Jewish İstanbul is about the folkloric culture of its Jews and their language that survived over five centuries within the perimeters of the multicultural city of İstanbul, throughout the reign of the Ottoman Empire into the 20th century.
It is about the journey of Judeo-Spanish, the language brought to the Ottoman Lands by the Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal following the Inquisition and their expulsion in 1492.
The collection of childhood memoirs, originally written in Judeo-Spanish pay homage to this endangered language that was last transmitted to the Jewish baby boomers of İstanbul, while the life of the 1950s and 1960s still carried remnants of this unique culture with long history. The English translation is for the future generations to explore the language and the folklore of the Jewish İstanbul as it was once experienced by the multilingual and multicultural Jewish children of Istanbul.
Glosaryo / Glossary
Prefasa / Preface
Introduksyon / Introduction
"Yo So Romano" / "I Am Romano"
Letche de Azno / Donkey's Milk
Banyo de Chinko / The Zinc Baby Tub
El Apartamento Andjelo / The Apartment Named "Angel"
Mi Madre i la Estorya de Djoha / My Mother's Joha Story
El Enkontro / The Encounter
Purim / Purim
El Misteryo de la Guante / The Mystery of the Mitten
Mamuazel / Mademoiselle
El Mupak / The Kitchen
Sovre el Azno i Aznedades / About Donkeys
Leon el Barragan / Leon the Warrior
La Makina/ The Sewing Machine
Djamila "a Media Luz" / Djamila "at Dim Lights"
Un Paseo de Hamam / The Visit to the Hamam
Namer el Endevino / Namer the Fortune Teller
Un Meldado / A Memorial Commemoration
La Tant Sarina/ Aunt Sarina
La Butikade Musyu Navon / Mr. Navon's Shop
Los Sedakeros de Apollon / The Beggars of Apollon
Puncha Kulo / The Stinger
La Vavade Varna / The Granny from Varna
La Partensiade Leoniko / Farewell to Leoniko
Ansi Pasavan los Diyas / Life Goes On
El Primo de Beyrut / The Cousin from Beirut
Sinema Andjelo Muevo / A Movie Theater Named Angel
Prinkipo / Prinkipo
Mansur el Loko / Crazy Mansur
Serenas de Mar / The Mermaids
La Jetée/ The Jetty
Ya no Bayla Mas El Lonso En Bostandji / No More Dancing Bears in Bostancı
La Lisyon Partikular/ Private Tutoring
Las Gözlemes de Madam Sima / Mrs. Sima's Fritters
La Haftona KeNo Komi / The Skipped Whacking
La Biblioteka/ The Bookcase
Un Balo i Su Pintura / The Children's Ball
Las Letras de mi Madre / Mother's Letters
La Fotografiya/ The Photograph
Indiana de Fierro / Have You Had "Demirhindi" in İstanbul?
Moda Mueva / Brand New Fashion
Las Dos Amerikanas / The Two Americans
Index