The document summarizes a symposium held at UNESCO on Judeo-Spanish paths and Mediterranean heritage. It discusses the history of Jewish communities in various regions like Spain, Majorca, Venice, Thessaloniki and Istanbul. Several speakers presented on topics like the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and their settlement in places like Greece, preservation of the Judeo-Spanish language in Bulgaria, and the specificities of the language in Istanbul. The symposium aimed to understand and promote appreciation of Jewish cultural heritage in Europe and its linguistic and cultural variations in different places over history.

1. Meeting Judeo-Spanish Paths and Mediterranean Heritage Paris Unesco 15 Septembre 2014
Organized during European days of Jewish culture and heritage.
Opening Alfredo Perez de Arminan Unesco assistant director for Culture.
The symposium is willing to help to understand the heritage of jewish culture inside European
culture.
Thanks to Unesco for the organisation and experts for helping the event. Unesco is promoting
the diversity of language in the world. The history is about the hiberian peninsula. It is important
to focus on the period when jewish people were kill because of war.
Irene Ores B'nai B'rith International representation to Unesco.
Dear friends, allow me to call you my friends because you are participating to this symposium
about jewish culture. The event is organized on 15 in order to be linked to the european days of
jewish culture and heritage. Unesco is working in the area and wanted to organize the
symposium also because of the renew of yedish language and so called symposium. Starting
from Spain the displaced people have been traveling to many different countries. Outside of
Spain the focus is actually on Greece and Turkey. Mr Ores started to be interested in yedish
because of a book offered to her. It was about Spain and crimes against jews, burning books and
people. After a while she met people Ashkenaze who did not speak spanish. She also attended a
symposium in Spain. In Lyon she thought yedish was only limited to familly speaking. It is not
the first time that Unesco organize a meeting about yedish and jewish culture, the previous one
was 20 ars ago. The language have been preserve along 500 years. The symposium will help to
understand several aspect of jewish culture. Also this day should be a networking opportunity
amongst the participants.
François Moyse President of the European association for the preservation and promotion of
Jewish culture and heritage.
The notion of heritage and paths are very important for our activity and association. It starting in
Alsace. In september every year there is a meeting organized in coordination with autorities. Also
there are activities in Austria. The heritage belongs to everybody and should not be considered
as jewish only. Spanish jewish heritage representative are present at this symposium. Also in
Portugal the network as started to be organized.
The second aspect, Path is being represented here.
Hai vidal Sephiha Professor emeritus at the Universite Sorbonne Nouvelle and Auschwitz survivor
read by Dr Michel Azaria.
The professor was invited but being hospitalized he could not come, even after recover. He send
a message to thanks organisers of yedish symposium. This language was not considered as
language, but it is actually spoken in France and other countries. Many people expect me to
speak ladino witch is a common language of all jewish. It is equivalent to christian habit to speak
out for Mass in Latin, if they kept this habit. In 2003 The association have organize to bring
young people and the local autority asked the text to be validate by official translater, who's
transalator refused to be paid for the text.
Nicole Abravel University of Picardie Jule Vernes / School for advanced studies in social sciences
EHESS.

2. FERRARE Armilar Sphera 1553
FERRARE is a portuguese town... (Difficult subject i could not understand much)
Migration, persecution and local fee for jewish to stay five years where there daily life. Some time
it was question of expelling jews, but later they were not expelled. During 1552's jewishs are
moving to Otoman Empire. Women where not autorized to walk around with there head
uncovered. Also Majorca is a bridge between several emmigration and language. There are
variations of language amongst european territory settlement and this is visible in Judeo spanish.
Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona to Majorca.
Hilary Pomeroy University college London..
Very interesting symposium and we will continue with medieval period. Majorca situation at
medieval times.
Ingrid Houssaye University of Paris 7
The island was part of Balears kingdom before being owned by Galicia. It was an important place
for traffic inside Mediterranean sea. Trade and many other activities where linked to Marjorca.
Jews were called "traitors". The city was surrounded by walls and the Pallace in the city drawn a
large population growth. There were five differents district wich focused on work activities inside
the town. Two parishes separated by the river. The sea front was reserved for fisher's activities.
The town was called Ciutat There were around 12% of jewish amongst the population. Later they
were regrouped in a specific location. Over 300 people were killed during riots and a part of the
population had to flee to the continent. Also later some famillies came back and changed their
names and confession. A cross was carved in front of the house were converted jews were living.
They had to move for a while during final conversion process. Many florantine jews had to flee
out and sold there fabrics. The community was very weak at some period. Letters of this period
were digitalized for memory and are possible to read at DATINI 1025 and other references. The
kind of documents show confidence of trading between jews and converted. Religion and political
standards were part of commerce. Jews could move around for activities. There were
cartography of jew and new christian settlements.
Enric Porqueres EHESS
Lets start by the end. There are few remaning cities in Majorca. At the period when people were
forced to convert to christianity it was the global population whom had to do so or die. The
descendance of converted jews were settled in reserved areas for them. Trators of Majorca were
not so many and continued to live up to 20th century. They were specialised in trading. Catalan
was spoken in Majorca. In Castilla it was not so much tolerance than Majorca. A real period of
Peace happened after the moment of jews fleeing. Some people were jocking at jews because
they were not eating pork but the autority asked for tolerance even when famillies were denonce
to inquisition. Within the population there were differences between people following Moise and
those who were not, also these differences were about sexual habits. Spain, Italy and Majorca
were linked by the fact of jews fleeing for religion reasons. Some of those famillies could work on
evolution of their own social status. Progressive work lead the jews to get the best positions in
society, especially in Italy. Territories of freedom were setup to allows people to create their
activity and rule their lives. The inquisition had an effect that the remaining jews community from
converted famillies were more ethnic than religious in term of content.
The gheto of Venice: Enclosed space, open space.

