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The Story of Ladino:
A Mediterranean Jewish Language
Thursday, September 17
USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET
UK 8:00 pm / France 9:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
About this talk
This presentation explores the history and development of Ladino, the language of Sephardic Jews, from its Iberian origins to its rich literary tradition in the Eastern Mediterranean. Historian and heritage speaker Nesi Altaras examines how Sephardic Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in the late 15th century formed new communities under the Ottoman Empire, blending Castilian, Aragonese, Catalan, Portuguese, and other Iberian languages into Ladino. The language also absorbed influences from Italian, Hebrew, Aramaic, Turkish, and Greek.
The discussion highlights related Sephardic linguistic traditions, including the Western Sephardi use of Spanish and Portuguese and the North African Judeo-Spanish dialect, Haketia. It traces the growth of Ladino literature, beginning with the 18th-century publication of Meam Loez, followed by the flourishing of Ladino newspapers and modern literature across the Ottoman world and Sephardic diaspora.
The presentation concludes by examining the language's decline after World War I and the Holocaust, as well as ongoing efforts to revive and preserve Ladino today.
About Nesi
Nesi Altaras is a PhD candidate in History at Stanford University studying Jews in the late Ottoman Empire and the post-Ottoman world. His work has been published in several journals and popular outlets in English, Turkish, and Ladino. He previously worked as editor of Avlaremoz, a Turkish platform for news and opinion on Jewish affairs. Born and raised in Istanbul, he lives in San Francisco.
RECORDING INFORMATION
This talk will be recorded and shared with registrants the day after.
It will be available for 3 days, and 7 days for members.
You will be asked to select one of these options:
General admission - $18
Supported admission - $9
Sponsor this talk - $36
With your contribution, you will also be donating to the Jewish Language Project.
