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Episode 42: Ode to Ladino

Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish, was once the mother tongue of Sephardic Jews in Turkey and other Jewish communities that once thrived around the Mediterranean. Now, there are only about 100,000 Ladino speakers scattered throughout the world. In this episode of Can We Talk?, we meet Karen Sarhon, a woman on a mission to keep Ladino, and the culture surrounding it, alive. Freelance journalist Durrie Bouscaren brings us this story from Istanbul, Turkey.

Released May 19, 2020
  • Karen Sarhon is the editor of El Amaneser, the Ladino-language supplement of Turkey's Jewish newspaper. Photo courtesy of Karen Sarhon.

  • Karen Sarhon with the original members of her band, Los Pasharos Sefaradis.  The band researches and performs Ladino songs. Photo courtesy of Karen Sarhon.

  • Karen Sarhon, whose lifelong mission is the preservation of Ladino culture in Turkey. Photo courtesy of Karen Sarhon.

  • Karen Sarhon and "El Amaneser"
  • Karen Sarhon with the original members of her band, Los Pasharos Sefaradis
  • Karen Sarhon

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Episode 42: Ode to Ladino." (Viewed on December 25, 2024) <https://jwa.org/podcasts/canwetalk/episode-42-ode-ladino>.