Moses Montefiore

“ Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart.,
&c., &c., &c.
The eyes of all Israel in the province of Moldavia are directed to you for salvation and consolation, to deliver them out of the power of their enemies, for no violence is to be found in their hands.
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Surely the man Moses will rouse himself as a lion for the rescue of his people, as he has done in days of old, and in former years, to deliver his brethren, the house of Israel, from their sorrow and distress.
May Heaven's blessing rest on his head, inspire his heart, and prosper all the works of his hands. ”

“ CHAPTER II. EARLY EDUCATION—BECOMES A STOCKBROKER—HIS MARRIAGE.
At an early age, we find young Moses Montefiore attending school in the neighbourhood of Kennington. After he had completed his elementary studies, he was removed to a more advanced class in another school, where he began to evince a great desire to cultivate his mind, independently of his class lessons. He was observed to copy short moral sentences from books falling into his hands, or interesting accounts of important events, which he endeavoured to commit to memory. ”

“ Lady Montefiore, Sir Moses said, made, no will, but among her papers was found an unfinished letter to him in her hand writing, in which she most touchingly expressed the wish that a token of her esteem should be handed to relatives whom she named, to friends, and to charitable and educational institutions, when it should please the Almighty to call her away from this world. ”

“ Every lover of justice will admit you have rendered a great service to the poor and oppressed; the consciousness alone of so noble an act is no doubt the highest gratification to you.—I have the honour to be, Sir, with great esteem, your most obedient servant,
(Signed) "Moses Montefiore. ”

“ Sir.—Sir Moses Montefiore has forwarded to me some documents, from which I learn that in the month of April last a Christian child having disappeared in one of the quarters of Damascus, a rumour arose that it had been stolen and put to death by the Jews in order to obtain its blood for their religious ceremonies. This, in the eyes of prejudiced and credulous people, formed a pendant, due to Hebrew fanaticism, to the sad history of Father Thomas. ”

“ His Lordship also added that he would give him any other letters he might require.
On Friday, July 3rd, there was a crowded and enthusiastic meeting in the Egyptian Hall at the Mansion House, of bankers, merchants, and many influential and learned British Christians, for the purpose of expressing their sympathy with the Israelites, and their earnest wishes for the success of Sir Moses Montefiore previous to his starting on the mission to the East. Mr Alderman Thompson took the chair. ”

“ February 1st.—Lord and Lady Roden and Lady Stratford Canning came to see Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore. They spoke much on the subject of our Mission. His lordship told Sir Moses that the upper classes even of that place were ignorant and fanatic. An Italian lady only three days before told him at a large party that a young woman was missing in the city, and she believed the Jews had taken her, with the intention of keeping her for a time to see if her blood was pure, and then to kill her to use the blood in the Passover cakes. ”

“ It was thought, moreover, that our co-religionists in all parts of the world would gladly seize the opportunity of acknowledging the invaluable services rendered by Sir Moses Montefiore in vindicating on so many memorable occasions the rights of our brethren, and in protecting and assisting the suffering and oppressed, without distinction of creeds or nationality. ”

“ Lady Montefiore, recording the day of their departure in her Diary, invokes the blessing from Heaven. "May every evil," she prays, "be averted from us, and may joy and thankfulness fill our mind throughout our projected journey."
Sir Moses, wishing good acts to accompany them, as it were, like guardian angels, handed on that day a cheque for £100 to the treasurer, as his donation to the Lord Mayor's Commemoration Scholarship for the Jews' College, and bestowed various gifts on charitable institutions and deserving individuals. ”

“ He would be away about twenty days, but had desired his secretary to attend to any request Sir Moses might make in his absence. He added a hope that Sir Moses would come and settle in that part of the world, as the Jews were in great need of a chief or leader; they could then take land and engage in agriculture. Soon after he left, Lady Montefiore received an invitation from the Governor's wives to come and dine with them, saying that they had had a lamb killed and prepared for the occasion by a person specially sent by the Jewish authorities of the place. ”

“ Mr Gladstone replied that the case should be carefully "considered," and made enquiry as to what Sir Moses Montefiore's fortune was supposed to be, and whether he had children, but there he allowed the matter to rest.
It was a great disappointment, the same author writes, to Lord Shaftesbury, who had the highest admiration for the character of the great Hebrew philanthropist. The admiration was mutual, and lasted to the end of their lives. ”

“ In 1859 a case of injustice which attracted the attention of all Europe brought Sir Moses to the gates of the Vatican. A Jewish child named Mortara had been secretly baptized by its nurse and stolen from its mother, who died of grief. Cardinal Antonelli, in the name of the pope, refused to give up the boy, who became a priest. In 1863 we find Montefiore on a mission in Constantinople to obtain from the Sultan, Abdul Aziz, the confirmation of his predecessor’s decrees in favour of the Jews ”

“ I noticed during my stay in Rome a Hebrew inscription over the entrance of one of these churches (Chiesa della divina pietà) , which runs as follows: "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts, a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face." (Isaiah lxv., 3 and 4)
Mr Avigdor often spoke on the above subject to Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore. ”

“ There is a noble member of the house of Israel, Sir Moses Montefiore, a man dignified by patriotism, charity, and self-sacrifice, on whom Her Majesty might graciously bestow the honours of the Peerage. ”

“ The tears of the banker, and the threatened massacre of the Jews, did not affect in any way the indomitable courage of Sir Moses. "Are you afraid?" said he to M. Halfon; "I have no fear whatever, and will at once order an open carriage, take a drive through the principal streets and thoroughfares, go even outside the town, and drive near some public garden. Every one shall see me; it is a holy cause; that of justice and humanity. I trust in God; He will protect me." ”

