Lot 347
Letter from Sir Moses Montefiore – Ramsgate, 1882 – Montefiore Orchard
Letter from Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885), to R. Nathan Markus Adler – chief rabbi of the British Empire. Ramsgate (England), December 18, 1882. English.
Written by a scribe on official stationery, with Montefiore's signature.
In his letter, Sir Moses Montefiore writes to R. Adler: "
I thank you very much for the trouble you take about the Jaffa Biara [orchard];
it is a beautiful piece of ground, and I have no doubt, one of these days, as soon as a railway will be made in that neighborhood, it will become very valuable".
The letter relates to the orchard purchased by Montefiore in Jaffa in 1855. The orchard, known as Montefiore Orchard (or Montefiore Garden), referred to in this letter as "Jaffa Garden" and "Jaffa Biara" (Arabic) – is considered to be the first Jewish orchard in Eretz Israel. Over the years, the orchard knew better and worse times, encountered various difficulties and changes in the management. Many of Montefiore's colleagues, including R. Nathan Marcus Adler, attempted to arrange the sale or lease of the orchard, claiming it was unprofitable. Nevertheless, Montefiore refused to give up ownership of the orchard, which was important to him for reasons beyond profit. A railway line was indeed laid in the area several years after this letter was written (the Jaffa-Jerusalem line was officially inaugurated in 1892), and the value of the ground increased, though the orchard itself did not survive.
Montefiore, who headed the Sephardic community of London, had a long-standing friendship with R. Nathan Marcus Adler (1803-1890), the chief rabbi of the British Empire. The cordial relationship between them, which was accompanied by extensive correspondence, led to cooperation in a variety of community projects, including raising funds for the Jewish Yishuv in Eretz Israel. R. Adler, who by the power of his position as chief rabbi headed the United Synagogue, an organization that united all the orthodox communities of Britain, gathered the funds raised by the synagogues and sent them to Eretz Israel through Montefiore's representatives.
[1] folded leaf (4 written pages). Approx. 19.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Large open tear to bottom, not affecting text; tiny marginal tears.
PLEASE NOTE: Item description was shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
