May multitudes of people have met Ladino thanks to a tweet published by the Embassy of Spain in Turkey and that has become a trend this Sunday.
In Ladino or Judeo-Spanish It is a language spoken by Jewish communities of Hebrew descendants called Sephardim. This language is still alive in Israel, although it is in danger of extinction and, to preserve it, in Israel there is the National Authority of the Ladino, an institution created in 1997 with the aim of protecting a cultural legacy of a language that is being lost little by little.
The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev also tries to preserve Ladino and several scholars from the university organize talks, colloquia and study days to preserve the Judeo-Spanish culture.
In fact, There is an international Ladino day and for that reason, the Embassy published, this Sunday, a small thread in this language to celebrate it.
“For mozotros it is a great satisfaction to include activities of the Sephardic culture in our cultural program kada mez”, you can read in one of these publications.
Kind friends and friends of the Sefaradi Community. For me it is a great honor and a privilege to be able to address myself to others in such an important date as that of oy.
Devesh de saver ke shows both each is yours and we are at your disposal for what you need.#Ladino– Spain in Turkey (@EmbEspTurquia) February 21, 2021
For mozotros it is a great satisfaction to include activities of the Sephardic culture in our kada mez kultural program.
– Spain in Turkey (@EmbEspTurquia) February 21, 2021
We will know that the doors are always open and I hope that in the future it will be known when the pandemic escapes, we will be able to have even more shortcuts that we will join.
Many thanks.@sefaraditurkey@ICEstambul @SepharadIsrael– Spain in Turkey (@EmbEspTurquia) February 21, 2021
Today we celebrated in #Turkey the day of #ladino, the language of the community # Sephardic, and our Ambassador has addressed her in her language.
– Spain in Turkey (@EmbEspTurquia) February 21, 2021
These tweets have caused a multitude of messages mocking the thread, since many thought they were misspelled. “You will be drunk writing like that, no? I can’t find another explanation”, “This is a joke, right? If we go to the Spanish embassy in Turkey, will you talk to us like this?”, “Have you ever been here?”
You will be drunk writing like that, right? I can’t find another explanation
– The Warrior of the Mask ???????????????????? (@JPiramides) February 21, 2021
This is a joke, right?
If we go to the Spanish embassy in Turkey, will you talk to us like this?. ???????? ♀️— Tery???????? (@TeryTerrible) February 21, 2021
But what is this? ????
– Alejandro Sellés ???????? (@AlejaSelles_) February 21, 2021
Haver k hesta pasando aki?
– Felix ???????? (@ FelixRR1988) February 21, 2021
Nevertheless, multitudes of people have understood the message, have applauded the initiative and have explained their experiences with the language.
On a visit to Istanbul a few years ago I had the opportunity to speak with a man who spoke Ladino. One of the most exciting moments of a wonderful trip.
— Lur Marple (@sunalur) February 21, 2021
An unexpected pleasure to enter a zipper workshop in Istanbul to ask about something and to be answered in Ladino when they realized that we were Spanish. We stayed all morning with them, having tea and talking.
– Marine vise ???? (@audiopablito) February 21, 2021
Precious tribute to the Sephardic community, which after so long has kept intact the love for the land from which they were unjustly expelled. #Ladino
– Sergio Jiménez Baena (@ sajb86) February 21, 2021
In 1988 I traveled to Turkey and our guide was a young Sephardic Jew named Leon, whom we called “The Magnificent.” He spoke Spanish fluently, but he loved to sing in Ladino accompanied by a kind of little bandoneon and we liked to hear his accent.
– Fernando Artigas (@fernandoababol) February 21, 2021
I have never heard Ladino speak and I must admit that I did not know that they kept it today.
Our educational system has huge gaps. ????– Elena (@elecoloma) February 21, 2021
I met a Sephardic woman in Toronto, she introduced herself to us when she saw that we were Spanish. We ate one day and he told us his family’s story. How they still kept a key that was supposed to the house they had to abandon in Spain. They preserved the language from generation to generation. https://t.co/fqDA88T6tP
– .ñ. (@ EinerEiner71) February 21, 2021
How interesting this! Have you ever read a text in Ladino / Sephardic, the evolution of Old Spanish spoken by the descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain in the 15th century? It is Spanish from a parallel universe! https://t.co/ZBw7ppqExp
– Fernando de Córdoba (@gamusino) February 21, 2021
Tremendous sadness when reading some responses to this Tweet, how much ignorance.
Tremendous merit that after so many centuries this language and its history is preserved ???? ❤
“Learning a language is having one more window from which to observe the world” https://t.co/qs2UHIY5f8
– ANDONI ???? ️ ???? (@andonii_) February 21, 2021