English

Pidyon haben (redemption of the first-born son)

                                                                              

Name of speaker: 
ʿAziz Shemo-Cohen
Participants in the conversation: 
Shlomo Shemo-Cohen
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Shoemaker, carpenter
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
91
Year of immigration: 
1950
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Conversation topics: , Priestly blessing
Documentation: 
Yehudit Henshke
Year of recording: 
2018

Life story

To my sister Zerifa (Zaqen) ʿAdika and to the Zaqen family

Name of speaker: 
Yosef Zaqen
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Construction worker, driver, electrician, dancer and Kurdish dance instructor
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
82
Year of immigration: 
1951
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Conversation topics: 
Documentation: 
Batya Mazor Hoffman
Year of recording: 
2018

Saharana

                                                                                                                   

Name of speaker: 
ʿAziz Shemo-Cohen
Participants in the conversation: 
Shlomo Shemo-Cohen
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Carpenter, shoemaker
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
91
Year of immigration: 
1950
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Conversation topics: 
Documentation: 
Yehudit Henshke
Year of recording: 
2018

Mitzva of hospitality

To my brothers Meʾir and Tsvi Mizraḥi Z"L

Name of speaker: 
Naftali Mizraḥi
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Carpenter
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
81
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Conversation topics: 
Documentation: 
Batya Mazor Hoffman
Year of recording: 
2018

Translation: 

"Mean dachil dela dilia, eina kisufa" – On the Mitzva of hospitality

Once there was a Jewish merchant, who wandered from city to city to sell his commodity. The man went out of the town of Zakho through Amadiya, stayed there until Friday at noon and wondered what he would do, as he does not want to violate the Shabbat. He asked passers-by about the residence of the town's acham (wise man) until he arrived at the door of his house (maybe it is acham Avidani, whose name precedes him). He knocked on the door. The acham opened the door and hospitably greeted him with "Shalom Aleichem" and the man told him "your honor, I have arrived at Amadiya from afar, I do not want to desecrate the Shabbat".

The acham replied, "Welcome to my home, but you must pay 500 dollars in advance". The man wondered, but thought to himself, it would be better to pay than desecrate the Shabbat. He took out of his pocket the requested amount and gave it to theacham Hacham.

The acham invited him to wash and clean up in the warm water as he likes, towards the Shabbat. The merchant washed, relaxed, and came out fragrant and dressed like a king. The two went out together to pray in the synagogue.

When they returned home, what did the guest's eyes see? A table set with all the finest in the land, prepared and set delicacies, all sorts of meat and fish, fruits and pastries. The guest wondered, yet he was happy, and didn't think at all about the 500 dollars. They made the blessing over the wine, blessed the bread and ate until they were full. After the feast, they started to sing Zemirot (religious songs) for Shabbat. When the guest got tired the acham offered him to his already cleaned bed. The guest dozed off and slept well.

On Shabbat morning, as he got up, the acham's wife gave the guest a drink and offered him a large piece of homemade cake. The merchant and the acham went together to the synagogue. When they returned the table was set with all sorts of goods, cholent, delicacies and kinds of beverages. They blessed the wine and blessed the bread. The guest ate well and was satisfied. The acham told him "go, rest during the afternoon, and when you get up, we will go to the synagogue for Minha and Arvit".

The two prayed Minha and Arvit at the synagogue and dined there a third meal. When they returned home they did "Havdala". The guest told himself: "I enjoyed this Shabbat so much, 500 dollars are nothing to me, as long as I didn't desecrate the Shabbat".

He started to pack his clothes, zipped his bag and was about to leave the house of the acham. He went to thank the acham for the perfect hospitality. The acham took the 500 dollars out of his pocket and gave them to him. The guest was surprised and asked: "Why did you ask me for 500 dollars?" the Hacham answered: "If I hadn't taken the 500 dollars from you, you'd be ashamed to eat and wouldn't feel comfortable. I took the money from you so you'd eat as you liked and feel free to act like it was your home".

As the saying goes "Mean dachil dela dilia, eina kisufa" *meaning, anyone who eats food that isn't his own, his eye is ashamed. Therefore the acham asked for 500 dollars in advance, so the guest would feel comfortable and won't be ashamed.

That is why many people in our neighborhood, Zikaron Yosef, also known as the Kurdish neighborhood, anyone who visited them, they would be very hospitable. And why did I tell you this?

