City of London and duly knighted, both in 1837.

Group photo outside the mausoleum where Sir Moses Montefiore and Lady Judith Montefiore are buried (photo: Ofek Avshalom)[Missing Credit]

Also speaking at the event, Rabbi Shalom Morris, from Bevis Marks Synagogue, said: “It’s not a stretch to say that Montefiore was the most well-known and well-regarded Jew across the entire 19th century.”

It is said that Montefiore attended used to walk for over an hour and a half each way from his property in Mayfair to attend Bevis Marks on Shabbat.

“Montefiore did what no other Jew did before him or has done since; he lived the life of a country gentleman, as a Jew,” Rabbi Morris said. “In the 19th century, you’re a Jew and you’re in trouble – who are you going to call?”

Rabbi Shalom Morris of Bevis Marks Synagogue (photo: Ofek Avshalom)[Missing Credit]

As a result of his philanthropy and influence, Montefiore’s legacy is imprinted in the names of countless institutions worldwide.

Numerous hospitals, synagogues and community organisations bear the his name – perhaps most notably the Montefiore Medical Center in New York – and he has also been commemorated on Israeli banknotes.

Montefiore also had a major influence on the development of proto-Zionism – the forerunner of Zionism – and the presence of Jews in what was then Palestine, having been deeply moved on his first pilgrimage to the land in 1836, which also inspired a newfound piety.

After his first visit – which Rabbi Morris described as akin to a “Birthright experience” – he made six further visits.

He established the first settlement outside of the old walled city of Jerusalem, today known as Mishkenot Sha’ananim, and conducted frequent censuses of the Jewish community in Palestine, which has informed today’s historians of Jerusalem’s majority-Jewish population in the 19th century.

He is revered in Israel today, with Dr Yizhar Hess, vice chairman of WZO, saying: “There is not one child in Israel who has not heard the name Sir Moses Montefiore.

“He is the first person I remember learning about as a child in school,” continued Dr Hess, as he described a school trip to view the carriage which Montefiore travelled in.

“He was the first to define in action what Jewish peoplehood is all about.”

Rebecca Doctors, executive director of the S&P Sephardi Community (photo: Ofek Avshalom)[Missing Credit]

By his side throughout was his wife, Lady Judith Montefiore, a multilingual aristocrat and businesswoman.

“Jewish women worldwide saw her as a role model,” explained Rebecca Doctors, executive director of the S&P Sephardi Community.

“When Judith assisted Moses in the Damascus Affair, the wives of the falsely accused captives wrote to thank her by name. In Warsaw, widows also wrote to her, addressing her as the head of their group.”

Attendees of the ceremony also paid their respects to the couple at the mausoleum beside the shul.

The relationship between the WZO and British Jewry was hailed by Matan Bar Noy, WZO’s representative in the UK and Europe.

“Sir Moses Montefiore dedicated his life, and continues to inspire, even after his passing, to strengthening the bond between the Jewish diaspora and the state of Israel,” he said.

“Now that it is our generation’s turn, we will continue to uphold this responsibility with unwavering commitment.”

​On August 27, the JC will host an event with Sir Moses Montefiore’s descendant, historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, who will discuss his new book ‘The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East’ with fellow historian Dan Green. Book your tickets here