Judeo-Arabic is a religiolect that has been spoken and written in various forms by Jews throughout the Arabic-speaking world. Judeo-Arabic literature deals for the most part with Jewish topics and is written by Jews for a Jewish readership. This talk will review the history of Judeo-Arabic and analyze its structure and modern use in Israel and elsewhere among Arabic-speaking Jews.
This analysis will provide an interesting perspective on the cultural dimension of Israel’s integration in the Middle East by establishing Israel as a true bi- or even multilingual state where both Hebrew and Arabic (as well as other languages) serve as the functioning and official languages of the state.
This analysis will provide an interesting perspective on the cultural dimension of Israel’s integration in the Middle East by establishing Israel as a true bi- or even multilingual state where both Hebrew and Arabic (as well as other languages) serve as the functioning and official languages of the state.
Program
6:00 pm Introduction Marcella Simoni, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and NYU Florence
6.05 The Language of the Jews of Islam: The History and Politics of Judeo-Arabic Benjamin Hary, Director, NYU Tel Aviv; Professor, Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University
