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NASSY Origin of surname

NASSY

Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name derives from Jewish communal functionaries, or titles.

Na(s)sy is a variant of Nasi, a Hebrew term designating a tribal chief, prince or king. In modern Hebrew it means "president". Similar terms from which Jewish family names were derived include the Hebrew Zaken/Zaquen ("elder"), and Rosh ("head"). Equivalents in other languages comprise the Arabic Sheikh/Cheikh, the Berber Amg(h)ar, and the German Haupt and Hauptmann. Some families called Cheikh could have links with places called Cheikh/Sheikh in the Arabic speaking countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Judah Ha-Nasi, also spelled Hanasi, who lived in the 3rd century CE, was one of the editors of the Mishnah. Ha-Nagid and Ibn Nagdela are recorded in 11th century Spain, Ha-Zaquen is found in 11th century France. Ben Rosh, Verrox, Abenros, El Ros, Avenrros, Avenrresch, Aben Ros and Ben Alshekh are recorded as Jewish family names in 13th century Spain; Avenros is documented in the 14th century, Alshekh and Aros in the 15th century, Nasi, Benzaken, Harrosh and Benharouch in the 16th century, Ben Zaquen and Ben Harrosh in the 17th century, and Ben Eshek, Carrus, Harrous and Benarroch in the 18th century.

Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Nasi include the Portuguese-born stateswoman and patroness, Gracia Nasi (circa 1510-1569), and the Turkish statesman, Joseph Nasi (1525-1579).

Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Nassi include the Turkish merchant and community leader Marko Nassi. In the 20th century the name Nassy is recorded as a Jewish family name with Leo Jacob Nassy of Surinam, who perished in the Holocaust during World War II.

Suriname

Republiek Suriname - Republic of Suriname

A country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. Formerly known as Dutch Guiana, a territory of the kingdom of the Netherlands located  between Guyana (former British Guiana), Brazil, and French Guiana and bordered on the north by the Atlantic ocean.

21st Century

Estimated Jewish population in 2018: 200 out of 600,000. Main Jewish organization:

Kerkeraad der Nederlands Portugees Israelitische Gemeente
Keizerstraat 82 - 84
Paramaribo, Suriname
Phone: 597–472817
Email: isrgem@sr.net
Website: http://www.surinamejewishcommunity.com

HISTORY

Although Spanish, Portuguese, and English adventurers explored parts of Surinam in the 15th and 16th centuries, successful settlement efforts did not get started until the first half of the 17th century.

Jews apparently arrived from Brazil or Holland and settled in Surinam as early as 1639, and there is an extant Ketubbah indicating a marriage conducted there by a rabbi in 1643. A second group of Jewish settlers arrived from England in 1652 under the auspices of Lord Willoughby of Parham, who managed to establish a permanent settlement. The next group of Jewish settlers was led by Joseph Nunez de Fonseca, also known as David Nassi, and was of primary importance to this oldest Jewish community in the western hemisphere. Most of the group was composed of Jews who had fled the inquisition and had gone to live under the Dutch in Brazil. When they were driven from Brazil after the Dutch were defeated by the Portuguese in 1654, they went back either to Holland or to Cayenne, Essequibo, and other places in the new world, some finally settling in Surinam in 1666. Experienced traders and agriculturists, they set up many sugar cane plantations, which were a valuable asset to the British colony.

In light of their importance to the general community, Jewish settlers had previously been guaranteed (1665) full enjoyment and free exercise of their religious rites and usages, a guarantee which was reinforced in 1667 when it was decreed that all Jews who came to Surinam for settlement purposes were to be considered British-born subjects. When Surinam surrendered to the Dutch in 1667, some of the colonists left, but not without opposition on the part of the Dutch authorities.

The Jewish community continued to prosper under the Dutch, owning numerous slaves and plantations. Nevertheless, a number of the settlers tried to leave in 1674 but were forcibly held back by the Dutch. Two years later the Jews were promised free exercise of their religion, having been restricted by the Dutch after their occupation of Surinam in 1667. In 1685 the Cayenne Jews erected the second synagogue in the colony, located at Joden Savanne, about 10 mi. from Paramaribo, the largest city in Surinam.

