#montefiore windmill

[unravelingjerusalem-blog]

[jewishvirtuallibrary-blog]

The Montefiore Windmill in the Mishkenot Sha'ananim neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel; 2013. x

The Montefiore windmill and the surrounding neighborhood of Mishkenot Sha'ananim were both funded by the British Jewish philanthropist Moses Montefiore.  The construction of the mill was part of a program to enable the Jewish community of the region to become self-supporting. Montefiore also built a printing press and a textile factory, and he attempted to acquire land for Jewish cultivation, but was hampered by Ottoman restrictions on land sale to non-Muslims.

Although the mill was not reliable as wind conditions in Jerusalem could not guarantee its continued operation and there were usually no more than 20 days a year with strong enough breezes for it to operate, the mill was used for nearly two decades until the first steam-powered mill was completed in Jerusalem in 1878.

By the late 19th century the mill was abandoned and it was not until the 1930s that it was cosmetically restored.  During the blockade of Jerusalem in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jewish fighters built an observation post at the top of the tower. As a result, British authorities ordered the windmill be blown up but, by chance, the unit tasked with destroying the windmill happened to be from Ramsgate, home to Montefiore's long-time residence. When the soldiers observed the name of their hometown next to Montefiore's on a plaque displayed on the building, they "re-interpreted" their orders and blew up only the observation post at the top of the tower, rather than the entire structure.  The windmill was completely restored in 2012 and today houses a small museum dedicated to the work of Moses Montefiore.

[unravelingjerusalem-blog]

View of the Old City and Southeast Jerusalem from Mishkenot Sha’ananim.