Mausoleum Of Sir Moses And Lady Judith Montefiore

The mausoleum of Sir Moses and Lady Judith Montefiore, built in 1862, is likely the work of David Mocatta. Constructed from painted stone, it takes the form of a domed rectangle with a west-facing porch, the entire structure heavily rusticated, including the dome. The entrance porch features iron grilles to the side arches, weighty impost blocks, and ornate cast-iron gates. A Hebrew inscription, taken from the Jewish prayer Adon Olam ('Into His hands my spirit I consign'), is positioned above the doorway. The exterior also includes fine cast iron downpipes with anthemion enriched brackets and hoppers, set within a low brick wall with spear-headed railings and scrolled brackets. A pillar-like block of pink granite from the Holy Land stands within the railed area, to the rear of the synagogue.

Inside, a panelled door with fretwork iron grilles leads to an encaustic tiled floor throughout. The interior is top-lit, with coloured glass arranged in a star pattern within the oculus. A roll mould adorns the base of the dome, and pendentives form the corners, leading to depressed arches in the walls. Two large slabs of polished pink granite serve as tombs, bearing Hebrew (and, for Sir Moses, English) inscriptions, set within fretted bronze surrounds. A suspended lamp is currently missing. Hebrew and English painted inscription panels are hung on the walls.

This mausoleum was built to house the remains of Judith (née Cohen), wife of Sir Moses Montefiore, a prominent figure in the integration of the Jewish community into English society. She died in 1862, and the design of the tomb was based on the medieval shrine over the tomb of Rachel, near Bethlehem, which the Montefiores had visited and restored. The granite column at the rear reflects the original tomb of Rachel, the earliest monument referenced in the Old Testament. This results in a unique mausoleum inspired by biblical themes and described as ‘an outstanding example of applied oriental historicism to Victorian architecture’. The mausoleum possesses strong group value with the adjoining synagogue, together creating a distinctive Jewish enclave in Britain. Sir Moses and Lady Judith Montefiore resided nearby in Eastcliff Lodge, which has since been demolished; a theological college founded in her memory, also located nearby, is now gone.