Montefiore Endowment – Preserving and developing the legacy of Sir Moses Montefiore

Browse the beautiful collections

The Montefiore Collections include items and papers once belonging to Sir Moses as well as manuscripts, books, silver and vestments.

Montefiore Testimonials

Over 400 of which have been digitised and published online, were sent as tributes to Sir Moses from all over the world, mostly on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

The Montefiore Censuses,

Published here online, were compiled between 1839 and 1875 and cover the Jewish inhabitants of the Holy Land, Alexandria, Sidon and Beirut.

The College

The Montefiore College, established by Sir Moses in memory of his wife Judith who died in 1866, runs programmes of advanced Torah education. Its Semicha course was established to produce a new generation of rabbis for the Anglo-Jewish community. Fifteen of its students have already graduated as rabbis; and new courses start every four years, or more frequently according to demand. A third intake commenced their studies in November 2013.
Its Dayanut course, delivered at the Montefiore College in London by Eretz Hemdah, Jerusalem, is now preparing some twenty qualified senior rabbis in the English-speaking world and beyond with advanced halachic knowledge in the topics of Marriage, Divorce and Conversion for Semicha 'Yadin Yadin for the Diaspora'. The Gap-Year Fellowship Scheme assists school leavers to spend a year in yeshiva/seminary in Jerusalem.

Sir Moses

The life and times of Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart., described at the peak of Britain's imperial power as "the most famous Jew in the world"; the history and the current activities of the Montefiore Endowment, which has continued until now to administer Sir Moses's bequest in accordance with British Charity Law and in a manner that its trustees are confident he would have approved; and the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation, London of which Sir Moses was a member - the oldest synagogue in England and the one which he led for many years.

The Montefiore Synagogue and Mausoleum in Ramsgate. Information and how to book visits.

The Collections

The Montefiore Collections include items and papers once belonging to Sir Moses as well as manuscripts, books, silver and vestments from the Montefiore College and Synagogue.
Montefiore Testimonials. Over 400 of which have been digitised and published online, were sent as tributes to Sir Moses from all over the world, mostly on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
The Montefiore Censuses, published here online, were compiled between 1839 and 1875 and cover the Jewish inhabitants of the Holy Land, Alexandria, Sidon and Beirut.
NEW!Work is now in progress to catalogue the hundreds of Montefiore Petitions sent to Sir Moses from all over the world during his visits to the Holy Land.

The Montefiore Ethos

The Montefiore Endowment aims to promote the values of tolerance, social harmony and mutual understanding for wide public benefit in accordance with the teachings of the Torah and as demonstrated in the life and works of Sir Moses Montefiore. It does this through its Conferences and its planned Leadership Courses.

The Montefiore Ethos is also promoted by The Montefiore College in its Semicha Course and in the Gap-Year Fellowship Scheme

Browse Latest News Articles

Appointment as Minister to the Staines Synagogue

By Lucien Gubbay September 8, 2018 September 8, 2018 Uncategorized

Claude Vecht-Wolf, one of our semicha students, who is expected to graduate shortly, has been appointed as Minister of the Staines Synagogue, commencing on Shabbat Bereshit. Continue reading

Montefiore Dayanut Programme

By Lucien Gubbay August 6, 2018 August 6, 2018 Uncategorized

Following publicity by the Rabbinical Council of America, a further contingent of high-calibre rabbis from Australia and from the United States of America has been accepted for the next phase of the Montefiore Dayanut Programme due to start in September 2018. This programme, run in partnership with Eretz Hemdah, Jerusalem,… Continue reading

View the Semicha Programme

Link

By admin December 12, 2016 December 15, 2016 Uncategorized

Click here to view The London Montefiore Semicha Programme

Queries addressed to the Website

By Lucien Gubbay March 9, 2014 December 8, 2017 Uncategorized

Inquirers should note that the Montefiore Endowment owns, preserves and maintains its books and manuscripts in its library at 2 Ashworth Road, London W9 1JY and those on loan to the libraries of University College London. All items are listed on our website www.montefioreendowment.org.uk Items are available for inspection and… Continue reading