our Ancestors
| Juster had an eye on the takings There are people called Just, although today the name is rare. an ancestor was so called because he was notoriously fair dealing and righteous. But Juster? Was he an even sterner man of rectitude? He was not. In fact he was a showman, and some what calculating operator. For he was one who took place in jousts, or tourneys, in the middle ages, and did so professionally. The form also survives as Joester and Jewster. |
| We have already read of mediaeval tourneys and jousts and have a picture of knights breaking lances and hearts with courageous chivalry and a fine eye for a television serial some centuries later. Alas, it was not like that. The tournaments, which sprang up in France in the 13th century were quickly commercialise and the more successful tended to hang back in the melee until the opponents were exhausted and then plunge for the man with the most expensive horse and armour to capture or ransom. *taken from the evening newspaper (UK.national) from 40 yrs.ago |  |
| "Hello, David first, thanks a lot for your web site" |
 | | I would like to contribute to your researches, and have back some information if possible...... I am french, 55 years old, one son and one daughter, and I am interesting in family genealogy. Apart my father's branch ( AVENAL), I am also looking for my mother's branch, JUSTER I have already been looking for many years about Juster's name origins, espacially among french and catholic people. I have a family tree ( around 800 people up now) that dates back to a JUSTER Conrad died in 1661. |
| Many of descendence lived in France, near Belfort, a well known city in french region called Alsace (famous for its wine). I know that a certain JUSTER Joseph (borned in 1832 near Belfort, either in november the first or july 19th) started to the USA, died in New York in 1877 (February, the 13th), married RICKET Marie (borned too in Alsace, 10-09-1836 ? - died 13-02-1877 in NY). They had several children, one emigrated to Canada.I would like to add that descendence to my 800 people family tree! Obviously, I can deliver my tree to every one. (I just need to increase my knowledge about web site.) As I know now that there is also a big Jewish branch, I would like to have contact with people who can help me. My first contacts were a bit infructuous, although I send my tree up to a Roumanian's one! I hope that contact between the two ethnits become easier, at least across that E-site. I have also been told that it could be an other origin of the name JUSTER, from Spain, but I have not yet any confirmation..here after is my information, sorry not to have translated yet in english. - As translated by SYSTRAN |
| Our more remote known ancestor was a Berber Moor of the Moroccan Atlas, chief of an important tribe. Its name was translated various ways, one of it ASAR or AZAR - called Azar the Juste. The Arabs seeking of the mercenaries to fight in Spain, in Portugal, and in France, Azar the Juste, in particular, engaged with his tribe, plundering being very remunerative. He made stock in Spain, which was assimilated completely to the Spaniards. On the one hand, it was named the Juste parce was it, and even towards its enemies, from which the name rose from JUSTER. The termination "er" is not the privilege of the Germanic countries of languages; it is rather current in Spain in the surnames. In addition, the name of AZAR became the first name of Balthazar, a name extremely known and running in antiquity, with the Close East. "Thus in the genealogy of the JUSTER, there is of Balthazar, and also of the Lazare who is another form, this rather enigmatic time." |
| A bishop of Spain - the family legend makes known it to us as archbishop and cardinal, even the Grand Cardinal of Spain what remains to be proven, although that was confirmed by one of the Spanish friends who made research in the Public records in Madrid. That did not shock formerly, this bishop had mistresses. One of it, Ines SANCHEZ or SANCHE, was one of the young ladies of honor of the Queen. It was always a convenience for the "Large ones" to have creatures at the Court, to know what occurred there, and to intrigue then. And generally espionage does not oppose "amusements". |  |
