Learn How to Write Soletreo (the Ladino Alphabet) with David Bunis

Soletreo is the written alphabet of Ladino (also known as Judezmo or Judeo-Spanish), the endangered language of Sephardic Jews. Soletreo uses the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but appears slightly different from Hebrew script. Very few places around the world offer formal academic instruction in writing soletreo or speaking Ladino. Now, however, anyone can watch this unique soletreo tutorial with world-renowned Ladino expert Prof. David M. Bunis!

This video was made possible by a partnership between the UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies and the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Languages of the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Find out more about the other innovative digital projects supported by the Stroum Center’s Faculty Digital Fellowship, which empowers professors to boost their public scholarship using new media.

Links for Further Exploration

What is the History of Ladino and Its Alphabet? – Conversation between David Bunis & Devin Naar
Why I’m Teaching a New Generation to Read and Write Ladino by David Bunis
“Ladino” or Not “Ladino”? by David Bunis
Learning Ladino with David Bunis by Ty Alhadeff
Speaking Jewish: Thoughts on Ladino, Judezmo, & Identity by Hannah Pressman
Celebrate Ladino Day 2014 in Seattle by Hannah Pressman
Brian Berman’s website, https://www.solitreo.com/

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⇒ Learn more about the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Washington, our Sephardic Studies Program, or our Israel Studies Program.

Note: The opinions expressed by faculty and students in our publications reflect the views of the individual writer only and not those of the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies.

By Hannah Pressman|2021-07-16T10:57:52-07:00April 27th, 2020|Categories: Sephardic Studies, Video|Tags: Devin Naar, Ladino, Ladino Resources, Sephardic|5 Comments

About the Author: Hannah Pressman

Dr. Hannah Pressman writes about modern Jewish culture, religion, and identity. A lifelong lover of languages and literatures, she earned her Ph.D. in modern Hebrew literature from New York University. She is co-editor of Choosing Yiddish: New Frontiers of Language and Culture (2012). Her writing has appeared in Tablet, the Forward, Lilith, eSefarad, and My Jewish Learning. Dr. Pressman is the former Communications Director and Graduate Fellowship Coordinator at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. She is currently at work on a memoir about her Sephardic family history, connected to explorations of contemporary American Jewish identity.

5 Comments

Cristina Toma 4/30/2016 at 2:28 pm PDT - Reply

Great lesson! But we may find also other texts in soletreo online for exercice?
Peggy Davis 7/19/2019 at 11:10 am PDT - Reply

This is exactly what I was looking for to guide me in an art project. Thank you.
Andy 2/21/2020 at 7:00 pm PST - Reply

Very cool. Shared with a language instructor colleague in CT.
Joanne Nathan 9/29/2022 at 5:53 am PDT - Reply

I have small postcards in Ladino I am trying to get translated. Is there anyone that I can get to do this?
- Kara Schoonmaker 9/30/2022 at 4:56 pm PDT - Reply
  
  Hi Joanne, we don’t always have the capacity to help people find translators, but you can try sending your request to the email address sephstud@uw.edu to get in touch with the Stroum Center’s Sephardic Studies staff. Good luck!