Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) was a British philanthropist who is best known for his efforts to help downtrodden Jews around the world.

Montefiore submitted a plan for Jewish settlement in Palestine to the Pashi of Egypt. He visited Russian twice, and obtained assurance from the Czars that Russian Jews would be treated fairly. He went to Rome to intervene in the case of the forced baptism of Mortara. He spoke with the Sultan of Morocco and the Prince of Romania about the persecution of Jews their countries. 

Montefiore visited Palestine seven times, and he endowed there a number of hospitals and other institutions. When he saw the deplorable living conditions in the Old City of Jerusalem, he gave money to start new neighbors. The first new neighborhood built by Montefiore outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City is called Mishkanot Shaananim. These new Jerusalem neighborhoods, outside the walls of the Old City, forever changed the Jerusalem landscape. 

Throughout his life he supported Jewish scholars and Jewish learning. He also fought discrimination between Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews, and worked to promote Jewish unity.