>シダー近藤: /* Personal life and death */ Wali (administrative title)|

2020-09-25T14:28:36Z

Personal life and death: Wali (administrative title)|

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{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name =Flora Sassoon
| image =
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| birth_name = Flora (Farha) Gubbay
| birth_date = {{birth date|1859|11|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place =[[Mumbai|Bombay]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1936|1|14|1859|11|18|df=yes}}
| death_place = London
| death_cause =
| resting_place = [[Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery|Mount of Olives Cemetery]], [[Jerusalem]]
| resting_place_coordinates =
| nationality = British
| other_names =
| known_for =
| education =
| employer =
| occupation = Hebraist businesswoman Philanthropist
| title =
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| spouse = [[Solomon David Sassoon (1841–1894)|Solomon David Sassoon]]
| children = 3 ( 1 son + 2 daughter) [[David Solomon Sassoon]] Rachel Sassoon (married [[David Elias Ezra| Sir David Ezra]]) Mozelle Sassoon
| parents = Ezekiel Abraham Aziza Sassoon
| relatives = [[Sassoon family]]
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}}
'''Flora Sassoon''' (18 November 1859 – 14 January 1936) was a Jewish Indian businesswoman, scholar, [[Hebraist]] and philanthropist.
[[file:Flora Sassoon's tombstone.jpg|thumb|Tombstone at the [[Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery]] in [[Jerusalem]], Israel.]]

==Early life==
Flora Gubbay was born in 1859 in [[Mumbai|Bombay]], India.<ref name="jwa">[http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/sassoon-flora Jewish Women's Archive: Flora Sassoon]</ref><ref name="palgrave">William D. Rubinstein, ''The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, p. 864 [https://books.google.com/books?id=_T_HCg17ufIC&pg=PA864&lpg=PA864&dq=Solomon+David+Sassoon+%281841%E2%80%931894%29&source=bl&ots=ZvO-8ufzs2&sig=YK7OcoQDrKdVdXJqMbJ_y83AqU8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KrxYUvPZAom-0QXipoHIAg&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Solomon%20David%20Sassoon%20%281841%E2%80%931894%29&f=false]</ref> Her father was Ezekiel Abraham Gubbay (1824–1896), a trader and businessman whom had come to India from [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]], and her mother was Aziza Sassoon (1839–1897).<ref name="jwa"/> Her maternal grandfather was [[Albert Abdullah David Sassoon]] (1818–1896).<ref name="palgrave"/> As a result, her maternal great-grandfather was [[David Sassoon]] (1792–1864), a leading trader of cotton and opium who served as the treasurer of Baghdad between 1817 and 1829, and her maternal great-grandmother was his first wife, Hannah Joseph (1792–1826).<ref name="roth">Irene Roth, ''Cecil Roth, historian without tears: a memoir'', Sepher-Hermon Press, 1982, p. 91 [https://archive.org/details/cecilrothhistori00roth ]</ref><ref name="universal">Isaac Landman, ''The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia ...: An Authoritative and Popular Presentation of Jews and Judaism Since the Earliest Times'', 1943, Volume 9, p. 375 [books.google.co.uk/books?id=XZ4YAAAAIAAJ&q="Flora+Sassoon"+1859–1936&dq="Flora+Sassoon"+1859–1936&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-eBYUsijL4Kx0QWKkYC4Dg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCA]</ref><ref name="richardayoun">Richard Ayoun, Haïm Vidal Séphiha, ''Séfarades d'hier et d'aujourd'hui: 70 portraits'', L. Lévi, 1992, p. 137 [https://books.google.com/books?id=0-zjAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Flora+Sassoon%22+1859%E2%80%931936&dq=%22Flora+Sassoon%22+1859%E2%80%931936&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oghZUtrOBoPV0QWt3IC4BQ&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAzgK]</ref> She had five siblings.<ref name="jwa"/>

Sassoon went to Catholic school and was also tutored privately from rabbis from Baghdad.<ref name="jwa"/> By the age of seventeen, she spoke [[Hebrew]], [[Aramaic]], [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], English, French and German.<ref name="jwa"/> ''[[The Cairns Post]]'' described her as one of the world's most learned women.<ref name="mishpacha" />

==Career and civic activities==
Sassoon took over her husband's trading business in India, David Sassoon & Company, shortly after his death.<ref name="jewishcommunities">Joan G. Roland, ''The Jewish Communities of India: Identity in a Colonial Era'', Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1998, p. 18 [https://books.google.com/books?id=kHJccZ92IecC&pg=PA18&dq=%22flora+sassoon%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=yYlVUomWFYKrhQf4tIDYCA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22flora%20sassoon%22&f=false]</ref>

