^{The printed volume of Passover laws customs was bound together with a handwritten Haggadah containing instructions in Judeo-Persian and a poetic dedication praising Sir Moses Montefiore and Lady Judith Montefiore.}

The poetic dedication uses biblical allusions to praise Sir Moses Montefiore and Lady Judith Montefiore for their efforts towards the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Montefiore worked actively to save Persian-Jewish communities from persecution and starvation.

In time for the Passover holiday, the National Library of Israel recently discovered within its collections an unusual handwritten Haggadah containing a poem dedicated to Lady Judith Montefiore. The Haggadah, which includes instructions in Judeo-Persian for carrying out the Seder ceremony, was bound together with a printed Pesach Me'uvin, laws and customs pertaining to Passover.

According to Dr. Chaim Neria, Curator of the Haim and Hanna Solomon Judaica Collection at the National Library of Israel, “The poem is a beautiful example of a ‘melitzah’ — a classic Hebrew literary device in which phrases from the Bible, rabbinic literature, and the liturgy are woven together to create a new statement — in this case, an honorific tribute to the Montefiore couple.”

“For example, the phrase יפה נוף שרת יהודית — ‘Beautiful in loftiness is Lady Judith’ — is a play on Psalm 48:2, ‘Beautiful in its loftiness… is Mount Zion,’ while — ארךימיםבימינהיהיהנצחדורות — ‘Long life is in her right hand...’ references Proverbs 3:16.”

Neria notes that almost every line ties the couple to the physical and spiritual rebuilding of Jerusalem, which was the centerpiece of the Montefiores' legacy, including the building of Mishkenot Sha'ananim, the first modern neighborhood in Jerusalem outside the Old City walls.

“It praises the Montefiores’ work — וכשרון מעשה אשת צדקת דרישת ירושלים לטוב לבר ידי יהודית ושר משה על תאות לבם לחוק ירושלים — ‘And the skillful deeds of a righteous woman, who seeks the good of Jerusalem, [and] the hands of Judith and Sir Moses for their desire to inscribe Jerusalem’ — and refers to Ezekiel 4:1 '…take a clay tile… and inscribe the city of Jerusalem on it’ — in the sense of their having an indelible effect.”

“The line that reads וירושלים נאוה: בעל תלה בנויה — And beautiful Jerusalem built high on a hill — refers to a line in the liturgical poem אֶזְכְרָהאֱֹלהִיםוְאֶהֱמָיָה , recited on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement: בִרְאֹותִיכָל עִירעַלָּה תִלבְנּויָה — When I saw the entire city built high on a hill.”

Neria stresses that Moses Montefiore was active not only in Jerusalem but also worked to intercede, through official channels, on behalf of oppressed Jewish communities in Persia, including the crypto-Jews of Mashhad. On March 25, 1865, he wrote in his diary of the persecutions in Hamadan, "Last night I could not sleep, for I thought of my unfortunate brothers who are suffering in Persia." During a severe famine in 1871-1872, he mobilized European Jewry to save the Persian Jews from starvation. At that time, Montefiore planned to visit Persia but was prevented by ill-health; however, in 1873, he met with the Shah
of Persia at Buckingham Palace to solicit his protection for Jewish subjects. The request was met favorably. In 1876, the government reduced taxes on Jews and their living conditions improved.

The poem closes with lofty words of praise for the couple’s philanthropic leadership — צניףתפארתכם ועטרתגדולתכםיחזקלנצח — a crown of beauty and a royal diadem. However, Neria points out, “These phrases, taken from Isaiah 62:3, make clear that it is the Holy One, blessed be He, who wears these crowns. In the same way, the poem indicates that the Montefiores are carrying out the Lord’s will.”

“The poem is titled, סימן דת יהודית תאמץ — The faith of Judith shall be strengthened — but it can also be taken as a play on words: The Jewish faith shall be strengthened.” The Persian ‘melitzah’ is one of hundreds of poems, hymns, and prayers composed around the Jewish
world in Moses Montefiore’s honor during the 19th century. These often included tributes to his wife, acknowledging her charitable work.

“This is a rare — and perhaps unique — example of such a tribute from what is today Iran. It is clear that by the time this poem was written, the Jewish community in Persia felt a deep obligation to thank Moses and Judith Montefiore for all they had done for them, were heartened by the thought that Jerusalem was being rebuilt and wished to sing their praises.”
The Passover Haggadah with instructions in Judeo-Persian is part of the Ktiv collection of digitized Hebrew manuscripts at the National Library of Israel.

A curiosity: Montefiore and his connection to Oporto

Sir Moses Montefiore, a deeply observant Jew, consumed kosher Port wine for more than five decades. This fact gains particular significance in light of a relatively recent discovery by the cultural department of the Jewish Community of Oporto: in the 19th century, there existed in the city a Sephardic Jewish community originating from Morocco and Gibraltar, until recently unknown. It was this community that ensured the production and supervision of kosher wines, such as those enjoyed by Montefiore.