Jack’s grandfather, Yaakov Ibn-Ezra’s home was located near the house of the Hussein family in the Old City. The grandfather specialized in treating the city’s drinking water supply and maintenance of the water system of Jerusalem and the Judean desert’s convents.
At age 13, Yochanan, who was born in 1875, joined forces with his father in the task of providing for the family. The boy who was thirsty for knowledge, used to read the manuscripts kept in the libraries of the convents and managed to learn languages. He married Zohara and in 1896 they left to America. Later on he worked digging the Panama Canal.
Zohara passed away and Yochanan and his children resettled in the family home in Jerusalem and he returned to the water business.
Yochanan remarried Rahel Der'ee, whose family was exiled from the Egyptian port city of Alexandria as the First World War broke. Rahel and Yochanan had 5 children including Jack.
Yochanan Ezra and his sons with employees of their company on Jaffa Street
In 1926, the British government decided to pump water from Wadi Kelt
to Jerusalem. Ezra & Sons were hired to do the job
Pumps at Wadi Kelt
Wadi Kelt water flow in Jerusalem
In 1922-3 the company laid the infrastructure of Jerusalem's
first sewage system
In the 1930's more pipes were laid carrying water to Jerusalem
from the Yarkon river
Four pumping stations were built along the 60 km route of the
pipes
In 1936 the pipes from the Yarkon area make it to Jerusalem.
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