This is a letter written by the Jewish residents of Jerusalem to Sir Moses Montefiore, requesting financial support. They explain that they are on the verge of hunger: “How will our wives, children and babies live if they are consumed by hunger?” They express their desire to work for their livelihood and request Montefiore’s help in finding work. They address Montefiore as “master, saviour... and Angel of the Lord.” The letter is not dated nor are there any signatures. It is, in fact, possible that the letter was a draft, and it is thus not known who was asked to sign or whether it was ever sent.
There are hints in this letter as to when it was written. For example, “our eyes have been longing and our ears attentive to the bells of his carriage, and our hearts have been anguished because it did not arrive” may be a reference to Montefiore’s second visit to Israel in 1839, during which he was prevented from visiting Jerusalem due to an epidemic. Likewise, the writers’ professed interest “to eat from the fruit of our toil, to work the holy land with the sweat of our brow” may relate to Montefiore’s plan during his visit to wished to lease some land from the Ottoman ruler which the Jews from Jerusalem could farm.
The letter gives us an understanding of the dire economic situation of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem in the nineteenth century and their hope that Montefiore would help them. Israel was ruled at the time by the Ottomans, however, the rulers had no interest in developing the land and taking care of its residents. The Jewish population suffered both dire living conditions and discrimination. The Jewish population of Jerusalem was comprised of Jews from the Middle East, and from the middle of the eighteenth century, European Jews who started settling in the city, many of whom lived on the Halukka funds (charity sent to the Jerusalem community from Jews in the Diaspora). These funds were not, however, sufficient, and many of the Jews lived in great poverty. This letter is an example of an attempt by the Jews of Jerusalem to receive funding for new work opportunities, which would enable them to provide a better life for their families.
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Moses Montefiore - Moses Montefiore was born on October 24, 1784 in Livorno, Italy while his parents were visiting their Italian family. The Montefiore family returned to London where Moses grew up, was educated, and began his career in business. He became one of the twelve “Jew Brokers” – Jewish merchants who had the right to trade on the London exchange. In 1812, he married Judith Cohen, whose sister was married to Nathan Mayer Rothschild. The two brothers-in-law became successful business partners, until in Moses retired from business in 1824 and began a civic career. After retiring from business, Montefiore devoted his life to philanthropy. He invested much money and effort helping Jews throughout the world, travelling to Syria, Italy, Russia, Morocco, and Romania to protect Jews from blood libels, pogroms, and other troubles. He was president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews from 1835–1874 and a member of London’s Bevis Marks Synagogue. In Israel, he is perhaps best known for building Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish neighbourhood outside the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem. He also donated large sums of money to the promotion of industry, education, and health among the Jewish community of Palestine. One of these projects was the building of a windmill that still stands next to the Yemin Moshe neighbourhood that was named after him. Sir Moses Montefiore died in 1885 at the age of 100.
