Have you ever wondered what it means to “speak Jewish”? It is a good question considering Jewish people can be found all around the world and speak many different languages. So, in light of this how would one go about defining what makes how someone speaks Jewish? In this video you can learn many different perspectives of what it can mean to speak Jewish. You will learn about Yiddish which is linked to the Ashkenazi Jewish people. Yiddish has been very influential in popular culture and it is possible you may have heard a few words that are associated with it without knowing it. Yiddish has its roots in an interesting mix of medieval German and Hebrew and evolved overtime to included various Slavic and Aramaic influences.
Another example brought up in the video is Ladino which is linked to the Sephardic Jewish community. It is believed to have started as a dialect of Spanish combined with Aramaic, Hebrew, and Portuguese. When the Jewish people were expelled in 1492 from Spain those who left found new homes in North Africa, Amsterdam, and the Middle East. Being around those speaking Turkish and Arabic while isolated from those who spoke Castilian Spanish resulted in the development of Ladino which was very distinct from other ways of speaking. There are other examples given in the video that you can learn about as well but one common thread you will find is how greatly we are influenced by those who we have been surrounded by.
We are very much influenced by the people those around us were influenced by even if we never met them ourselves. The events that happened in the past still has a great influence on how we relate to the world around us and communicate with others even if we don’t think so. As the common adage goes “No man is an Island”. With this in mind we should remember to try to take great care to be aware of things that influence us that we may just overlook as neutral and objective and not assume we are immune to the biases and prejudices of others. “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33. Also no matter how you speak remember, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians
