What was Queen Esther's spoken language? Well, her Persian is good enough that Ahashverosh and Haman have no idea she's Jewish. But, based on other Diaspora Jewish language practices, it's likely that she changed her language when speaking with Mordechai, using Hebrew words and other distinctive features. Find out more about the history of languages written and spoken by Jews in Diaspora at www.jewishlanguages.org. 

Purim for Juhuri (Judeo-Tat) Speakers Some people claim that Jews of the Eastern Caucasus are descendants of Esther and Mordechai. Whether this is true or not, Purim traditions seem to be deeply rooted in the culture of this community. Names related to this holiday used to be popular among community members. Along with the traditional names Istir (Esther), Hǝdǝso (Hadassah), and Mǝrdǝxǝj (Mordechai), two additional feminine names were used: Istirǝmǝlkǝ (Esther ha-Malka) and Purim itself! The holiday has a different name...

How are longstanding Jewish languages faring today? Although most descendents of Yiddish speakers no longer speak the language, Yiddish is thriving in Hasidic communities, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, and Israel. Two other languages are still spoken by some young people in select communities: Judeo-Tajik/Bukharian (Bukharan Jews of Uzbekistan and other parts of Central Asia) and Judeo-Tat/Juhuri (Mountain Jews of Dagestan and Azerbaijan), but these languages are also threatened. Most other longstanding Jewish languages are endangered, because the...

Judeo-Georgian Da mobrdzanda akadom baruxu [And there came the Holy One Blessed Is He] Da dakla malax amaveti [killing the angel of death] Rom dakla shoxet [that had killed the slaughterer] Rom dakla xari [that had killed the bull] Rom dalia tskali [that had drunk the water] Rom chaakro cecxli [that had extinguished the fire] Rom datsva joxi [that had burnt the stick] Rom cema dzagli [that had beaten the dog] Rom ukbina katas [that had bitten the cat] Rom shechama...

Ladino/Judeo-Spanish Kien supiense i entendiense? [Who knows and understands?]  Alavar al Dyo kreyense. [Praise God the Creator.] Kwalo son los TREDJE? [What are THIRTEEN?] TREDJE anyos de bar mizva. [THIRTEEN years for bar mitzvah.] DODJE trivos de Israel. [TWELVE tribes of Israel.] ONZE ermanos sin Yosef. [ELEVEN brothers without Joseph.] DYEZ los mandamientos de la ley. [TEN commandments.] MUEVE mezes de la prinyada. [NINE months of pregnancy.] OCHO dias de la milá. [EIGHT days for circumcision.] SIETE dias kon shabat. [SEVEN...

Hagda Qsem Allah – Splitting the Sea​ Judeo-Arabic from Morocco Moroccan Jews recite a passage in Judeo-Arabic at the Yaḥaṣ section of the Seder, when the leader takes the middle of three maṣṣot and breaks it into two pieces, demonstrating how God split the sea:​ Hagda qsem Allah libḥar, 'ala tnas leṭreq hen kherjou jdoudna min maṣar 'Ala yid sidna unbina Mousa bin 'Amram Hen fikkhoum ughatehoum, milkhdema se'iba alḥouriya. Hagda yifikkna haQadosh Baroukh Hou wenomar Amen This is how God...

Charoset – the sweet mixture representing mortar and freedom Just as charoset looks and tastes different in various Jewish cultures, it also sounds different: Ladino in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia: harosi Yiddish in Lublin, Poland: chroyses Western Yiddish in Amsterdam, Netherlands: charouses Judeo-Greek in Ioannina, Greece: charoseth, charosef Judeo-Italian in Venice, Italy: haroset Judeo-French in Bayonne, France: rharoche Judeo-Persian in Tehran, Iran: halegh Judeo-Median in Hamadan, Iran: haliká Jewish Neo-Aramaic in Betanure, Iraq: ḥəllíq Judeo-Arabic in Baghdad, Iraq: ḥilq, silan, shira Judeo-Arabic in...

Passover seder: Judeo-Greek in Ioannina, Greece: chova (duty) Judeo-Arabic in Mossul, Iraq: fassaḥ (verb- conduct the seder) Yiddish in Lvov/Lemburg, Ukraine: praven/uprichtn dem sayder, saydern (verb- conduct the seder) (The evening of) searching for and getting rid of chametz: Yiddish in Bialystok, Poland: di nacht tsi chumets batlen (the night to void chametz); boydek chumets zaan (search for chametz [to be]) Haketía in Tetuan, Morocco: dechamezzar (de-chametz - infinitive verb) Ladino in Salonica, Greece: des·hamesar (de-chametz), badkamiento (search [badkar]-ing), día de...

How do you say “Happy Passover”? Jews around the world have come up with diverse Passover greetings, often involving creative blends of Hebrew and local languages. Many of these phrases were originally written in Hebrew letters or other alphabets. Judeo-French in Bordeaux, France: Bonne fête (good holiday) Judeo-Provençal in Avignon, France: Bon tsantou (good holiday [yom-tov]) Western Yiddish in Alsace, France: Bauet gut (build well, likely a reference to rebuilding of the Temple because of the song Adir Hu) Judeo-Georgian in...

The Passover seder (ordered ceremony) as traditionally practiced by Jews includes several ancient languages – Hebrew (most of the Haggadah), Aramaic (Ha Lachma, Chad Gadya), and Greek (afikoman). But Jews around the world have incorporated their own local language and languages of their ancestors into their celebration of the holiday. Inside you will find Passover phrases and songs in various languages.