An observant [[Orthodox Judaism|orthodox Jew]], she always travelled with her own [[minyan|prayer quorum of ten Jewish male adults]]<ref name="sefardies" /> and was a strong supporter of the [[Balfour Declaration]] and a staunch [[zionism|zionist]].<ref name="jwa"/> She also studied the [[Torah]] and wrote articles about [[Rashi]], who were published in ''The Jewish Forum''.<ref name="richardayoun"/><ref>Michael Kaufman, ''The Woman in Jewish Law and Tradition'', J. Aronson, 1993, p. 81 [https://books.google.com/books?id=wcvXAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Flora+Sassoon%22+1859%E2%80%931936&dq=%22Flora+Sassoon%22+1859%E2%80%931936&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-eBYUsijL4Kx0QWKkYC4Dg&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAg]</ref> In 1924, she presided over the Annual Speech Day at the [[London School of Jewish Studies|Jews' College]], stressing the importance of a Jewish education. She often hosted Middle Eastern/Indian luncheons and dinners with [[Jewish cuisine]],<ref name="jwa"/> meticulously prepared following the [[kashrut]] standards;<ref name="mishpacha">{{Cite web |url=http://mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/1170/A-Flower-Blooms-in-India |title=A Flower Blooms in India |access-date=29 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816092147/http://mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/1170/A-Flower-Blooms-in-India |archive-date=16 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to guarantee that, she always travelled with her personal [[Shechita|ritual slaughterer]].<ref name="sefardies">Richard Ayoun, Haïm Vidal Sephiha. ''Sefardíes de ayer y de hoy: 71 retratos'', pp. 146. {{in lang|es}}</ref>

Whilst living in India, Sassoon was a supporter of [[Waldemar Haffkine]] (1860–1930),<ref>{{Cite book|title=Waldemar Mordekhaï Haffkine (1860-1930). Biographie intellectuelle|last=Hanhart|first=Joël|publisher=Honoré Champion|year=2016|isbn=978-2-7453-3074-1|location=Paris|pages=|quote=|via=}}</ref> who invented a vaccine against [[cholera]], and encouraged reluctant Hindus and Muslims to take it. Once she moved to England, she often donated to Jews around the world who appealed to her for money in their hours of need.<ref name="jwa"/>

==Personal life and death==
Sassoon married [[Solomon David Sassoon (1841–1894)|Solomon David Sassoon]] (1841–1894), the son of [[David Sassoon]] (1792–1864) by his second wife, Farha Hyeem (1814–1886); he was thus her great-uncle.<ref name="roth"/><ref name="universal"/><ref name="richardayoun"/><ref name="jewofindia">Orpa Slapak, ''The Jews of India: A Story of Three Communities'', UPNE, 1995, p. 38 [https://books.google.com/books?id=qhKGPprbQaYC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=%22Flora+Sassoon%22&source=bl&ots=85ofdQyVL2&sig=ud58bJ-GO2esrreo-3dDsDSIXDc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GyZVUt2zDeWd0AX6poGQAw&ved=0CFIQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=%22Flora%20Sassoon%22&f=false]</ref><ref>[http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/?unique_name=search-our-collections-new&adlibid=16771 Jewish Museum London: Bookplate of Solomon Sassoon]</ref> They had three children:
*[[David Solomon Sassoon]] (1880–1942; had a son, [[Solomon David Sassoon]] (1915–1985), and grandson, [[Isaac S.D. Sassoon]]).<ref name="palgrave"/>
*Rachel Sassoon (1877–1952, married [[David Elias Ezra| Sir David Ezra]]).<ref name="jwa"/>
*Mozelle Sassoon (1884–1921).<ref name="jwa"/>

They lived in Bombay.<ref name="jewofindia"/> After her husband's death, she moved to England.<ref name="jwa"/><ref name="jewofindia"/> She and her children visited Baghdad for the [[High Holy Days|Jewish High Holidays]] in 1910, and she was introduced by the [[Wali (administrative title)|wali]] of Baghdad Hussain Nadim Pasha, the Chief Rabbi [[Ezra Dangoor]].<ref name="baghdad">[http://www.dangoor.com/74007.html The Sassoon's Return Visit to Baghdad]</ref> There were correspondences in writing between the family and Hakham Joseph Hayyim, the grand sage of Baghdad, revered for his piety and known also by his celebrated work, [[Ben Ish Chai|Ben Ish Hai]]. The latter died in 1909 and could not have been present for the Sassoon family visit in 1910.

Sassoon died in 1936 at her mansion in London.<ref name="jwa"/><ref name="mishpacha" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sassoon, Flora}}
[[Category:1859 births]]
[[Category:1936 deaths]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Sassoon family|Flora]]
[[Category:Iraqi Jews]]
[[Category:English Jews]]
[[Category:British Hebraists]]
[[Category:British Zionists]]
[[Category:Jewish British philanthropists]]
[[Category:English philanthropists]]
[[Category:Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives]]
[[Category:British women in business]]
[[Category:Businesswomen from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Women orientalists]]

Flora Sassoon - Revision history

>シダー近藤: /* Personal life and death */ Wali (administrative title)|