PROVERBS

 “Guay de mi”

The equivalent of “oy.”

 “Haberes buenos”

“Good news,”

 “Echar lashon”

The equivalent of “schmooze,” a Jewish pastime.

 “Bavajadas”

“Nonsense!

 “Bivas, kreskas, engrandeskas, komo un peshiko en aguas freskas! Amen!”

A wayyyy too long “bless you.”

 “Aksi bashi”

“A grouch.”

 “Kapara”

Essentially “the mistake could be worse.” A better version of ~shrug~.

 “Djente de piron”

“The one percent” or literally “people of the fork.”

 “Hadras i baranas”

“A big fuss.”

“Engleneate!”

“Have fun!”

 “Las anyadas non azen sezudos, eyas non azen ke viejos”

“The years don’t make people wise, they just make them old.”

 “Kuando se eskurese es para amaneser”

“When it’s dark out, that’s because dawn is coming.”

 “Todos los dedos de la mano no son unos”

“All the fingers of the hand are not the same,” AKA we are all different. Amen.

∙•

Ladino Pronunciation Guide

j as in French “bonjour”
h as in English “hot”
dj as in English “joy”

1. Ijo de ken sos tu? 

?איז’ו די קין סוס טו

Pronunciation: EE-jo de ken sos tu
Meaning: You are the child of whom?
How to use it: You meet someone, realize you might know people in common, and begin playing Sephardic Jewish geography with the question: “Ijo de ken sos tu?”

2. Haberes buenos!

!חאביריס בואינוס

Pronunciation: ha-BEAR-es BWE-nos
Meaning: Good news!
How to use it: This can be used either to announce good news or as a way to ward off bad news.
Sample uses: You aced your exam and tell you parents: “Haberes buenos! I got an A!”
You find out Nona (grandma) broke her hip and, to ward off the bad news, reply, “Haberes buenos!”

3. Dezmazalado de mi!

!דיזמאזאלאדו די מי

Pronunciation: dez-ma-zal-A-do de MEE
Meaning: Pity me! I’m out of luck.
Sample use: You haven’t texted me in weeks! Dezmazalado de mi!

4. Djente de piron 

ג’ינטי די פירון

Pronunciation: DJEN-te de pee-ROAN
Meaning: The one percent (i. e. rich folks)
Literal translation: “People of the fork”: owning a fork (and not just a spoon) was once a sign of high-class status.

5. Kome kon gana! 

!קומי קון גאנה

Pronunciation: KO-may kon GA-na
Meaning: Bon appetit!
Literal translation: “Eat with desire.”

6. Engleneate!

!אינגליניאטי

Pronunciation: en-glen-AY-a-te
Meaning: Have fun!
Literal translation: Entertain yourself!

7. Hadras i baranas

חאדראס אי באראנאס

Pronunciation: HAD-ras ee bar-an-AS
Meaning: An outrageously big fuss. Being pretentious and really noisy at the same time.
How to use it: When someone is really making a scene: “Look at all that hadras i baranas!”

8. Bavajadas de benadam 

באב’אז’אדאס די בן אדם

Pronunciation: ba-va-JAD-as de ben a-DAM
Meaning: Human foibles
Literal translation: Stupidities of mankind
Sample sentence: Water cooler chatter reveals the bavajadas de benadam.

9. Bivas, kreskas, engrandeskas, komo un peshiko en aguas freskas! Amen!

ביב’אס קריסקאס אינגראנדיסקאס קומו און פישיקו אין אגואס פ’ריסקאס אמן

Pronunciation: BEE-vas, KRES-kas, en-gran-DES-kas, KO-mo un pesh-EE-ko en AG-uas FRES-kas! a-MEN!

Meaning: An elaborate “bless you” after a sneeze (or multiple sneezes)
Literal translation: Live; thrive; grow; like a little fish in fresh water! Amen!

10. Kaminos de leche i miel!

קאמינוס די ליג’י אי מייל

Pronunciation: Ka-MEE-nos de LE-che ee MEE-el

Meaning: Bon voyage!

Literal meaning: May you follow paths of milk and honey

11. Sano i rezio!

סאנו אי ריזייו

Pronunciation: SA-no ee REZ-yo
Meaning: Farewell!
Literal meaning: May you be healthy and strong

RECIPES

 

RITUALS

 

FUNERALS & UNVEILINGS

*Always ask if the family wants anything to be sung-many Sefardim do not

*Some Sefardim light candles on the back of the tombstone

CHANUKAH

ROSH HASHANA

YOM KIPPUR

BABY NAMINGS

Sephardi ritual, entitled “Zeved ha Bat”
For Zeved habat, according to Abraham Lopez Cordoza’s anthology of the Spanish Portuguese tradition,Sephardic Songs of Praise, the pasuk: Yonati b’khagve hasela,  from Shir hashirim is sung by the chazan. It’s on page 117.
יוֹנָתִי בְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶּלַע, בְּסֵתֶר הַמַּדְרֵגָה, הַרְאִינִי אֶת־מַרְאַיִךְ, הַשְׁמִיעִנִי אֶת־קוֹלֵךְ, כִּי־קוֹלֵךְ עָרֵב וּמַרְאֵיךְ נָאוֶה
pasuk (which includes: hashmiini et kolech ki kolech arev (!),

Doobi Zelzer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upMfuI5xXV8

Bracha Tsfira written by Alberto Hamsi:  https://www.zemereshet.co.il/m/song.asp?id=13700

Eyal Yifrah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUb0lYHqgWc

Aviva Rosenbloom

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=b474a8981f&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1753904544456052810&th=18571ee3fe3f104a&view=att&disp=safe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upMfuI5xXV8&authuser=0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUb0lYHqgWc&authuser=0

BRIT MILAH