Philanthropist; born at Calcutta Feb. 20, 1830; son of David
Joseph Esra; died March, 1886. He was one of the wealthiest
merchants of India, and was generally known as "the Indian
Rothschild." It is said that he distributed 10,000 francs among
the poor every month. Esra built a large synagogue at Calcutta,
which he called, after his father, "Magen Dawid." In his will he
directed that a large Talmudic school should be built at
Jerusalem at the expense of his estate. - Ha-Asif, iii. 118.