Beginner Judeo-Spanish (Beginner Ladino)

Beginner Ladino Course (5 lessons – 1.5 hours per lesson) This course is designed for students who wish to learn Ladino from the very beginning, whether out of interest in the Sephardi language and culture or because they come from Ladino-speaking Sephardi families but did not have the chance to acquire the language at home. No prior knowledge is required. Over five one-and-a-half-hour lessons, participants will build basic vocabulary, learn the official Ladino orthography, and develop essential communication skills through everyday topics and fundamental grammar. The course also includes cultural content such as traditional songs, Sephardi geography, and adapted stories of Djohá, as well as special sessions on Moadim among Sephardic Jews. Students will work with materials from both the Sephardi literary tradition and contemporary Ladino sources. The course concludes with a guided conversation and interactive activities to reinforce language and grammar while exploring Ladino today. When: Mondays, January 4 – February 1, 2027: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT / 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Israel Where: Online via Zoom Cost: Early Bird: Full 5-class course for $270 Regular: Full 5-class course for $300 Register for this event Teacher: Esther Rute Esther Rute holds a BA in Semitic Philology (Complutense U.) and two MA in Jewish History and Spanish Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI). She is a certified language teacher (HUJI) and Ladino instructor at the Sephardi Community Council of Jerusalem and the Instituto Cervantes in Tel Aviv. She is also the External Advisor to the National Authority for Ladino (ANL) and Deputy Editor of Aki Yerushalayim. Her main position is Head of the International & Israeli Section at the Guiding Department of Yad Vashem, Jerusalem.