Born to an Italian-Jewish family, he donated large sums of money to promote industry, business, economic development, education and health among the Jewish community in the Levant, including the founding of Mishkenot Sha'ananim in 1860, the first settlement of the New Yishuv.
Nado no seo dunha familia xudía de orixe italiana, doou grandes sumas de diñeiro para promover a industria, os negocios, o desenvolvemento económico, a educación e a saúde entre a comunidade xudía do Levante, incluída a fundación de Mishkenot Sha'ananim en 1860, o primeiro asentamento de Nova Yishuv.