WEBVTT
1
00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.879
Welcome to the Scottish Right Journal podcast and audio presentation
2
00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.839
of the Scottish Righte Journal, brought to you by the
3
00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.880
Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction Mother Supreme
4
00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:16.519
Council of the World. This week's article is Sir Moses Montefiori,
5
00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:22.960
Freemason visiting the Montefiori Synagogue, Ramsgate, England, by Brother Jonathan R. Corbett,
6
00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:26.359
Master Mason and read by Brother Hank Griffin, thirty second
7
00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:29.879
degree k c H and comes from the November December
8
00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:33.119
twenty twenty five issue of the Scottish Rite Journal.
9
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:39.000
Great lights are born in every age, and in this
10
00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:43.679
spirit we recall the long and wonderful life of Sir
11
00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:48.280
Moses Montefiore seventeen eighty four to eighteen eighty five and
12
00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:54.560
enthusiastic freemason of Sephardi heritage. Sir Moses hailed from the
13
00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:59.240
Tuscan city of Liverona, renowned for its spirit of tolerance,
14
00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.759
where you bush communal life had been well established since
15
00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.959
the late sixteenth century. He visited the Holy Land no
16
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.480
fewer than seven times, where both his time and assets
17
00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:17.159
were generously allocated to alleviate grinding poverty. Imbued with love
18
00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:22.120
and passion for Jerusalem, Sir Moses was instrumental in providing charity,
19
00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:26.799
uplift and practical help for all in the ancient capital
20
00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:32.000
and beyond. His pioneering work helped lay firm foundations for
21
00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:36.319
the renewal of the city and the country. His love
22
00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:41.439
for humanity saw expression in his respect, compassion, and understanding
23
00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:46.319
for all. Having secured an elusive license to trade, Sir
24
00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:50.920
Moses acquired considerable wealth on the London Stock Exchange, and
25
00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.599
upon turning age forty in eighteen twenty four, he was
26
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.400
able to retire from active business. Striving tirelessly for truth
27
00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:03.840
and justice, he devoted his time to social issues in England,
28
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:09.759
while also supporting Jewish communities in Russia, Italy, Romania, Morocco
29
00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.400
and the Ottoman Empire. United by Queen Victoria in eighteen
30
00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:17.599
thirty eight, he was raised in eighteen forty six to
31
00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:22.080
the rank of Baron, received with honor by kings and
32
00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:26.479
potentates as an official representative of the crown. He calls
33
00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:29.800
to mind these words of wisdom and Proverbs twenty two
34
00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:34.280
twenty nine, seest thou a man diligent in his business?
35
00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:39.240
He shall stand before Kings. In eighteen thirty one, Monty,
36
00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:43.240
as his wife Judith affectionately called him, bought Eastcliff Lodge,
37
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.159
near the Kentish port of Ramsgate, a modern Gothic style
38
00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:50.840
country villa on a large estate with a view overlooking
39
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:56.240
the sea. Nestled in England's southeast corner, this coastal retreat
40
00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:59.599
provided the couple with much needed respite and a place
41
00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:04.199
of reflection from the hustle and bustle of London. Ambling
42
00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:08.039
along Honeysuckle Road, a stone's throw away from where their
43
00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:12.599
villa once stood, I was greeted by the melifiluriously entrancing
44
00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:17.199
sounds of woodfowl in the verdant canopy above. How serene
45
00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:20.599
and beautiful it must have been for the couple to
46
00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:25.120
have followed this very path every Saturday morning without the
47
00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:31.199
imposing audio intrusions of today's modern world. Typical of the
48
00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:35.199
English gentry at the time, the Montefiorees too desired their
49
00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:39.479
own private chapel and engaged David Alfred Macatta, who had
50
00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.800
studied in London for five years under brother Sir John Swayne,
51
00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:48.039
a cousin of Monty and the first ever Anglo Jewish
52
00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:52.680
architect David designed and built the Estate Synagogue, a plain
53
00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:58.479
but dignified Regency style building, rectangular in plan, with whitewashed
54
00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:03.319
stucco walls and a unique chiming clock on its facade.