3. Introduction: Isabella Palumbo-Fossati University of Picardie Jules Verne
Gianmario Guidarelli University of Venice
The topography of the island of Venice Ashkenaze jews cummunity could flee to the specific
ghetto. Three differents ghettos were setup in the north east of the city. There were systematic
operations against jews before a king decied to protect them. Architecture was influenced by the
fact of living inside the ghetto or outside. The city is multi centered, there were not cross cultural
relations but each communities were living by themselves. The international aspect of Venice was
more outside of the ghetto but inside was a self organized culture without interactions from
outside. Ethnic groups were living separatly and each community had to be autorised to trade
gold and small items. They were called money launderers. The christians landers were letting
people to rent appartments at very high prices. The way of working for trading was to have jew
community as intermediary. Sepharad jews were located in a specific small ghetto. Ashkenaze
and Sepharad were living by themselves but not related in activities. The differences of language,
culture and ethnic between the two entities still exists. There was more assimilation after
decades. The differences in religious service was about music and language.
Short resume:
Majorca was then a terrible situation were people were forced to convertion and Venice an
imaginary island were communities were able to live by themselves.
Question about music in that period: there are No traces of music because musicians were in jail
with their instruments. But it did exist music when they were composing inside prison.
Question about the word "trators": it was a real insult to be called "traitor" because it was linked
to pork and specific jew culture habits.
Question about language: there were specific espagnol and Judeo spanish language at this
period.
Question about terms: There were three synonims: Hebreo, Maràno and Giudéo Which
coresponds to jews denomination.
From Spain to Thessaloniki:.a shepardic adventure (1492-1943)
Odette Varon-Vassard Hellenic Open University
Two majors events: 1943 And 1943 Deportation of greeks and spanishs jews. Jewish civilization
in Mediteranean?
Generaly antropologists says it remains believes and artefacts,.it was a real jewish civilization.
During a long period muslims and jews were living peacefully.
It is the period when jews were called marános (pigs)
Two Times JEWS were expeled from England and France. Apart from Thessaloniki there were
settlement in Peloponese. They became greek later.
In Athens there was a small community of Azhkenaze. The Sepharad considered themselves as
invited by Ottoman autority. They felt they were invited because they were desirable, and they
were welcomed by officials. Bothering jews was punished by death. Houses were unoccupied
when jews arrived. The Poet said the best to arrive is by the sea. Texts say everything is nice.
This was the impression of spanish jews that just arrive.
There are three periods: Ottomans control the city, newly greek state, Destruction of all that was
built in Thessaloniki. It was no more the second city of Israël.

