Moses Montefiore’s remains may be removed from Ramsgate and reburied in Jerusalem

I guess most locals know Moses Montefiore built a mausoleum in Ramsgate and that is where he and his wife are buried.

Here is the link to the news article http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/78569/moses-montefiore-may-be-reburied

The mausoleum will be open on Sunday as part of the weekend of heritage building openings, here is the link to information about the opening http://thanetpress.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/montefiore-synagogue-open-day-sunday.html

I may write some more about this, I guess it is a complex issue with implications for the synagogue in Ramsgate.

Visit Open Day tomorrow, open from 9.30am to 2.00pm, and sign protest against removal of Sir Moses and Judith Montefiore remains from Ramsgate.   

Are Thanet District Council Anti-Semitic and against multi-culturalism?

There are various historic buildings open in Thanet this weekend; among them are several places of worship.

There is a link on the councils homepage called “Heritage Open Days come to Margate” this takes you to the following page http://www.thanet.gov.uk/news/latest-press-releases/heritage-open-days.aspx St. John’s Parish Church and Margate Baptist Church but nothing about the two Thanet synagogues that are open this weekend; Montefiore Synagogue and Thanet & District Reform Synagogue.

Strangely enough the other historic buildings that are open in Ramsgate aren’t mentioned either St George's Church and The Grange, so perhaps the council are just Anti-Ramsgate and not Anti-Semitic, these things are a bit difficult to decode from the signals that come from the council.

I don’t think there is any way the council didn’t know about these buildings being open as this is an annual thing, indeed councillors and council officers go and look at the buildings and I have met some of them there.

I also posted about these buildings being open at http://thanetonline.blogspot.com/2010/09/ramsgate-heritage-open-days-2010-10-12.html and I know that some of the local councillors and council officers read this blog, so presumably they must have known about it that way too.

Anyway I have made an official complaint to the council that they have behaved Anti-Semitically, as I believe councils are supposed to behave multiculturally.

This is particularly important in this instance as Moses Montefiore was one of the most prominent forerunners of multi-culturalism in the UK and his relationship with this country was vital to the forming of the multi-cultural society we enjoy today.

THE MONTEFIORE ENDOWMENT AT RAMSGATE Charity 230919

On of my customers drew my attention to the above notices, Moses Montefiore set up an endowment trust to protect the synagogue in Ramsgate where he and his wife are buried and to protect the land surrounding it so that it remained quiet and peaceful.

Not being lawyers but both being wary of public notices it seemed a good idea to draw people’s attention to them.

Notices published
Jewish Chronicle 12.10.2007
KM extra 26.10.2007