Montefiore's Windmill

• Who paid for Montefiore’s windmill? (See http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/jerusalem/jer055.htm
  for several pictures.)
• In 1836 Lady Judith Montifiore kept a journal of her journey with her husband, Sir Moses Montefiore, from England to the Land of Israel. It’s full of surprising descriptions of travel through Europe, communities along the way, and Jewish communities 180 years ago in what is now the State of Israel. A savvy publisher could sell a good many copies, but for now you can find it only in a rew rare book collections.
• From the journal, it is clear that her husband gave large amounts of money to Jewish communities often for projects to provide employment. The story goes that he had the windmill built outside the walls of Jerusalem both to provide employment and to lower the price of flour. It seems, though, that he did it with money contributed by Judah Touro from New Orleans.
• Did the windmill provide employment? Did it ever grind grain? For a long time it was thought that the Windmill never worked, but in fact it does seem to have been operational for several years until a new steam mill, in the German Colony less than half a mile away, undercut its prices.
• For a wonderful song about Moses Montefiore see http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/jnf/jerusalem/jersong/montifiore/montisong.htm where you'[ll find a rhymed English version of the lyrics and a link that lets you hear Yehoram Gaon singing the Hebrew version.
• From the overpass near the Cable Car Museum you get a good view of the windmill. See http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/jerusalem-cable-car.html
• See also http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/my-jerusalem-neighborhood.html http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/windmills_19.html

Copyright 2006 Jane S. Fox