Bryan Diamond
Bryan Diamond is a retired patent attorney, who has been active in the Jewish Historical Society of England and published articles in their Transactions, was the Honorary Archivist of the Liberal Jewish Synagogue (London) and was also the Honorary Archivist for Liberal Judaism.
In these roles he interviewed a number of eminent leaders within the Liberal Jewish movement, travelled extensively to obtain and collate material hidden in archives, and gave talks on some of his processes and findings.
He has also taken an interest in genealogy, researching his own family history, and the development of the Jewish community within the East End of London, and has written articles for Jewish Historical Studies and Shemot (the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain magazine).
Bryan is pleased to share his expertise and latest research by publication of his book on Claude Montefiore.
The following article by Bryan Diamond (published in Jewish News, 31 December 2015 under the title 'My Hero') demonstrates the author's enthusiasm for his subject and the material in the book:
"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."