Asseo, David

views updated

ASSEO, DAVID

ASSEO, DAVID (1914–2002), chief rabbi of Turkey. Born in Istanbul, Asseo first attended a religious school in Hasköy, then the Alliance Israélite school there. In 1928 he was sent on a scholarship of the Loge D'Orient Béné Berith to the Rhodes yeshivah. He studied there for six years and in 1933 returned to Istanbul. He started to work as a Hebrew teacher at the Jewish High School in Istanbul. In 1936 he became a member of the Bet Din. After Rafael Saban was elected chief rabbi in January 1953 he became his private secretary. In December 1961 he was elected chief rabbi, and served until October 2002, when he retired. He worked hard to keep the community together and represented it before the Turkish authorities with tact and dignity.

[Rifat Bali (2nd ed.)]