Ladino Classes

Are you passionate about Jewish languages and cultures? Dive into the rich world of the Sephardic Jewish tradition through the Ladino language!

New classes coming up in April 2025! Interested? Please e-mail your enquiry to info@yiddishland.org

Also known as Judeo-Spanish (djudeoespanyol), Ladino is a language that originated from Old Spanish spoken by Jews in Spain before they were forced to leave in 1492. After the expulsion, these Jewish communities moved to places like Turkey, Greece, and North Africa, taking their language with them. Ladino is similar to Spanish from the late 15th century, so it has old-fashioned words and grammar that you won’t find in modern Spanish. Over time, it has picked up words from other languages like Turkish, Greek, Arabic, and French because of the different places where Sephardic Jews lived. Having a centuries-old literary tradition, Ladino is still used by some Sephardic Jewish communities, especially for religious practice and cultural expression.

We are fortunate to be able to offer our students the very rare opportunity to study Ladino from the basics to beyond. Our classes delve into vocabulary, grammar, speaking and reading, even Rashi script! Please explore some of our past offerings below, and check out our upcoming activities and events calendar for future classes.