Flora Sassoon: India’s Scholar and Businesswoman

Bombay — present-day Mumbai — was a bustling, growing home to many distinct Jewish communities in the year 1856, when Flora Sassoon was born there. Bene Israel Jews, who traced their presence in India to an ancient shipwreck which deposited a Jewish community on India’s shores, began migrating to Bombay in the late 1700s, building synagogues and other civic institutions. Other Jews from Yemen, Afghanistan, Iran, and Bukhara later poured into the city, drawn by its rapidly expanding business opportunities.¹

Early Life and Background

Nobody electrified Bombay’s Jewish community as much as David Sassoon, Flora’s great-grandfather. He moved to India in 1832 to escape rising persecution from local rulers in Iraq and founded the trading company David Sassoon & Co. in his new home.²

One observer summed up the business: “Silver and gold, silks, gums and spices, opium, cotton wool, and wheat—whatever moved over land and sea felt the hand and bore the mark of Sassoon and Company.”³

Born into this prominent background to Aziza and Yechezkel Gabbai in 1859, Flora was surrounded by relatives who prioritized helping those in need, and her own passion for helping those less fortunate was sown.

Flora was an especially gifted student, spending countless hours being tutored by great scholars, even after her marriage and the birth of her three children. Jewish fundraisers who visited India would report back in amazement about the woman who was fluent in Tanach, Midrash, Gemara, Halacha, Jewish history and philosophy, and was also a paragon of piety and kindness.⁴

Flora’s Far-Reaching Endeavors

Flora Sassoon took over the running of David Sassoon & Co.’s operations in Bombay as a full partner. Under her leadership, the company weathered several storms, including the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War and falling commodity prices. Despite the difficult business environment, the Bombay office’s profits rose during Flora’s leadership.

A staunch Zionist, Flora was outspoken in her support of establishing a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. She traveled widely, always bringing along an entourage of ten Jewish men so that she could pray with a minyan, as well as her own personal shochet, ensuring that she could always access kosher food.

Business was only one of Flora’s occupations. A vigorous woman in her late 30s when she became Chairwoman of the company, Flora was a hands-on parent to her three children; letters show her arranging playdates and arranging for her son to take a boat tour of the East accompanied by servants and “a small stock of live fowls on board…to keep kosher while aboard.” Flora’s daughter Mozelle had been dropped by a nurse when she was an infant and suffered from spinal injuries her whole life. Flora doted on her, making sure Mozelle was looked after, and also tutored her — and her other children — in Jewish studies.⁵

She donated money to help rebuild San Francisco after the devastating earthquake there in 1906, supported Jewish schools and charities, and bankrolled Jewish hospitals and orphanages in England and across the Middle East. With the rise of Nazism, Flora campaigned to support Jewish refugees applying to move to England.

A staunch Zionist, Flora was outspoken in her support of establishing a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. She traveled widely, always bringing along an entourage of ten Jewish men so that she could pray with a minyan, as well as her own personal shochet, ensuring that she could always access kosher food.⁶

Flora’s Philanthropic Work

Flora’s philanthropic work was diverse and far-reaching. She was particularly passionate about addressing the needs of orphans and widows, providing them with essential support and care. She established a local soup kitchen that served nutritious meals to the underprivileged, ensuring that no one in her community went hungry.⁷

In addition to her work with orphans and widows, Flora was a patron of education. She believed in the transformative power of knowledge and dedicated herself to creating educational opportunities for all, regardless of gender or social status. Her initiatives included funding schools and scholarships, as well as supporting educational programs that promoted literacy and vocational training.⁸

Advocacy for Women’s Rights

Flora Sassoon was ahead of her time in her advocacy for women’s rights. In an era when women’s roles were largely confined to the domestic sphere, she championed the cause of gender equality and empowerment. She worked tirelessly to ensure that women had access to education and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Her efforts extended to organizing workshops and seminars that equipped women with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute meaningfully to society. Flora’s advocacy created a ripple effect, inspiring many women to pursue their ambitions and break free from societal constraints.⁹

Legacy and Continued Influence

Flora Sassoon’s legacy continues to inspire and guide future generations. The institutions and programs she established, such as schools and scholarships to promote literacy and vocational training, hospitals in England and the Middle East, as well as countless soup kitchens for the needy,¹⁰  have endured, continuing to serve the community and uphold her values. Her life’s work serves as a testament to the power of compassion, determination, and visionary leadership.

The lasting impact of her efforts is evident in the many lives she touched and the positive changes she brought about. Flora Sassoon exemplifies how one individual’s dedication to social justice and human dignity can create a lasting legacy of hope and progress.

When Flora died in 1936, Rabbi Yitzhak Halevi Herzog, the Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel (and former Chief Rabbi of Ireland) noted that she had been “a living well of Torah, of piety, of wisdom, of goodness and charity, the staunchest loyalty to tradition, and out of her wonderful well Israel could draw in abundance noble incentives and lofty inspiration.”¹¹

1. https://aish.com/trailblazer-the-incredible-life-of-farha-sassoon/ ↩︎
2. https://aish.com/trailblazer-the-incredible-life-of-farha-sassoon/ ↩︎
3. https://aish.com/trailblazer-the-incredible-life-of-farha-sassoon/
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4. https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/6260254/jewish/Three-Remarkably-Learned-Jewish-Women-From-Bavel.htm
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5. https://aish.com/trailblazer-the-incredible-life-of-farha-sassoon/
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6. https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/6260254/jewish/Three-Remarkably-Learned-Jewish-Women-From-Bavel.htm
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7. “The Sassoons: Portrait of a Dynasty” by Stanley Jackson ↩︎
8. Hadassah Magazine – Women’s rights in Jewish History ↩︎
9. Haddasah Magazine – Women’s rights in Jewish History ↩︎
10. “The Sassoons: Portrait of a Dynasty” by Stanley Jackson ↩︎
11. https://aish.com/trailblazer-the-incredible-life-of-farha-sassoon/
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