55
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:07.159
At a private ceremony on July thirty, eighteen thirty one,
56
00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:11.360
following the Sabbath, Sir Moses placed the first two bricks
57
00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:15.240
of the escolon and sprinkled Terra Santa nearest to where
58
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:19.519
the Holy Ark would later reside. With mortar spread. He
59
00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:23.399
fixed the bricks to prosper this undertaking and to bless
60
00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:27.759
all those assembled. The foundation stone was laid shortly after
61
00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:32.839
on August nine, with construction spanning two years. Set within
62
00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:37.800
a semicircular porchway or alcove in the east, resides the
63
00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:42.240
Holy Arc, guarded by two tapered doors, and flanked, perhaps
64
00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:47.000
in memory of King Solomon's Temple, by two robust columns
65
00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:53.240
two interior pillars, their capitals adorned with symbolic Egyptian lotus buds,
66
00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:58.000
are crowned by a regal pediment. The small prayer hal
67
00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:01.600
is seated with oak pews, and in the center stands
68
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:05.279
the reader's desk, where the weekly portion of the torah
69
00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:10.279
would be intoned, defined by canted corners. The walls of
70
00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:15.160
the splendid interior are lined with pink, gray and cream marble.
71
00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.879
The visitor's attention is drawn to the stained glass windows above,
72
00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:25.040
while candle operas and chandeliers supplement the natural light, with
73
00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:29.759
the additional illumination being provided by an octagonal linen shaped
74
00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:34.759
skylight of red and opaque glass. The upper gallery, beckoning
75
00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:39.160
on to the sanctuary below, features a masher rabia like
76
00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:45.199
latticed screen. An almost translucent window above the holy art
77
00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:49.920
displays the tablets of the Decalogue, resplendent in their full
78
00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:54.639
majesty by the light of the early morn. In eighteen
79
00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.600
eighty four, a local holiday was declared in Ramsgate in
80
00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.839
celebration of Sirmo Moses attaining his one hundredth year. The
81
00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:08.160
streets were festooned with fancy flags and lights. Queen Victorious
82
00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:12.399
in her beloved lifelong friend a telegram from Biomoral Castle
83
00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:19.399
expressing her heartfelt congratulations. The festive mood was further enhanced
84
00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:23.920
by the provision of relief to needy townsfolk. An official
85
00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:27.000
banquet was held at the town hall, and later that
86
00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:31.959
evening a torchlit procession headed to the Montefiori residence, where
87
00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:36.279
from his bedroom window Sir Moses could view a fireworks
88
00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:40.279
display in his honor. Brother Moses was initiated at the
89
00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:44.439
Memorial Lodge number ninety two in London in eighteen twelve.
90
00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.639
Just ten years earlier, his brother in law Nathan Meyer
91
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:52.959
Rothschild was initiated in emulation Lodge number twelve of the
92
00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:57.839
Premier Grand Lodge of England. Mason's the world over since
93
00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:02.399
Sir Moses their birthday greetings and ten testimonials. One such
94
00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:06.120
was received from the worshipful Company of Merchant Tailors of
95
00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:09.480
the Fraternity of Saint John the Baptist, to which Sir
96
00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:13.759
Moses had donated funds to purchase a medal for excellence
97
00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:19.079
in the Classics and Hebrew. Sir Moses also wrote a
98
00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:22.879
long and emotional letter expressing his thanks to the Lodge
99
00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:27.199
of Israel number two five in London, which by resolution
100
00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:30.360
was printed and sent to every member of the Love
101
00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:36.120
In July eighteen eighty five. Sir Moses, his life marked
102
00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:42.079
by strength, measured by perseverance, and lived to completion, departed
103
00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:46.439
this ram likened to a heavenly light guided by wisdom
104
00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:52.879
he succeeded in his undertakings, overcoming the vicissitudes of the age.
105
00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:59.600
Exemplary and conduct considerate in thought ISAs inactions, His soul
106
00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:04.959
a candle of the divine, a glow radiated that unique
107
00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:10.399
beauty within to the world, without repairing a place where
108
00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:15.600
the glorious presence of Deity and dwell.
109
00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.480
Like and share this article and don't forget to subscribe
110
00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.920
to the channel. If you wish to comment, please leave
111
00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:24.439
one and as a reminder, hit the notifications bell. Any
112
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:28.160
accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found
113
00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:31.600
in the corresponding print edition. The Scottish Right Journal is
114
00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:34.679
published by the Supreme Council of the Scottish Righte Southern
115
00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:39.440
Jurisdiction Mother Supreme Council of the World. Mark Dreisenstock, thirty
116
00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:42.320
third degree, Managing Editor, Thanks for listening.