4. The arrival of slow groups of jews would spread the word for other famillies to come. Dynamic
Sepharad jews took a long time to setup. Thessaloniki a period of growth was followed to
decadence. The merchant activity started to decline. Economy weakened. Jews marànos were
scarred. France play a special role because it became a new home for jews fleeing from
Thessaloniki, Spain was more a familliar role about cooking habits from mothers.
The second period in this presentation is invasion of Thessaloniki where jews were living. Greeks
were present by language and it was easier to learn greek. So the deportation was avoided by
thse who could speak greek and hide their origin. It become a greek state where fires happened.
Deportation took place easily. The language was totally eradicated. A very small community could
rebuilt the culture with one thousand survivors, organising new classes and also for spanish.
Shops and buildings went to christian owners. The raise of Nazism was the beginning of
extermination of citizens in several locations. The community needs to know the real history for
the future.
Sophie Vassalak, INALCO
Testimony 1943 The efforts of the consul of Spain in Athens
Issak Revah deportee os spanish and greek nationalities and member of Aki Estamos
Testimony of an official person who acted for saving jews instead of letting go to Bukenvald.
Sebastian de Romero Radigales. He was negociating with german army to avoid deportation. Also
he had to work for Spain to accept the jews to rapatriate one y one. So he was against the
decision to deport. Being spanish national could facilitate the protection from deportation. Berlin
wanted to get rid of this deport group, then Berlin asked to Madrid to accept the group to Spain
with the condition that they will be welcomed with dignity.
The process for the recognition of Just amongst the Nations was accepted after two files
proposed the organisation.
Traces and vitality of judaeospanish in Bulgaria
Jean claude Kuperminc Alliance israelite universelle.
Il est important de sauvegarder et mettre en valeur la culture judéo-espagnole.
Michaël Studemund-Halévy Institute for the history of jews in germany Hamburg.
It is a ten years old project from Bulgaria. More than 15 tons of documents. 18 books published
in Israël. Also 200 Books were found in bad condition and 4000 in a closed library. It is important
to help scientific community to get access to this documents. Three volumes will be published to
make it available to research. Interviews were made in poor conditions but it should be published
in France with help of an Institute. A austrian institute will help to publish the files on internet.
Also tools will be used for revitalizing the spanish language.
Ana Stulic Université de Bordeaux Montaigne
The relationship of academic and Judeo-Spanish must be reinforced. This language was suddenly
disapearing because of war and many people were killed Together with this culture. The first
project at Bordeaux Montaigne concerne communication and revitalizing the Judeo-Spanish
language. The basic problem is to have enought speakers for exchange and archiving. It is also

5. important to create litterature and gather documents. Strategy development for identifying and
analizing original documents is an aim together with online inmediate gathering. Traditional
documentation is not only formal structure but also creation insight. It is not only memory of
content but interacting with other people. Summer University in Sophia permited the third event
of language and exchange with differents participants. The process has several effect on learning
and practice of culture. Talks are now spontaneous and language become a tools after being the
subject of experiment. Academia and organization are fully linked to the process of saving the
Judéo-spanish language.
Gaëlle Colin Musée d'art et d'histoire du judaïme, Paris
Ten years after the symposium at Unesco there are seven corpus of documents. In Bulgaria 15
differents recordings could be registered. Poems and songs were performed by bulgarian
speakers. The second source of Judeo-spanish talks was created by 100 recordings made by a
specialist that kept the archive up to know. Also video were made with elderly people. More than
100 hours of documents were created in several countries.
Archives are now being processed for use by specialists. 12 interviews have been archived with
other lecturers. Digitalizing all the documents in Bulgaria and Israël will help to gather new
information about the language. Others fields are available to research in USA. (unfortunatly no
presentation. Only flow of talk)
Istanbul Judeo-spanish and its specificities
Michel Bodezemir INALCO
When kicked out from Spain, David and Samuel brought the most basic mecanism for rebuilding
printing service. It is one of the means that have been used to save Judeo-spanish language.
Marie-Christine Bornes-Varol INALCO
Istanbul is a significant place for heritage in this matter. The continuity is possible to be analized
in this town. In differents places jews could adapt to local language and continue to speak the
Judeo-spanish. 400 publications were published in the Ottoman kingdom. Fragmented
communities could even continue to use and live the culture. The language unite the community
by exchange in daily life. Some words can vary and adapt to local use. Different phonems and
graphic are taken as exemples (by the Speaker but no slides for demonstration.)
Castillan and Judéo-spanish were mixed for a kind of loss of roots. Later on. The language was
recreated later.
Karen Sarhon Istanbul Sephardic Center
Judeo-spanish was considered a disformed kind of language and discriminate by population.
Then people though children would have trouble learning properly turkisk. The result was a mix
of several languages and words. The Alliance Israelite universelle was created in 1920 with belief
that french is the language of educated people and Judeo-Spanish for uneducated ones. Later,
turkish pushed jews to speak turkish properly, leaving apart the Judeo-Spanish. Nowaday turkish
language became the main communication language. There is still only one native speaker of
ladino. The more educated the speaker is, the more words he uses. Depending to where you live
you have a strong influence of national language of the country. Some people have to relearn

6. their language by reading newspaper wich is publishing in ladino. Actually broadcasting is mainly
in english and there is a lack of ladino creation.
End the presentation with song from ladino concert.
Closing remark by Metchtild Rössler Deputy director UNESCO Division for heritage.
Greetings to organizers, promotion of languages, peace and diversity of cultures.
RDM-ROW http://www.slideshare.net/reporter/documents Dominique M. DESCHAMPS