| In short, at the age of 17 this Cardinal have a son of Ines that it due declared as being Balthazar Alonso SANCHEZ or SANCHE, of her patronym of girl, and unknown father, but there was a secret convention by front notary. In against part of prohibition of absolute to bear the name of JUSTER and to conceal paternity, Ines received an important pension with life, and after the death of the cardinal, the son who was of this largely equipped fact, with financed studies and various companies, received a fabulous share of the heritage and could make addition of the patronym of the Cardinal. This Cardinal, very in love with Ines, was very proud of the son that this one gave him that it affectionnait of this fact. As soon as it was in age to be foam, it made it sail on all the seas, and it grows in age and experiment aboard ships of Spain, war and trade. If it took taste with the adventures, it was especially aboard ship which brought back spices of the East and South America and Mexico. That led it one day to be its own ship-owner. With the head of an important fleet, it created many counters in the world, and in particular in France. His/her father lavished financial encouragements to him, and the protection of King d' Espagne obtained to him. Thus it created its first counter in Rouen. In France, the Apothecaries had a royal privilege for the sale of sugars. Our Balthazar made there the knowledge of at least one of them, which it joined. Thus Balthazar was the first promoter of the industry and the marketing of sugars in France, by means of its immense fortune. It had several children, and if it Maria her daughters with men of high situation, it establishes its sons a little everywhere, by associating them companies. It establishes some in Zurich and this one founded a family there. But the first wars of religion came, to sit the Reform. A monk of Zurich - Ulrich ZWINGLI or ZWINGLE - using many decided partisans wanted to impose his laws while plundering, massacring, extreme, torturing, raping the women, to put at the reason those which did not want to follow the Reform. So much of Inhabitant of Zurich were massacred, much fled in the mountains of Cantons close to that of Zurich, but some left for the foreigner. The son of Balthazar and his family left to Belfort, to have an eye on the evolution of the events in Switzerland. supplied by Didier - didier.avenal@planetis.com |
| JUSTER is a german/yiddish form of "Justus"- The latin equivalent of ZADDIK. |  |
| ADDIK and its variant are derived from the hebrew ZEDAKAH, which means righteousness/piety/justice. The first person surnamed ZADDIK, a righteous man was Noah, (Gen.6.9.). The surname was later given in various forms to respected scholars and rabbis, among them Zadok, a high priest under king Salomon and founder of the zadokite line of priests (first kings). ZEDEKIAH, the third sun of Josiah (I Chron.3.15) was the last king of Judah (596 - 586 bce). In addition to being a translation of ZADDIK, the Latin JUSTUS, recorded in Eretz Israel as a Jewish name since the first years of the common era, was also used as a secular equivalent (kinnui) of Joseph. The first century historian Justus of Tiberias was a contemporary and rival of Josephus Flavius in describing the jewish war. Justus is also found in France in the third century and Justot in 1306. Ibn Zaddik is documented as a Jewish family name in the 12th.century, Sadok in 1264 and Zaddik/Cadique in the 14th century. Justo, derived from Justus, the Latin equivalent of Zad(d)ik, is found in the 17th.century. Zadik, Zaduc, Zadok, Zaudig and Sadique are recorded in 1784 in Alsace. The name was translated into German as "GERECHTER". Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Juster include the Rumanian historian, Jean Juster (1886 - 1916) The Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, 8-March-93 supplied by Herbert Juster from Austria |
a letter found on the net
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 | | *In addition to the above letter My grandmother was a Juster, born in 1883 in Hacien, Romania. I recently got the following email from my Uncle after forwarding him a link to you site: |
| | I wrote to him: I
am mailing you a copy of your mother's birth certificate - it is
written in Romanian but I thought you would like having a copy.
According to the certificate her name was Hester Zarafu - her father
was Nahman Zarafu and she was born in the area of Patni Zeci in the
town of Hacieni. I believe it says her mother was Tolis Zarafu, but I
am asking Ben to have a Romanian friend of his translate it properly.
It lists the religion as "Mosaic" - apparantly Zarafu (in ROmanian)
means the same thing as Wexler (in Yiddish) (moneychanger). I had
always thought your mother's name was Juster, so I am a little
confused, but the dates all work out. It shows her as being born in
1883, which would have made her 36 when you were born. Let me know what
you think! He wrote back: Thanks for the information. I always thought that my mother`s maiden name was Zaraf. I guess when they came thru Ellis Island it was interpreted to Juster. There was a fairly large Juster Clan. There was uncle Saul in Chicago, Herschel in Mpls., Berel also of Mpls.. Berel was the father of the Juster Bros. who founded Juster Bros. Mens Store in Minneapolis. The store had closed about 15 to 20 years ago. It was an up scale mens store. |