Lady Rachel Ezra

Death notice: EZRA. - On Friday night, Jan. 25, 1952, peacefully at 3, Kyd Street, Calcutta, 16, Rachel, wife of the late Sir David Ezra, Kt.

Rachel SASSOON
- born 18/5/1877 Malabar Castle, Malabar Hill, Bombay
- died 1952
- father Sir Solomon David SASSOON (1841-1894)
- mother Flora ABRAHAM (1856-1936)
- married Sir David E D J EZRA (aka BAHER)

LINKS

• http://www.farhi.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I23667&tree=F...

  ---

Sir David Ezra (1871–1947), assumed his father's position in the community and his wife, Lady Rachel Ezra (1877–1952), the daughter of Flora Sassoon of Bombay, continued in the tradition of her mother-in-law. The community matriarch in the first half of the twentieth century, Lady Rachel worked for the cause of social welfare, presiding over several of the community’s institutions as well as wider Bengali ones. In 1947 the British government awarded her the Kaiser-I-Hind Gold Medal. Very supportive of all classes of the Calcutta community, she made up the debt for many activities such as weddings and sports. Her home became a communal center where British and Indian officials met and Jewish activities, such as charitable events, wedding receptions and Zionist youth functions, took place. She and her husband were known for their philanthropy, including their contributions to Zionist funds. During the two world wars she opened her home to allied Jewish servicemen and women stationed in Calcutta. Over one thousand of these served in the city during World War II and some of the men took home Baghdadi war brides. The Ezras also took the lead in welcoming and rehabilitating European Jewish refugees who started arriving in 1939.