There is a dispute regarding where the final resting place of Sir Moses Chaim Montefiore and his wife should be. Descendents of the philanthropist and the mayor of Ramsgate in the UK do not see eye to eye. Montefiore was niftar in 1885, in his 101st year.
He was buried in a mausoleum alongside his wife in Ramsgate. He was a man who dedicated himself to helping Jews worldwide, especially in Eretz Yisrael. His attachment to Israel was known and today, there are descendants who insist that it was his wish to be interred in the Holy Land.
However, the mayor also stands at the head of the organization that perpetuates his legacy, and he and his supporters insist the family is wrong, and the late British citizen wanted to be buried where he lived. The mayor explains that at that time, Israel was Palestine and he never expressed any desire to be buried there.
Some descendents wish to have their remains transferred to Israel for kvura next to the Jerusalem windmill he built to provide employment, a windmill that bears his name. The Yemin Moshe windmill also providing inexpensive flour for the poor.
According to Simon Sebag Montefiore, Moses Montefiore was a Zionist before the word was created, and he was a staunch advocate of Jews returning home. He was there seven times and I think he should go back for an eighth and final time he explained.
(YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Rav Moshe wrote on this in 1978:
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Check your spelling: descendants
the Jerusalem windmill he built to provide employment, a windmill that bears his name. The Yemin Moshe windmill also providing inexpensive flour for the poor.
The windmill never provided a single bag of flour. It was a stupid idea, and absolutely typical of Montefiore; he didn’t think of doing a wind study before wasting the money to build it.
#1, According to this story it’s his descendants who want to move him, which makes the teshuvah you quote moot.
AS far as i am aware, Moses had no children.
anyway, to get the body out of england will be difficult as the Kehilla in London will NOT let it go!
as far as i know he has no descendants. was he not niftar with no children???. in england he has a mass gathering going to him every year on his yahrzeit even in the summer holidays. in e”y he will not get anywhere near as respactable pilgrimage.
And in english that means?
They want to move his mes along with his wife to sell the land to make money on it. The was or is a kollel and the a developer want to buy it.This is discussing
Sir Moses had no children and his principal heir in both name and property was a nephew, Joseph Sebag Montefiore.
just saying…
Care to translate a brief summary?
Please note that Sir Moses Montefiore never had any children. Therefore this headline is in error.
Brief Summar of Rav Moshe:
He was asked by the rabbanim in England about moving he remains of Moses Montefiore and his wife to Israel. Rav Moshe said that it was prohibited for two reasons:
1) Only descendants can opt to rebury their ancestor’s body. Non-descendants have no business worrying about one distinguished person’s body over another’s.
2) Montefiore knew that being buried in Israel was an option, but CHOSE to be buried in England. Furthermore, he could have moved to Israel in his old age to ensure he would be buried there. Given his demonstrated will to be buried in England, no one has the right to rewrite history and violate Montefiore’s will.