Sir Moses Montefiore

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ His Excellency, the Ambassador of Great Britain, to the Sublime Porte, stated in a letter which he presented, that Sir Moses Montefiore, Mr David William Wire, and Dr Madden, English subjects and distinguished members of society, also Mr Adolphe Crémieux and Dr Louis Loewe, form a distinguished deputation to the East, for the purpose of making a thorough investigation respecting the persecutions to which the Jews have been subjected at Damascus and the island of Rhodes. ”

“ Dinners, teas, treats of every description were to be given to the aged, the poor, and the school children of various communities. Charitable institutions were raised in most parts on the Continent, bearing the name of Sir Moses Montefiore. The tide of offerings once more flowed in upon Sir Moses.
The Freemasons all over the world sent their fraternal salutations. Some of these are on scrolls, with handles to them in the form of Hebrew Pentateuch scrolls for Synagogue purposes. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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.'" ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ The English Vice-Consul had built a house with warehouses attached to it, which, he told Sir Moses, cost him £10,000. Everything had doubled in value in a few years, and houses and land could now only be bought at extravagant prices. He thought, with or without the English, there would soon be a railway to Jerusalem. Ahmed Agha Dizdar, who had brought five soldiers under his command to accompany Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore while in the Holy Land, joined their dinner party, and made them offers of valuable land. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Dear Sir Moses,—Amongst the many kind letters I have received, congratulating me on my first attempt in the House, none has so deeply touched me as yours, coming from one whose name is a household word, [294] not only in our own community, but throughout that civilised world where true philanthropy and real religion are recognised and appreciated. Your letter has made a lasting impression on me, and in the struggles of political life, praise and encouragement are not alone the rewards of success: they are the incentives to deserve and attain it. ”

“ September 19th.—Lady Montefiore had an undisturbed night, and Sir Moses left Park Lane at half past nine, attended various meetings in the city, and about half-past one he returned with the intention of going with Lady Montefiore to see the National Exhibition. But unfortunately he found her very unwell, and still in bed. The carriage had been ordered to convey them to see the Exhibition, but Sir Moses went instead to Dr Hodgkin, requesting him to call at once. ”

“ 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 ”

“ About twenty-four sat down to table, amongst whom were the Duke of Devonshire (just out of quarantine, on his return from Constantinople) , Admiral Sir Robert Stopford and his family, Captain Hyde Parker, Sir Hector Gray, Secretary of Government, Lady Stopford's sister with her daughter, the Duke's physician, and many military officers. Admiral Stopford took Lady Montefiore down to dinner, and promised to do all in his power to obtain a steamboat to take them to Jaffa. Both Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore were much pleased with their reception at the Palace. ”

“ My dear Sir Moses,—Manifold feelings of pleasure were evoked within me by the perusal of your kind letter of yesterday, enclosing a cheque for £300 towards the relief of the sufferers by the earthquake in the Island of Chios, irrespective of race or creed; pleasure at knowing that the noble heart of a friend for whom I have ever felt the highest esteem still responds to the call of suffering humanity ”

“ 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. ”

“ July 27th.—Sir Culling E. Eardly and Sir James Fergusson apprised Mr N. Moore, Consul-General at Beyrout, of the formation of the British Syrian Relief Committee. Lord Palmerston, Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, Lord John Russell, Lord Overstone, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Sir Moses Montefiore, Mr A. P. Kennard, Baron Rothschild, and many others were contributors to the fund.
"We have already," the honorary secretaries write, "by the kindness of Lord Wodehouse, Under Secretary of State, sent you a telegraphic message through the Foreign Office, authorising you to draw upon us for £1000." ”

“ 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 also had many interviews with Holman of Canterbury on matters connected with the erection of a windmill in the Holy City, and the preparation of a balance sheet of the Appeal Fund occupied a good deal of his time. But he was not permitted to devote his attentions exclusively to the Holy Land. His Highness the Pasha of Egypt, as a proof of his confidence in the kindness of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, entrusted them with the care of his son, Toussoun Pasha. ”

“ 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. ”

“ He was amiable, benevolent, and most liberal as regards religious freedom to all. We have lost a great friend. It is to England and to Englishmen a great and sudden calamity. May the Almighty, in His mercy, comfort and support our beloved Sovereign; grant her length of days, with peace, and guard her from all misfortunes.
December 17th.—Sir Moses had the satisfaction of being informed at the Foreign Office that a letter had been sent to the British Consul at Jerusalem ordering the withdrawal of the notices of the British Consul. ”

“ He was very sorry he could not see Sir Moses on Friday. Sir Moses told His Highness that he had come to take leave of him, and to inquire if he had any commands for him. The Prince said he was very sorry that he had been prevented from showing him more attention, but since the arrival of the Emperor his presence was required every quarter of an hour. Sir Moses spoke of the great desire of the Jews to be allowed to [Pg 356] purchase land, and to cultivate it themselves ”

“ 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. ”