“ The travellers soon left Marseilles, and arrived in Paris on the 11th September. Sir Moses called on the Ambassador, Lord Normanby, on the President of the Consistoire, the Chief Rabbi, the different members of the Rothschild family, and some of his own near relatives who happened to be in Paris. They all took a great interest in the exertions of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore for the benefit of their co-religionists, and Sir Moses was glad of an opportunity to tell them of the result, and to enlist their sympathy still more for the good cause. ”

“ By special invitation ten gentlemen were soon with him in his room, and the evening service was commenced, but he could scarcely stand, and as soon as prayers were ended he retired. The following day Sir Moses being still too unwell to leave his bed, numbers of visitors called to enquire after his health, all expressing their regret at his indisposition.
During the next two days, on which the festival of Pentecost was celebrated, Sir Moses recovered sufficiently to accompany Lady Montefiore to the Portuguese Synagogue, where a sacred scroll of great antiquity is preserved. ”

“ How many friends are now in heaven who had passed happy hours with us! However, we cannot be sufficiently thankful to God for His bountiful mercy and goodness. May He guard and protect us, even beyond death. We cannot expect to be able to revisit Smithem Bottom very often, but truly grateful are we for having been permitted to see it once more."
The sentiments expressed here by Sir Moses appear to have been due to the presentiment of an event which he apprehended might soon deprive him of the happiness of coming to this place again with Lady Montefiore. ”

“ We went accordingly, and Mr Pisani informed him that he had just received a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, acquainting him that the Sublime Porte would receive a deputation headed by Sir Moses Montefiore on Wednesday evening, three hours after sunset, at the Palace of Beshik Tash. "How great and good," exclaimed Sir Moses, "is the Almighty! At the moment when I most despaired of success, He has granted our petition." Mr Pisani said he had no doubt he should get the Hatti Sherif, but he could not say when. ”

“ There are other names, both of workers and of scholars, some too valuable, some too recently lost, to be less than familiar. Numa Hartog, and Leonard Montefiore, and Edward Emanuel call on our hearts as well as our intellects for remembrance; but these, and such as these, may well be left.
In the goodly procession of nineteenth-century English Jews, the foremost figure is undoubtedly that of Sir Moses Montefiore (1784‒1884) . Both in his private character and in his public life, Sir Moses was a realisation of the Laureate’s ideal knight,—
‘Whose glory was redressing human wrong ”

“ To those persons who came to meet him and Lady Montefiore at Náhr el Rasmiyah, fifteen hours' journey from Safed, and who, when invited to sleep in the tent, preferred, from their intense love to the country, to sleep in the open air of the Holy Land, he made handsome presents. "I hope," said Sir Moses in the course of conversation, "that the money I have had the pleasure of distributing yesterday, will produce some comfort and give assistance to the Jews in Safed, especially in their present forlorn situation. Their sufferings during the last five years must have been truly deplorable. ”

“ His Lordship said he should be most happy at all times to do what he could. Sir Moses also called on Sir Roderick Murchison, and left his card, with the letter from Colonel de Helmerson of St Petersburg; thence he went to the Palace, to enter his name in Prince Albert's visitors' book, and also called on Lord Bloomfield.
Saturday, June 20th.—Prayers and thanksgivings were offered up in all the Synagogues for the safe return of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore from Russia ”

“ His brother Abraham, seeing young Moses successful in business, subsequently joined him as a partner, and the firm of Montefiore Bros. soon became known in England as one entitled to the respect of all honourable men. ”

“ Montefiore, and his grandmother, Esther Racah, a daughter of Mássă'ood Racah of Leghorn, also left Italy and settled in London, where their son Joseph (born 15th October 1759, died 11th January 1804) married Rachel, the daughter of Abraham Lumbroso de Mattos Mocatta, who became the mother of Sir Moses.
They resided after their marriage at No. 3 Kennington Terrace, Vauxhall, and were blessed with eight children, three sons, Moses (the subject of these memoirs) , Abraham, and Horatio, and five daughters, Sarah, Esther, Abigail, Rebecca, and Justina. ”

“ In England we still live under the barbarous law which makes the property of the married woman over to her husband, and therefore I cordially appropriate all that Dr Loewe has said of her virtues, and take them as if they were my own.
"'In conclusion I beg to return our best thanks to Sir Moses Montefiore for his kindness; tell him we shall certainly offer our prayers that his long life may be blessed, that as he has advanced far beyond the age which the Psalmist regards as the age of man, he may have comforts and blessings poured upon him, and may be kept in such health as his age allows.'" ”

“ Bless, I beseech Thee, my revered and honoured mother, grant her length of days in the fulness of joy, and happiness with me, my beloved wife, my brothers and sisters, and with all their descendants, even unto the third and fourth generation. Strengthen our hearts to observe Thy precepts at all times. Truly nothing has failed of that of which Thou hast forewarned us through Moses Thy servant, for we have broken Thy covenant and not observed Thy Commandments ”

“ This richly ornamented address was conveyed from London by a deputation of the Common Council, composed of Mr Loveridge, the mover of the resolution, Mr Alderman Nottage, and twelve or fourteen deputies. Mr Alderman Isaacs, the seconder of the resolution, was unfortunately prevented by illness from accompanying the party.
[9] The vivacity, the heartiness, the wit, the cheerful readiness of repartee with which Sir Moses Montefiore welcomed his visitors defy all description. Vital force and high animal spirits seemed heightened rather than diminished in this truly marvellous centenarian. ”

“ I do not expect to live more than ten years." "When I left," Sir Moses continues, "he shook me heartily by the hand. I sincerely wish him health, long life, and contentment. I would not sail in the yacht to Egypt for ten thousand pounds."
September 8th.—In accordance with the decision of the doctors, after several consultations, Lady Montefiore was to pass the winter at Nice, and she was strongly advised not to postpone her departure after the 19th October. ”