Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero »

Abigail Green is Tutor and Fellow in History, Brasenose College, University of Oxford.

Humanitarian, philanthropist, and campaigner for Jewish emancipation on a grand scale, Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) was the preeminent Jewish figure of the nineteenth century—and one of the first truly global celebrities. His story, told here in full for the first time, is a remarkable and illuminating tale of diplomacy and adventure. Abigail Green's sweeping biography follows Montefiore through the realms of court and ghetto, tsar and sultan, synagogue and stock exchange.

Interweaving the public triumph of Montefiore's foreign missions with the private tragedy of his childless marriage, this book brings the diversity of nineteenth-century Jewry brilliantly to life—from London to Jerusalem, Rome to St. Petersburg, Morocco to Istanbul. Here we see the origins of Zionism and the rise of international Jewish consciousness, the faltering birth of international human rights, and the making of the modern Middle East. With the globalization and mobilization of religious identities now at the top of the political agenda, Montefiore's life story is relevant as never before.

Mining materials from eleven countries in nine languages, Green's masterly biography bridges the East-West divide in modern Jewish history, presenting the transformation of Jewish life in Europe, the Middle East, and the New World as part of a single global phenomenon. As it reestablishes Montefiore's status as a major historical player, it also restores a significant chapter to the history of our modern world.

Publishers Weekly

A world-famous humanitarian, philanthropist, and campaigner for Jewish emancipation, Sir Moses Montefiore (1784–1885) was born into London’s Sephardic merchant elite and knighted by Queen Victoria. Aided by his brother-in-law Nathan Rothschild, Montefiore made a fortune on London’s stock exchange by age 40 and dedicated the rest of his active life to aiding Jewry around the world. He sailed to the Middle East to intercede for Damascus and Rhodes Jews accused of blood libel; to St. Petersburg to lobby Czar Nicholas I for Jewish emancipation; and to the Vatican to plead for the release of Edgardo Mortara, a Jewish Bolognese boy seized by the Catholic Church after a forced baptism. The private Montefiore painted by Green is not without warts. Though happy in his marriage, he may have fathered several illegitimate children, and the Orthodox Montefiore cut a brother off for joining a Reform synagogue. An Oxford history fellow and descendant of Montefiore’s nephew, Green offers a perceptive, solidly researched biography with expressive period illustrations attesting to Montefiore’s global celebrity. His image graced the cover of Harper’s Weekly for his 99th birthday. 46 b&w photos, 4 maps. (Mar.)