By 1694 there were 92 Portuguese Jewish families and some 12 German Jewish ones in the colony, totaling 570 persons who had holdings of more than 40 plantations and 9,000 slaves. The economic position of the community rose rapidly during the first half of the 18th century. Jews owned 115 of 400 plantations in 1730; their position declined, and toward the end of the century in 1791 they only owned 46 of 600 plantations. Anti-Jewish feelings grew slowly in the colony, which led to various efforts on the part of the Dutch to restrict the religious freedom of the Jews beginning in 1667. Furthermore, differences arose between the Portuguese and German communities and the latter formed a separate community, congregation Neve Shalom, in 1734.

The German community continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries so that by 1836 it was larger than the Portuguese one. In 1825 all special privileges which had previously been granted to the community were no longer necessary, since they enjoyed full and equal rights as subjects of the crown. Dutch gradually replaced Portuguese as the language of the community, which grew to approximately 1,500 by the beginning of the 20th century.

The economic decline of the community was largely connected with the abolition of the slave trade in 1819 and the emancipation of the slaves in 1863. As the export of sugar cane dropped off during the 19th century, the inhabitants made efforts to adapt the soil to other uses; as their efforts failed, they moved largely to the coastal areas. During the 19th century the German community built a second synagogue (1836) since the original synagogue at Joden Savanne was destroyed by fire (1832). In 1861 the archives of the former Jewish court at Joden Savanne were declared government property and put in the Surinam library, later transferred to the Hague in 1916. As the Jewish population dropped off during the first quarter of the 20th century - there were only 818 Jews in 1923 - the economic situation of the colony forced what was left of a thriving Jewish community to relocate itself mainly in Paramaribo, the capital. During World War II the few Jewish refugees from the Netherlands and other parts of Europe settled temporarily in Surinam.

By 1970 there were only about 500 persons left in the community, which held alternating services at the synagogues of congregations Neve Shalom and Zedek ve-Shalom, the congregations of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities respectively.

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NASSY Origin of surname
NASSY

Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name derives from Jewish communal functionaries, or titles.

Na(s)sy is a variant of Nasi, a Hebrew term designating a tribal chief, prince or king. In modern Hebrew it means "president". Similar terms from which Jewish family names were derived include the Hebrew Zaken/Zaquen ("elder"), and Rosh ("head"). Equivalents in other languages comprise the Arabic Sheikh/Cheikh, the Berber Amg(h)ar, and the German Haupt and Hauptmann. Some families called Cheikh could have links with places called Cheikh/Sheikh in the Arabic speaking countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Judah Ha-Nasi, also spelled Hanasi, who lived in the 3rd century CE, was one of the editors of the Mishnah. Ha-Nagid and Ibn Nagdela are recorded in 11th century Spain, Ha-Zaquen is found in 11th century France. Ben Rosh, Verrox, Abenros, El Ros, Avenrros, Avenrresch, Aben Ros and Ben Alshekh are recorded as Jewish family names in 13th century Spain; Avenros is documented in the 14th century, Alshekh and Aros in the 15th century, Nasi, Benzaken, Harrosh and Benharouch in the 16th century, Ben Zaquen and Ben Harrosh in the 17th century, and Ben Eshek, Carrus, Harrous and Benarroch in the 18th century.

Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Nasi include the Portuguese-born stateswoman and patroness, Gracia Nasi (circa 1510-1569), and the Turkish statesman, Joseph Nasi (1525-1579).

Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Nassi include the Turkish merchant and community leader Marko Nassi. In the 20th century the name Nassy is recorded as a Jewish family name with Leo Jacob Nassy of Surinam, who perished in the Holocaust during World War II.
Written by researchers of ANU Museum of the Jewish People

Suriname

Suriname

Republiek Suriname - Republic of Suriname

A country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. Formerly known as Dutch Guiana, a territory of the kingdom of the Netherlands located  between Guyana (former British Guiana), Brazil, and French Guiana and bordered on the north by the Atlantic ocean.

