His family originated in Turkey but moved to
Egypt. His father was a political officer with the Sudanese government in
Khartoum where Nessim was born. He graduated from college in that city. During
World War 2 he saw active service in the British army and reached the rank of
captain. After the war he joined the family business in the Sudan and in 1957
moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he developed a worldwide business
corporation in import-export, investment and real estate. Prominent in Jewish
affairs, he headed the community in Khartoum and in 1966 became head of the
united Ashkenazi and Sephardi community in Geneva. Gaon has been especially
active in Sephardi institutions and has been president of the World Sephardi
Federation since 1971. He has also been vice-president of the World Jewish
Congress and chairman of the board of governors of Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev, Israel.
