English Jewish philanthropist and community worker. By age 37, he had amassed a fortune as a stockbroker and was able to retire. Henceforth, he devoted himself completely to Jewish affairs. The Jewish community in Palestine was foremost among his interests. Montefiore bought land for agricultural enterprises and encouraged Jewish settlement. He endowed hospitals, established the first girls’ school in Jerusalem, helped to provide almshouses, and built synagogues. Montefiore visited Russia twice in 1846 and in 1872, intervening on behalf of oppressed Russian Jewry with the Tsar. He traveled to Egypt and Constan-tinople to intercede in the Damascus affair, and also undertook missions to Rome, Morocco, and Romania. He was the most beloved Jewish leader of his day, and his picture hung in Jewish homes around the world. Queen Victoria knighted him in 1837, the same year he was elected Sheriff of London. Montefiore remained devoutly Orthodox in belief and practice throughout his life. Many places and institutions bear his name, such as Zikhron Moshe near Jerusalem, Shkhunat Montefiore near Tel Aviv, and Montefiore Hospital in New York.