Matriarch or Mogul? The Life and Times of Flora Sassoon

Lecture by dr. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah - March 11th - 7.30 pm

Flora Sassoon (1859–1936) lived a life of remarkable contrasts. She was both a traditionally observant Jewish woman and a commanding business leader, a devoted mother and a prominent figure in international society. Rather than conflicting, these roles reveal the breadth of her confidence, intelligence, and independence. Because of International Womens Day (March 8th) Synagoge Groningen will host a lecture, provided by Dr. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah.

This talk highlights how Flora raised her children, managed her inheritance, and oversaw significant family and commercial affairs. Her story helps us see that she was not an isolated exception: women in the Baghdadi Jewish elite often exercised notable authority in both family and communal life. Through Flora’s experiences, we gain a clearer picture of the unexpected autonomy and influence women could hold in this distinctive community.

Project: Optimizing Orientalism: Transnational Jewish Networks in the Age of Empire 

Goldstein studied Sassoon's life for a research project. How did Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Jewry build transnational philanthropic, commercial, and diplomatic networks in the period between 1860-1948? This project explores the agency of MENA Jewry, using documents from private and institutional archives to rethink the connection between transnational religious networks and empire building. In doing so this project demonstrates the centrality and agency of Jewish communities located outside of Europe, in ways that challenge assumptions about the center and the periphery within empire. I hypothesize that, within the context of European imperial ambitions, MENA Jewry consistently challenged the social norms and political expectations of colonizers.

About the speaker

Dr. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah is Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Groningen (NL). She holds a PhD from Leiden University (2019) and is the author of numerous works including Baghdadi Jewish Networks in the Age of Nationalism (Brill, 2021). Her research focuses on the history of Jewish communities across the Middle East and North Africa, with special interest in transnational networks, philanthropy and conceptions of diaspora. 

Matriarch or Mogul? The Life and Times of Flora Sassoon

This lecture will be provided in English

Wednesday March 11th – 7.30 pm (walk-in at 7.15 pm) 

Synagoge Groningen, Folkingestraat 60  

Tickets: €5,- | donors Synagogue & students: free | registration is required, stating “Lecture 11-03” via reserveren@synagogegroningen.nl