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Regulations of the Pious Montefiore Institute, approved by the Comitato che da questa 8’intitola li 26 Gannaio 1869. The regulations are comprised of eight parts, each subdivided into several articles. The first part is on the scope of the Institute, described in the first article as addressing the needs of the Jewish young in Trieste to learn an art or trade (Lo scopo di questa Pia Istituzione si è qyello di indirizzare giovani israeliti di Trieste all’spprendimento ed esercizo di un arte o mestiere).
The Pia Istituzione Montefiore is named for Sir Moses Montefiore (1784–1885) a great philanthropist and champion of Jewish rights was the most famous Anglo-Jew of the 19th century. Montefiore was, from 1827, after his first visit to Erez Israel, until the end of his life, a strictly observant Jew. His determined opposition checked the growth of the Reform movement in England. He has been described as the last of the shtadlanim who by their personal standing with their governments were able to further the cause of Jews elsewhere. He was active as such from the time of the Damascus Affair in 1840. He made trips to Russia to persuade the authorities to alleviate persecution of the Jewish population, and went to Morocco, Rumania, and Turkey for the same purpose, not deterred by fears of slavery and imprisonment which then beset travelers in the East, or by breaking ice or by wolves in Russia. Montefiore was sheriff of London in 1837–38 and was knighted by Queen Victoria on her first visit to the City. He received a baronetcy in 1846 in recognition of his humanitarian efforts on behalf of his fellow Jews. His 100th birthday was celebrated as a public holiday by Jewish communities the world over.
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