Widely considered a founding father of the new Yishuv, Rothschild is born in France in 1845 into of one of the most powerful banking dynasties in Europe. Following the Russian pogroms of 1881-1882, he becomes involved in aiding Jews in Europe to immigrate to Palestine by leveraging his European political contacts. In subsequent years, Rothschild covers all the expenses of the settlements of Rishon LeZion, Zikhron Yaakov, Rosh Pinna and Eqron, and donates over 5 million pounds for other Yishuv settlements. He only visits Palestine 3 times. By consolidating his colonies with the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (JCA), he gives new life to an organization that continues supporting Jewish settlement until disbanded in 1958.