Anyone who visits you greet him with a hospitable and respectful manner. The guests repay their hosts with a blessing: "May it always be full, let your home always be wide open".

I came from there, I brought to you regards, a happy holiday greeting, be well, be strong and of good courage.

*"Mean dachil dela'o dilia bahit lestaklu bafia", meaning, anyone who eats food that that isn't his own, is ashamed to look at the feeder" Jerusalem Talmud, Orla (tractate of the Mishna), 81, 53

Rosh Hashana customs

                                                                                                                 

Name of speaker: 
ʿAziz Shemo-Cohen
Participants in the conversation: 
Shlomo Shemo-Cohen
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Carpenter, shoemaker
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
91
Year of immigration: 
1950
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Documentation: 
Yehudit Henshke
Year of recording: 
2018

Passover customs

                                                                                                                

Name of speaker: 
ʿAziz Shemo-Cohen
Participants in the conversation: 
Shlomo Shemo-Cohen
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Carpenter, shoemaker
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
91
Year of immigration: 
1950
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Documentation: 
Yehudit Henshke
Year of recording: 
2018

Spoken languages in Zakho

                                                                                                        

Name of speaker: 
ʿAziz Shemo-Cohen
Participants in the conversation: 
Shlomo Shemo-Cohen
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Shoemaker, carpenter
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
91
Year of immigration: 
1950
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Conversation topics: , Spoken languages
Documentation: 
Yehudit Henshke
Year of recording: 
2018

Learning to read and write in Zakho

To my brothers Meʾir and Tsvi Mizraḥi Z"L

Name of speaker: 
Naftali Mizraḥi
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Carpenter
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
81
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Conversation topics: 
Documentation: 
Batya Mazor Hoffman
Year of recording: 
2018

Night of Hosha'ana Rabba

To my brothers Meʾir and Tsvi Mizraḥi Z"L

Name of speaker: 
Naftali Mizraḥi
Gender of speaker: 
Male
Occupation of speaker: 
Carpenter
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
81
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Documentation: 
Batya Mazor Hoffman
Year of recording: 
2018

Night of Huza – a Tishʿa BeʾAv lamentation

In memory of Tsabaria Ido Zaqen Z"L

 

Name of speaker: 
Tsabaria Ido-Zaqen
Gender of speaker: 
Female
Occupation of speaker: 
Housewife
Age of speaker at time of recording: 
50
Speaker's country of origin: 
Speaker's community of origin: 
Language: 
Conversation topics: 
Documentation: 
Prof. Yona Sabar
Year of recording: 
1965
Translator: 
Batya Mazor Hoffman

Translation: 

A general translation:

A mother who is fearful for her son warns him form the evil spirit of Judea that floats above water, "Night of Huza", during Tisha B'Av. She worries for him and that he might escape through the river (maye maye) and warns him not to walk through the fields (= dashte dashte) and not through the mountains (ture ture), since the residents there are cruel and hate the Jews (heretics) and might kill him. The mother is in fear and sorrow, repeats the words and laments and says: vay li daye = oh my mother, oh my mother.  

Transcription: 

Lel huza maye maye, ho lel huza 

Lel huza maye maye, vay li daye 

 

Lo aziten dashte dashte, ho lel huza 

Lo alki boch an dashtaye vay li daye 

 

Kafore'ya ve'alana'ye, ho lel huza 

Lag afe el dan huza'ye, vay li daye 

 

Lel huza maye maye, ho lel huza 

Lel huza maye maye, vay li daye  

 

Lo aziten ture ture, ho lel huza 

Lo alki boch an tura'ye, vay li daye 

 

Kafore ve'alana'ye, ho lel huza 

Lag afe el dan huza'ye, vay li daye 

 

Lel huza maye maye, ho lel huza 

Lel huza maye maye, vay li daye  

(Transcription courtesy of Prof. Yona Saba)

More info: 

For reading see: 

Yona Sabar, Lel Huza: Story and History in Cycle of Lamentation for the Ninth of AB in the Jewish Neo-Aramaic of  Zacho, Iraqi Kurdistan, Journal of Semitic Studies, 21 (1976). pp. 138-162  

Yona Sabar, The Folk Literature of the Kurdistani Jews: an Anthology, New Haven & London 1982

Yitzḥaq Avishur, Echoes of the Dirges of the Women Who Mourn the Tamm´z in the Dirges of Jewish Women in Kurdistan on Tish'a Be-'Av Night, Ben 'Ever Le'Arav, 5 (2012). pp.145–154