1
00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.879
Welcome to the Scottish Right Journal podcast and audio presentation
2
00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.839
of the Scottish Righte Journal, brought to you by the
3
00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.880
Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction Mother Supreme
4
00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:16.519
Council of the World. This week's article is Sir Moses Montefiori,
5
00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:22.960
Freemason visiting the Montefiori Synagogue, Ramsgate, England, by Brother Jonathan R. Corbett,
6
00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:26.359
Master Mason and read by Brother Hank Griffin, thirty second
7
00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:29.879
degree k c H and comes from the November December
8
00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:33.119
twenty twenty five issue of the Scottish Rite Journal.
9
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:39.000
Great lights are born in every age, and in this
10
00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:43.679
spirit we recall the long and wonderful life of Sir
11
00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:48.280
Moses Montefiore seventeen eighty four to eighteen eighty five and
12
00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:54.560
enthusiastic freemason of Sephardi heritage. Sir Moses hailed from the
13
00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:59.240
Tuscan city of Liverona, renowned for its spirit of tolerance,
14
00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.759
where you bush communal life had been well established since
15
00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.959
the late sixteenth century. He visited the Holy Land no
16
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.480
fewer than seven times, where both his time and assets
17
00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:17.159
were generously allocated to alleviate grinding poverty. Imbued with love
18
00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:22.120
and passion for Jerusalem, Sir Moses was instrumental in providing charity,
19
00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:26.799
uplift and practical help for all in the ancient capital
20
00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:32.000
and beyond. His pioneering work helped lay firm foundations for
21
00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:36.319
the renewal of the city and the country. His love
22
00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:41.439
for humanity saw expression in his respect, compassion, and understanding
23
00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:46.319
for all. Having secured an elusive license to trade, Sir
24
00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:50.920
Moses acquired considerable wealth on the London Stock Exchange, and
25
00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.599
upon turning age forty in eighteen twenty four, he was
26
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.400
able to retire from active business. Striving tirelessly for truth
27
00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:03.840
and justice, he devoted his time to social issues in England,
28
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:09.759
while also supporting Jewish communities in Russia, Italy, Romania, Morocco
29
00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.400
and the Ottoman Empire. United by Queen Victoria in eighteen
30
00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:17.599
thirty eight, he was raised in eighteen forty six to
31
00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:22.080
the rank of Baron, received with honor by kings and
32
00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:26.479
potentates as an official representative of the crown. He calls
33
00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:29.800
to mind these words of wisdom and Proverbs twenty two
34
00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:34.280
twenty nine, seest thou a man diligent in his business?
35
00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:39.240
He shall stand before Kings. In eighteen thirty one, Monty,
36
00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:43.240
as his wife Judith affectionately called him, bought Eastcliff Lodge,
37
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.159
near the Kentish port of Ramsgate, a modern Gothic style
38
00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:50.840
country villa on a large estate with a view overlooking
39
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:56.240
the sea. Nestled in England's southeast corner, this coastal retreat
40
00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:59.599
provided the couple with much needed respite and a place
41
00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:04.199
of reflection from the hustle and bustle of London. Ambling
42
00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:08.039
along Honeysuckle Road, a stone's throw away from where their
43
00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:12.599
villa once stood, I was greeted by the melifiluriously entrancing
44
00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:17.199
sounds of woodfowl in the verdant canopy above. How serene
45
00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:20.599
and beautiful it must have been for the couple to
46
00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:25.120
have followed this very path every Saturday morning without the
47
00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:31.199
imposing audio intrusions of today's modern world. Typical of the
48
00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:35.199
English gentry at the time, the Montefiorees too desired their
49
00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:39.479
own private chapel and engaged David Alfred Macatta, who had
50
00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.800
studied in London for five years under brother Sir John Swayne,
51
00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:48.039
a cousin of Monty and the first ever Anglo Jewish
52
00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:52.680
architect David designed and built the Estate Synagogue, a plain
53
00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:58.479
but dignified Regency style building, rectangular in plan, with whitewashed
54
00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:03.319
stucco walls and a unique chiming clock on its facade.
