Izmir

Speaker's community of origin:

Izmir, Istanbul, Buenos Aires

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Folk tales

Documentation:

Prof. Liliana Benveniste

Year of recording:

2019

Translator:

Dr. Shifra Schnoll

Translation:

During the Spanish inquisition, a priest persuaded a Jew to convert to Christianity. One day, on a Friday afternoon, the priest came to visit the Jew, to make sure he is not breaking any Christian laws, but was surprised to find the Jew sitting down having a roasted veal for lunch.

“What is this?!” said the priest, “are you eating meat?! You know that’s not allowed on a Friday.”

“No, it’s not meat, it’s fish”, the Jew replied.

“I beg your pardon?!” said the priest, “I can clearly see that it is meat indeed.”

“It is very simple”, the Jew answered. “I sprinkled three drops of salted water on the meat, crossed it and said: “You used to be meat, but now you are fish”, “You used to be meat, but now you are fish”, “You used to be meat, but now you are fish”, just like you did to me during my conversion.

More info:

The speaker is not a native Ladino speaker

Song for a bride at the bathhouse

Dedicated to my dear sister Camalia

Name of speaker:

Ḥana Vaknin

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Worked at the Garage and Automobile Department of the Israel Post

Age of speaker at time of recording:

64

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Izmir, Israel

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Women, Women's songs

Documentation:

Yaʿel wecsler and Tali Heiman

Year of recording:

2019

Five Years - Cinco Amiyos

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Ḥalab, Izmir

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

Hopes – Umitleri

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Language:

Turkish

Conversation topics:

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

Little Dark Lass - Morenica

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Ḥalab, Izmir

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Nursery rhymes

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

Translation:

Moshe Giora Elimelech

They call me "dark one"

I was born white

The summer sun made me thus

Dark one, you are graceful,

Dark and graceful, with dark eyes

The lyrics and translation are taken from a website of Jewish folk songs: http://www.jewishfolksongs.com/en/morenica

Transcription:

Morenica

Morenica a mi me llaman

- yo blanca nací

el sol del enverano

a mi m'hizo ansí

Morenica, grociosica sos

morenica y graciosica

y mavra matiamu

Trancription and traslation: http://www.jewishfolksongs.com/he/morenica-he

I Want to Go, My Mother – Ir Me Quero La Mi Madre

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Nursery rhymes

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

From the High Seas – De Las Altas Marres

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

White Roses, Flower Bouquets – Blancas de Rosas Ramas de Flores

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

Sleep My Darling – Durme Te Mi Alma

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics:

Nursery rhymes

Documentation:

Adina Cohen (of De Picciotto)

Year of recording:

1983

The Tree - Arvolero

To my mother, Klara daughter of Rashel and Baruch Balio

Name of speaker:

Klara De Picciotto (of Balio)

Gender of speaker:

Female

Occupation of speaker:

Seamstress

Age of speaker at time of recording:

68

Year of immigration:

1949

Speaker's country of origin:

Speaker's community of origin:

Language:

Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

Conversation topics: