"I am researching Claude Montefiore's life in depth for a book, and each time I find a new detail I am more and more surprised by the range of his work. 

I have known Montefiore through my life in Liberal Judaism as one of the "Three Ms", who founded our movement. Quite simply, he was a remarkable Enqlish Jew. As well as founding Liberal Judaism, he served as the first president of my congregation, the Liberal Jewish Synagogue (US) and president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, working with Lily Montagu. He also supported West London Synagogue. He was a most generous philanthropist, including to the Froebel Institute and to University College, Southampton, of which he was also the president. 

Montefiore did not have any academic post, but as a layman was a scholar of Judaism and Christianity and made notable contributions in explaining the latter to Jews.

Early in his career he was chosen to give the Hibbert and Jowett Lectures, and was a founder of the London Society for the Study of Religion. He wrote numerous publications; well-known books are The Synoptic Gospels, The Bible for Home Reading and A Rabbinic Anthology. He co-edited the Jewish Quarterly Review. 

He was president of the Anglo Jewish Association and of the Jewish Historical Society of England and was a prominent member of the Council of the Jewish Colonization Association. Montefiore abandoned his youthful idea of being a rabbi, but he often delivered inspiring sermons. I am impressed by his devoted work for the bodies countering international trafficking of women. 

At his death in 1938, tributes were paid to Montefiore's ideas, theology and humanity. The more I research him, the more I can see why."