55
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:07.159
At a private ceremony on July thirty, eighteen thirty one,
56
00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:11.360
following the Sabbath, Sir Moses placed the first two bricks
57
00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:15.240
of the escolon and sprinkled Terra Santa nearest to where
58
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:19.519
the Holy Ark would later reside. With mortar spread. He
59
00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:23.399
fixed the bricks to prosper this undertaking and to bless
60
00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:27.759
all those assembled. The foundation stone was laid shortly after
61
00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:32.839
on August nine, with construction spanning two years. Set within
62
00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:37.800
a semicircular porchway or alcove in the east, resides the
63
00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:42.240
Holy Arc, guarded by two tapered doors, and flanked, perhaps
64
00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:47.000
in memory of King Solomon's Temple, by two robust columns
65
00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:53.240
two interior pillars, their capitals adorned with symbolic Egyptian lotus buds,
66
00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:58.000
are crowned by a regal pediment. The small prayer hal
67
00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:01.600
is seated with oak pews, and in the center stands
68
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:05.279
the reader's desk, where the weekly portion of the torah
69
00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:10.279
would be intoned, defined by canted corners. The walls of
70
00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:15.160
the splendid interior are lined with pink, gray and cream marble.
71
00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.879
The visitor's attention is drawn to the stained glass windows above,
72
00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:25.040
while candle operas and chandeliers supplement the natural light, with
73
00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:29.759
the additional illumination being provided by an octagonal linen shaped
74
00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:34.759
skylight of red and opaque glass. The upper gallery, beckoning
75
00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:39.160
on to the sanctuary below, features a masher rabia like
76
00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:45.199
latticed screen. An almost translucent window above the holy art
77
00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:49.920
displays the tablets of the Decalogue, resplendent in their full
78
00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:54.639
majesty by the light of the early morn. In eighteen
79
00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.600
eighty four, a local holiday was declared in Ramsgate in
80
00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.839
celebration of Sirmo Moses attaining his one hundredth year. The
81
00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:08.160
streets were festooned with fancy flags and lights. Queen Victorious
82
00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:12.399
in her beloved lifelong friend a telegram from Biomoral Castle
83
00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:19.399
expressing her heartfelt congratulations. The festive mood was further enhanced
84
00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:23.920
by the provision of relief to needy townsfolk. An official
85
00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:27.000
banquet was held at the town hall, and later that
86
00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:31.959
evening a torchlit procession headed to the Montefiori residence, where
87
00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:36.279
from his bedroom window Sir Moses could view a fireworks
88
00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:40.279
display in his honor. Brother Moses was initiated at the
89
00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:44.439
Memorial Lodge number ninety two in London in eighteen twelve.
90
00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.639
Just ten years earlier, his brother in law Nathan Meyer
91
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:52.959
Rothschild was initiated in emulation Lodge number twelve of the
92
00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:57.839
Premier Grand Lodge of England. Mason's the world over since
93
00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:02.399
Sir Moses their birthday greetings and ten testimonials. One such
94
00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:06.120
was received from the worshipful Company of Merchant Tailors of
95
00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:09.480
the Fraternity of Saint John the Baptist, to which Sir
96
00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:13.759
Moses had donated funds to purchase a medal for excellence
97
00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:19.079
in the Classics and Hebrew. Sir Moses also wrote a
98
00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:22.879
long and emotional letter expressing his thanks to the Lodge
99
00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:27.199
of Israel number two five in London, which by resolution
100
00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:30.360
was printed and sent to every member of the Love
101
00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:36.120
In July eighteen eighty five. Sir Moses, his life marked
102
00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:42.079
by strength, measured by perseverance, and lived to completion, departed
103
00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:46.439
this ram likened to a heavenly light guided by wisdom
104
00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:52.879
he succeeded in his undertakings, overcoming the vicissitudes of the age.
105
00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:59.600
Exemplary and conduct considerate in thought ISAs inactions, His soul
106
00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:04.959
a candle of the divine, a glow radiated that unique
107
00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:10.399
beauty within to the world, without repairing a place where
108
00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:15.600
the glorious presence of Deity and dwell.
109
00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.480
Like and share this article and don't forget to subscribe
110
00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.920
to the channel. If you wish to comment, please leave
111
00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:24.439
one and as a reminder, hit the notifications bell. Any
112
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:28.160
accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found
113
00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:31.600
in the corresponding print edition. The Scottish Right Journal is
114
00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:34.679
published by the Supreme Council of the Scottish Righte Southern
115
00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:39.440
Jurisdiction Mother Supreme Council of the World. Mark Dreisenstock, thirty
116
00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:42.320
third degree, Managing Editor, Thanks for listening.
