Bidspirit auction | Letter from Sir Moses Montefiore

Letter from Sir Moses Montefiore at Age 92! Ramsgate, 1878 * This letter bears the signature of Sir Moses Montefiore twice: once in Hebrew, written in large, clear STA”M-style script, and once in English (followed by a second rendering of his name in a different, legible English script). The name of this righteous benefactor was engraved in the hearts of the Jewish people, whom he aided and supported to the best of his ability, in every communal joy and hardship that befell them around the globe. The present letter is a letter of donation sent to the Jerusalem dayan Rabbi Avraham Eisenstein, director of the Vaad Haklali Knesses Yisrael, serving as a testament to Montefiore’s vast charitable contributions in support of the Jewish community of Jerusalem. At the time of writing, Sir Montefiore was approximately 92 years old! This is a fact visibly evident in his signatures. Letters in which Sir Moses Montefiore signed both in Hebrew and in English are more sought after than his regular letters and are not commonly found. Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) was a nobleman and British philanthropist who devoted his life to help and assist his oppressed Jewish brothers and sisters around the world. He donated colossal sums of money to Jewish charities and was especially passionate about assisting the Jewish settlements in Eretz Yisrael. Even at an advanced age, he traveled repeatedly to Eretz Yisrael, Russia, and Morocco, lobbying in royal courts and saving Jews from blood libels and various decrees. Ramsgate, Nissan 1878 Size: 12.5 x 19.5 cm. Condition: Good, with folding marks and light stains. The body of the letter was written by the renowned secretary Rabbi Eliezer HaLevi, a disciple of Maharam Benet and the Chasam Sofer, who also served as Rosh Yeshiva of Ohel Moshe V’Yehudit in Ramsgate.