page_title: Edward Isaac Ezra
section_title: Family background
hierarchical_section_title: Edward Isaac Ezra / Family background
caption_attribution_description: English: Map showing location of Edward Ezra Road
context_page_description: Edward Isaac Ezra was a wealthy Jewish businessman, who was the first member of the Shanghai Municipal Council who was actually born in China, and who was at one time "one of the wealthiest foreigners in Shanghai". According to one report, Ezra amassed a vast fortune estimated at from twenty to thirty million dollars primarily through the importation of opium, and successful real estate investment and management in early twentieth century Shanghai. Ezra was the largest stockholder and the managing director of Shanghai Hotels Ltd., and its major financier, and controlled such hotels as the Astor House Hotel in Shanghai.
context_section_description: Edward Isaac Ezra was born in Shanghai, China on 3 January 1883, the oldest of the nine children of Isaac "Ned" Ezra (died 1892), one of the first Jewish merchants in Shanghai. Ezra Road (now Shashi No.2 Road 沙市二路 – between Nanjing East Road and Jiujiang Road) was named after his father and his mother, Flora Abraham (died 1899). He was the older brother of Rachel Ezra Levy (born 1884 in Shanghai; married Nissim Simon Levy; died 2 January 1968 in Hong Kong); Ellis Isaac Ezra (born ca. 1885); and twins Isaac Isaac Ezra (born 8 February 1892) and Judah Isaac Ezra (born 8 February 1892); and four other sisters. In 1907 Ezra married Mozelle Robinson Sopher (born 1890 in Shanghai; died August 1979 in Hong Kong), and they had two children, Cecil (born 1908) and Denzil (born 1914).
caption: Map showing location of Edward Ezra Road
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