Israel-©-MEA-20180228-(C285)-Historical-Icons-of-Israel–Montefiore-Windmill
Historical Icons of Israel –Montefiore Windmill
The Montefiore Windmill, built by English Jewish philanthropist Moses Montefiore, was one of the first structures to be erected outside the borders of Old City in Jerusalem during the middle of the 19th Century. This four-bladed windmill of European design was finished in 1857. This fully-functional agricultural wheat-grinding windmill was to be a beacon for Jerusalem’s future, an inspiration to the Jews of Palestine to become more self-supporting. Unfortunately, despite the good intentions, the wind in the area was unreliably and often not strong enough to provide efficient and constant milling of the hardier crops of the area. So, after 18 years it was made obsolete, unable to compete with other methods of flour production. It would be more than a century later before it would be resurrected. Even so, the windmill did manage to inspire people to relocate to the area establishing homes, synagogues, businesses and trade.
The Montefiore Windmill sat empty for decades until the Israeli army used it during the War of Independence as a watch post. Then the British forces blew the top off of the windmill in an action known as ‘Operation Don Quixote’. Following this, the damaged building sat empty until 2012 when, as part of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, the windmill was completely restored.
A book published in 1933 referred to the windmill as the Jaffa Gate Mill, and mentioned how local millers were opposed to the windmill, even to point of cursing it because it was seen to be the work of Satan. Also, some Arabs developed a taste for the lubricating oil used on the bearings, but soon stopped licking the oil for fear the mill would burn down from the resulting friction. This unsavoury habit ceased not long after a leg of pork was placed in the oil barrel.
Today the Montefiore Windmill, whose blades spin five days a week, stands as a monument to the creation of modern Israel and offers visitors a fine historical museum highlighting the life of Moses Montefiore.
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