21st Century

Estimated Jewish population in 2018: 200 out of 600,000. Main Jewish organization:

Kerkeraad der Nederlands Portugees Israelitische Gemeente
Keizerstraat 82 - 84
Paramaribo, Suriname
Phone: 597–472817
Email: isrgem@sr.net
Website: http://www.surinamejewishcommunity.com

HISTORY

Although Spanish, Portuguese, and English adventurers explored parts of Surinam in the 15th and 16th centuries, successful settlement efforts did not get started until the first half of the 17th century.

Jews apparently arrived from Brazil or Holland and settled in Surinam as early as 1639, and there is an extant Ketubbah indicating a marriage conducted there by a rabbi in 1643. A second group of Jewish settlers arrived from England in 1652 under the auspices of Lord Willoughby of Parham, who managed to establish a permanent settlement. The next group of Jewish settlers was led by Joseph Nunez de Fonseca, also known as David Nassi, and was of primary importance to this oldest Jewish community in the western hemisphere. Most of the group was composed of Jews who had fled the inquisition and had gone to live under the Dutch in Brazil. When they were driven from Brazil after the Dutch were defeated by the Portuguese in 1654, they went back either to Holland or to Cayenne, Essequibo, and other places in the new world, some finally settling in Surinam in 1666. Experienced traders and agriculturists, they set up many sugar cane plantations, which were a valuable asset to the British colony.

In light of their importance to the general community, Jewish settlers had previously been guaranteed (1665) full enjoyment and free exercise of their religious rites and usages, a guarantee which was reinforced in 1667 when it was decreed that all Jews who came to Surinam for settlement purposes were to be considered British-born subjects. When Surinam surrendered to the Dutch in 1667, some of the colonists left, but not without opposition on the part of the Dutch authorities.

The Jewish community continued to prosper under the Dutch, owning numerous slaves and plantations. Nevertheless, a number of the settlers tried to leave in 1674 but were forcibly held back by the Dutch. Two years later the Jews were promised free exercise of their religion, having been restricted by the Dutch after their occupation of Surinam in 1667. In 1685 the Cayenne Jews erected the second synagogue in the colony, located at Joden Savanne, about 10 mi. from Paramaribo, the largest city in Surinam.

By 1694 there were 92 Portuguese Jewish families and some 12 German Jewish ones in the colony, totaling 570 persons who had holdings of more than 40 plantations and 9,000 slaves. The economic position of the community rose rapidly during the first half of the 18th century. Jews owned 115 of 400 plantations in 1730; their position declined, and toward the end of the century in 1791 they only owned 46 of 600 plantations. Anti-Jewish feelings grew slowly in the colony, which led to various efforts on the part of the Dutch to restrict the religious freedom of the Jews beginning in 1667. Furthermore, differences arose between the Portuguese and German communities and the latter formed a separate community, congregation Neve Shalom, in 1734.

The German community continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries so that by 1836 it was larger than the Portuguese one. In 1825 all special privileges which had previously been granted to the community were no longer necessary, since they enjoyed full and equal rights as subjects of the crown. Dutch gradually replaced Portuguese as the language of the community, which grew to approximately 1,500 by the beginning of the 20th century.

The economic decline of the community was largely connected with the abolition of the slave trade in 1819 and the emancipation of the slaves in 1863. As the export of sugar cane dropped off during the 19th century, the inhabitants made efforts to adapt the soil to other uses; as their efforts failed, they moved largely to the coastal areas. During the 19th century the German community built a second synagogue (1836) since the original synagogue at Joden Savanne was destroyed by fire (1832). In 1861 the archives of the former Jewish court at Joden Savanne were declared government property and put in the Surinam library, later transferred to the Hague in 1916. As the Jewish population dropped off during the first quarter of the 20th century - there were only 818 Jews in 1923 - the economic situation of the colony forced what was left of a thriving Jewish community to relocate itself mainly in Paramaribo, the capital. During World War II the few Jewish refugees from the Netherlands and other parts of Europe settled temporarily in Surinam.

By 1970 there were only about 500 persons left in the community, which held alternating services at the synagogues of congregations Neve Shalom and Zedek ve-Shalom, the congregations of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities respectively.