Ezra : Our Name

Our name, Ezra Venture, refers to several things. First, this name refers to Joshua Venture, the US project, which inspired our organisation.

In Hebrew, "ezra” means help/support. Ezra is also the name of a biblical prophet. Ezra organized the return of the Hebrews to Israel after the first exile in Babylon. Through this action, he is considered as the initiator of a new “era” and a time of restoration. His restoration of the oral tradition passed on by Moses is at the origin of the Pharisee tradition that will later develop with the Masters of the Talmud who will construct the rabbinical Judaism.

A parallel can be found with Joshua, biblical prophet, whose name was selected by our US counterpart. Joshua realized Moses' dream, and led the Hebrews in the conquest of the Promised Land. Joshua, like Ezra, helped the Jewish people enter into a new era of their history.