28 July 1885 – 16 Av 5645
Moses Montefiore – the most famous British Jew in history and one of the most admired in his own day – died at the age of 101. Montefiore was best known for his generous donations to the Jewish community of Jerusalem, as a result of which the neighborhoods of Meah Shearim and Yemin Moshe with its famous windmill were established outside the Old City walls. Most of the funding for Montefiore’s philanthropic projects were not actually his own, but were entrusted to him by others, such as American magnate Judah Touro, on the understanding that he would know how best to use them for the benefit of Jewish Jerusalem. Montefiore made seven visits to the Holy Land in his lifetime – often accompanied by his wife, Judith – an unusual achievement for a time when travel in general, and especially to the Levant, was considered a dangerous undertaking. Most Jews didn’t even dream of ever visiting Zion. In 1875, Montefiore visited Jerusalem for the last time, aged 90, and was able to take pride in the changes his and others’ efforts had wrought. A life-span exceeding a hundred years was so unusual at the time that Montefiore’s hundredth birthday was reported in all the British papers – as was his death the following year. Jews the world over mourned and eulogized him, and even Queen Victoria wrote next day in her diary:
“Good old Sir Moses Montefiore died today in his 101rst year, having still sent Beatrice a beautiful silver tea service & tray.”
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