Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-08-13
The Hebrew PhiIanthro,pist.

The Hebrew Philanthropist.
Sketch of the Life and Character OF
Sir Moses Montefiore.
Moaes Montefore, who died at
Ramsgate, England. on the2Sth July,
: was the son of Joseph Elias and Ra.
chsl 1[ontefore, and was born in Leg.
horn in 1884, whittier the father and
mother had gone from England on q
visit. The family of the Monte6ores
Eamone the jews was one Of old stand
ling, as they had settled inLondon in
Oliver Cronwell's time. Moses Mon.
tefole g entrance into business was as
q clerk in g wholesale tea and grocery
house, and here hegained his first
commercial experiences. Some few
years elapsed when Moses Mon.s6ors
became q stock broker Aided by his
lWife' . connections, somewhat asaosat.
sts as ls6ecsss
Twas ID 6ieaIa his aather3
died, leaving q hand daome fortune.
The cor had now accumulated some
wealth, and in 1926 Moses Monte6ors
retired from business. Early in life
his heart had been touched BY the
| miserablescondition Of his people, the
Jews, abroad, and he had long nur.
tured plans for redresaing it. In !
England there were many wrongs the
Jews suffered from. Immensely con-
servative, an enemy to ali sudden
transitions, Moses Montefore for more
than three quarters of a century
worked for the freedom of his people. |
1t was in 1928 that Moses Monte6ore |
set in motion the struggle for Jewish
emancipation, for then, according to
Eaglish statutes, "a Jew was prevent.
ed from sitting in Parliament, hold.
ing any Office, civil or military, un.
der the Grown, or any situation in
corporate bodies" With the repeal
OF the test and corporation Acts in
1928, associated with Nathan Roth.
echild and Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, an
endeavor was made by Monte6ore to
remove Jewish diaqualifcations, but
the movement bore no fruit. The aei. {
tstion Was. however, continued, when, |
in 1881. Montefore became candi.
date for the Shrievalty and was elect. t
ed. Before him, David Solomon, q /
Jew, held the same position, bill {
having been passed in 1885 enabling !
him to serve. Heading two deputa. Fl
lions offering their congratulations to b
;he Queen, Moses Montefore was b
Though in after life Sir g
Moses may be said to have left the il
-esAls 5alp snu rug7su Jsw1 ag rEfT
as his N ical or social aspirations
went, in stronger and perhaps more
energetic hands than his own, be now
devoted himself to the noblest of all
causes, that OF human charity. If
what this good man did for his own
people is the more salient, it should
be borne in mind that his charities
were general. The money he was
possessed Of he gave freely to all
creeds. There never was a cry Of
want or misery that reached his cara
from any part of the world that did
not touch his sympathies. Those acts
Of benefcence which remain unher-
aided far surpass in number and nu.
nificence those the world ia best ac-
quainted with. In 1927 Sir Moses,
accompanied by his wife, made his
first voyage to the East. This led to
an intimacy between the phllanthrop.
list and Mehemit Ali, and when in
after years Said Pasha sent his son
Tousson to England, Sir Moses was
his guardian. On this visit the de-
plorable condition of the Jews at Je.
rusalem attracted the philanthropist's
attention. Without distinction Of
creed the wants Of the needy were
relieved. From this time on the life
of Sir Noses Monteiore was spent in
arresting that march Of intolerancy
and .bigotry which oppressed the Jews
in Asia, Morocco, Italy, Roumania
and Russia. No journey was too
long for him. Up to bis eighth decade
HIS activity was ceaseless. In 1865
there had been cholera in Jerusalem,
and the fell scourge had left starVa-
ton and misery behind it. Sir Moses
In sGG 1861 proceeded Z The East te per.
sonally apply charitable fund which
he had been instrumental in raising.
In 1872 Sir Moses went to Russia, hia
second visit there, with an address Of
congratnlation to that illfated En-
peror, Alexander II. The seventh
Journey to Jerusalem was made in
1874. Old as he was, at time when
most men if not physically at least
mentally are incapable Of continued
exertion. the energies Of Sir Moses
Moatefore never tagged. During
the late Russo Turkish war, when the
fate of so many Jews was involved,
he offered in connection with the