During the nineteenth century, Jewish communities had limited rights and often had to endure anti-Semitism. This inspired campaigns for ‘Emancipation’, as Jews pushed for religious and social equality. One of the most important figures in this battle for reform was Moses Montefiore (1784-1885).
Montefiore immigrated to London from Italy and quickly became one of the most powerful and influential of the maximum twelve ‘Jew Brokers’ at the Royal Exchange. In 1812, he married Judith Cohen, who was the sister-in-law of Nathan Rothschild (the Jewish broker widely recognised as ‘the Pillar of the Exchange’). Montefiore and Rothschild established the Alliance Insurance Company together. Working with Rothschild and his family allowed Montefiore to gain even more power and influence. By 1824, Montefiere had earnt enough money to retire from business and pursue his goal of representing the Jewish community.
Montefiore in Britain
Montefiore’s work representing Jewish religious interests and fighting for emancipation would eventually overshadow his success at the stock exchange. In 1835, he was appointed president of the Board of Deputies; the main representative body of British Jews. He held this position (albeit with some interruptions) until he retired in 1874. During his tenure, the Board of Deputies expanded rapidly and gained substantially increased powers. It acquired the ability to certify Jewish marriages and intervened in favour of Jewish interests during parliamentary debates on relevant subjects. Under Montefiore, the Board of Deputies became the most powerful voice of the Jewish community in Britain.
Outside the Board of Deputies, Montefiore also used his power to campaign for Jewish rights at home, including the repeal of the law which prevented openly Jewish politicians from sitting in Parliament. He also opposed the anti-Semitic restrictions which limited Jewish attendance at Cambridge colleges until 1858. Montefiore became regarded as the most passionate and important representative of British Jewry during the Victorian era.
Queen Victoria greatly admired Montefiore, referring to him as “an excellent man”. In 1837, he became the first openly Jewish knight and he was appointed a sheriff for the City of London. In 1846, Montefiore was made a baron. His 100th birthday was a major day of celebration in his hometown of Ramsgate and when he died less than a year later, he was mourned by British people of all religions.
The Damascus Affair
One of Montefiore’s most notable interventions on behalf of the Jewish community was during the Damascus Affair. In 1840, the Jewish community in Damascus were accused of ritually murdering a priest. The resulting wave of torture and arrests led to two deaths and the imprisonment of 63 Jewish children. In response, Montefiore and several other important Jewish figures travelled to Alexandria to meet the governor of Egypt, who had the surviving members of the community released instantly. They then met the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who issued a mandate which acquitted the accused Jews and recognised that their rights were inviolable.
Montefiore Fights for Emancipation around the World
In 1864, Montefiore travelled to Morocco and secured the release of two Jews falsely accused of murder and persuaded the Sultan to provide a new edict allowing Jews to enjoy “a position of perfect equality” in the country. In 1846, he travelled to Russia to meet Emperor Nicholas I and persuaded him to ease anti-Semitic legislation such as the forced resettlement of Jewish communities too close to the German border. He returned to Russia in 1872 to meet the more tolerant Tsar Alexander II. Montefiore also campaigned against the persecution of Jews in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.
Even though Montefiore’s campaigns were often superficial, dealing with immediate problems rather than having long-term impacts, they made him into a celebrity throughout the Jewish world. Montefiore’s confidence, charisma and religious belief encouraged numerous vulnerable Jewish communities to request his support.
Montefiore in Jerusalem
Montefiore visited Jerusalem on seven occasions. He first headed to the Middle East in 1827, arriving in Palestine in 1829. Moses and Judith were dismayed by the poverty and squalor which affected the Jewish communities (known as the Old Yishuv), and pledged to improve their lives as much as possible. During subsequent visits, Montefiore bought land and funded the creation of almshouses, schools, printing presses, textile factories, and even a windmill for making bread. Montefiore’s last visit was in 1875, at the age of 91. Today, there are five neighbourhoods in Israel named after Montefiore, including the famous Montefiore Quarter (Yemin Moshe) and the Montefiore Windmill remains intact. Although Montefiore was not a Zionist, his attempts to support the Old Yishuv fuelled fantasies of a safe and prosperous Jewish homeland in Israel.
Conclusion
During his long life, Moses Montefiore campaigned endlessly to improve the lives of Jews at home and abroad. Although he worked to remove the remaining restrictions on Jews in British society, his greatest work occurred abroad, where he needed to challenge more extreme and virulent forms of antisemitism. His ability at negotiating with many of the most powerful and reactionary rulers of the world provided hope and inspiration for the international Jewish community. Montefiore succeeded in using his power and influence to allow Jews all over the world a greater degree of security and independence. Montefiore’s passionate religious belief and diplomatic skills made him the representative that the Jewish people needed, as he helped to ensure that the wider world paid attention to their fight for emancipation.
By Raphael Howard, a recent Royal Holloway student.
Bibliography
David Cesarani, Disraeli: A Novel Politician (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016)
Todd M. Endelman, The Jews of Britain 1656-2000 (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002)
Jewish Virtual Library – Moses Montifiore (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/sir-moses-montefiore)
Paul Johnson, The Story of the Jews (New York: Harper Perennial, 1987)
Simon Schama, Belonging 1492-1900 (London: The Bodley Head, 2017)
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Jerusalem (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2011)
Lucien Wolf, Sir Moses Montifiore: A Centennial Biography (London: John Murray, 1884)
