Moses Haim Montefiore

Sir Moses Montefiore (October 24, 1784-July 28, 1885) was probably the most famous British-Jew in the 19th century. Montefiore was a financier, stockbroker, philanthropist and also the Sheriff of London. Born in Leghorn, Italy, Montefiore grew to be 6 ft 3 at the age of 20. Montefiore was elected as the Sheriff of London in 1837 and served until 1838. Montefiore was knighted that same year by Queen Victoria and received a baronetcy in 1846 in addition to his services to humanitarian causes on behalf of the Jewish people.

He was president of the British Board of Deputies from 1835-1874, a period of 29 years, the longest tenure ever. Montefiore's 100th birthday was celebrated as a national event in his native Britain and by the Jewish community in Palestine.

A major source of information about the Jewish community in Palestine during the 19th century is a sequence of censuses commissioned by Montefiore, in 1839, 1849, 1855, 1866 and 1875. The censuses attempted to list every Jew individually, together with some biographical and social information (such as their family structure, place of origin, and degree of poverty).