The Denver Jewish news., 1919-01-09
JEWISH COATs.OF-ARMs
AND THEIR BEARERS
By Hfrdan.


shields are n comparatively modern in
stitution Though the ancient defend
crs of Israel used Afogenipi. or shields.
4 still these shields were never decorated
with designs and insignia as were those
of the nobility of later centuries. 1t
was not until the feudnl system. with
its many knights and barons battling
for and against their kings. came into
oXistcnce that the need for armor dis
tinguishable from that of the enemy
became evident. These shields and
standards. painted or carved with some
fanciful symbol. became the rallying-
ground for the loyal soldiers of the
owner of the arms.
With passing ages, however. the need
for this sort of armOrial device less
lened.
The First Jewish Coat Of Arms.
Until three centuries ago, Jews. ham
pered as they were by numerous eco
lnOmic and social restrictions. were bar
red from the ranks of the nobility and
were not permitted to print s-of-
arms upon their stationery. The first
Jew to be granted title and right to
armorial bearings was Eassevi Won
Treuenfeld Won Trcuenfeld was re-
ceived into the nobility in 1000 by Ferd.
inand ii. emperor Of Germany. for GER
tain services he performed for him.
1t was however. very difficult for n
Jew in Germany to obtain the right to
arms. even after he became Il convert.
In Spain. on the contrary. it was some
lwhat easier. When n Jew, either vol
unfairly or under the moral persuasion
of the InQuisitiOn. became converted to
the "true faith" he was generally adopt
cd by some pious family in the nobility.
Thus. he gained the right to their arms.
Many Jews became repcntCnt after this
lapse from the Jewish faith and fled to
Holland where they renounscd Chris
tianity. But they still retained the
Goa ts-Of-arms of other days, and when
they died. the shields were carved upon
their tombstones and adopted by the
eldest sons.
The Trade in BarOnetcies.
Wealthy Jews. desirOus of vieing
with their neighbors in the social whirl
and all its intricacines. occasionally
managed to purchase" baronetcies
from bankrupt sovereigns. This was
lpartirularly the case in many of the
smaller pricipalities of Europe during
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
More recently. there has been a tend
ency among the sovereigns to designate
tonly those for noble honNrs who have
perfOrmed some marked deed for their
country or for humanity. sol...
1t is noticeable that i'm tine great ma j.
ority of cases, when the right to bear
coat-Of-arms has been granted to n
lew. the 'esign for the shield is seldom
is more often made to ape the arms of
some great noble. OF the hundred-and-
fifty odd Jewish families granted the
right to arms, not more than ten haze
designed arms with anything distinctly
Jewish about them. Among these we
note such families as the Sassoons., the
Montefiores. the Rothschilds. tile lie
tIirschs and few others
The SassOOns.
The SassOOns are an old family. trac-
ing their ancestry back to I'm ShOShan
IF Spain, many capturies ago. The ear
liest member of any Importance was
David Sassoon of Bombay. Born in
Bagdad in 1892, the son of wealthy
l 70 Ia, ,l,-
evinced strong desire To enter bust
ness rather than one of the many pro-
fessiOns open to him. After living in
BaSOra for a few years. SassoOn emf
grated to Bombay. India. where he set
tied down and opened an extensive i'm
port and export business with branches
throughout the East and Near East
In true Hebraic fashion. SassOon at
tributcd his success which really was
tremendous. to the help rendered by his
ways adhered to the law; of Israel
David SassOon was as generous as he
was successful. He built many schools
and gave literally to all worthy philan-
thrOpic enterprises. and upon his death
in 1864. the citizens of Bombay erected
a statue to his memory.
Sir Albert Abdallah David Sassoon
Bart. eldest son of David SassOon con-
tinued the business left by his father,
and soon earned the nicinme of the
"Rothschild of the East" Sir Albert
was nighted by Queen Victoria in 1872.
in recognition of his great constructive
work in India and his numerous edu-
cational philanthropies. Sir Albert was
the first Jew to be granted the freedom
nj hp (,ifx, Of