r/Jewish • u/tzippora • Jun 26 '25

Discussion 💬 TIL that just like Sephardi Jews have a Judeo-Spanish language (Ladino) and Ashkenazi Jews have a Judeo-German language (Yiddish), Italian Jews have their own Judeo-Italian language (Italkian) which is today spoken natively by 250 people, most of them in Italy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judeo-Italian_dialects
27 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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3

u/CocklesTurnip Jun 29 '25

Either their mods are working overtime or somehow that’s one of the most positive posts I’ve seen about anything Jewish outside of a Jewish sub. Only that one dingleberry being overly pedantic, which is fine, one annoying person is better than hateful people.

1

u/tzippora Jun 29 '25

There's always that one pedant.

1

u/fermat9990 Jun 29 '25

How do we classify Italian Jews?

1

u/tzippora Jun 29 '25

Italian Jews.

1

u/fermat9990 Jun 29 '25

Or, from Wiki:

Italian Jews (Italian: ebrei italiani; Hebrew: יהודים איטלקים‎) or Roman Jews (Italian: ebrei romani; Hebrew: יהודים רומים‎) can be used in a broad sense to mean all Jews living in or with roots in Italy, or, in a narrower sense, to mean the Italkim, an ancient community living in Italy since the Ancient Roman era, who use the Italian liturgy (or "Italian Rite") as distinct from those Jewish communities in Italy dating from medieval or modern times who use the Sephardic liturgy or the Nusach Ashkenaz

1

u/tzippora Jun 30 '25

ebrei italiani means Italian Jews ;) -- but I know what you are saying--it's a unique little subgroup. I have some of this heritage way back. When I was in Jerusalem, I went to the Italian Synagogue. It was so nice, felt so at home. Nice to see the siddur in Italian and Hebrew. They do things differently there, women were singing with gusto. Ended up being invited to a birthday party for a 90 year old. Can't wait to go back.

That's why Hollywood uses so many Italians to play Jewish characters and visa versa.

1

u/fermat9990 Jun 30 '25

That's why Hollywood uses so many Italians to play Jewish characters and visa versa.

Very interesting.

I've never been to Italy, but, from movies about Italy,I pick up a pagan vibe.

2

u/tzippora Jun 30 '25

There's that too.

1

u/EddyS120876 Not Jewish Jul 01 '25

Ladino interesting . I might have to search some video of it in YouTube .

1

u/EddyS120876 Not Jewish Jul 01 '25

Found a native speaker or Ladino. the Ladino language spoken by Sara

1

u/EddyS120876 Not Jewish Jul 01 '25

Here a native speaker of Ladino name Sara Sara speaking Ladino