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PODCAST

Heritage Words

HUC Jewish Language Project

Heritage Words features interviews about the words we"ve inherited and the meaning they bring to our lives. Heritage Words is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project, which raises awareness about Jewish ancestral diversity through the lens of language, in partnership with HUC Connect. Sarah Bunin Benor is the host.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

00:51:06

The Rabbi Who Rejected Yiddish: Mordecai Kaplan’s...

Heritage Words ·

2026/03/30

Jenna Weissman Joselit discusses Restless Soul, her biography of Mordecai M. Kaplan. Jenna begins by exploring her own family’s linguistic history, including the myth of a “Marrano bullfighter” ancestor, before diving into Kaplan's 102-year life and massive diary that he called his “golem.” She details Kaplan’s vision of Judaism as a civilization rather than just a religion, highlighting his goal to create “plus-Jews” who embrace the joys of tradition. Jenna explains Kaplan’s rejection of Yiddish in

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00:37:50

Chicken-Footed Demons and Synagogue Shouting:...

Heritage Words ·

2026/03/18

Meet Joseph Bendahan, a nuclear physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. Joseph details his family’s Sephardic roots in the Moroccan cities of Tetouan and Ouezzane before their migration to South America. Reflecting on the endangerment of his ancestral language, Haketia, he describes how the mix of Spanish, Hebrew, and Arabic thrived in Venezuela’s unique social environment. Joseph highlights vivid folklore like the chicken-footed dembajos and expressive

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00:51:51

Bonus Episode: Ayuni: Foods of our Middle Eastern and...

Heritage Words ·

2026/03/11

Today we want to introduce you to another podcast that we think you’ll like, Ayuni: Voices of our Jewish Grandmothers. On Heritage Words we discuss Jewish culture that's passed down through the generations. Ayuni does that too, taking us into the homes of Jewish families from the Middle East and North Africa. Dalya Arussy Di Veroli, Sarah Sassoon, and Dr. Drora Arussy have delightful conversations around rituals, holidays, food, and, yes, heritage words. Even their title is a heritage word. As

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00:53:14

Opera and Film: Christian and Jewish Neo-Aramaic with...

Heritage Words ·

2026/03/04

Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Nora Lacey, founder of the Assyrian Arts Institute, and Alan Niku, a filmmaker and scholar of Mizrahi culture. Together, they explore the connections between their endangered Neo-Aramaic dialects: Nora’s Christian Assyrian and Alan’s Jewish Hulaulá from Sanandaj. Nora details her work revitalizing the language through the arts, including the first Assyrian opera, Gilgamesh, while Alan discusses documenting his heritage through his Dreamy Kalimi video series. The guests

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00:41:33

How an 11-Year-Old Learned a Dying Language: Lishan...

Heritage Words ·

2026/02/18

Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Sam Miller, a computational linguist of mixed Ashkenazi and Nash-Didan heritage. Sam details his maternal roots in the cosmopolitan city of Urmia, Iran, where his family navigated a multilingual world of Aramaic, Farsi, and Kurdish. Driven by a childhood desire to shoulder the “burden” of his endangered ancestral language, he discusses his documentation work with the Jewish Language Project. Sam highlights Nash-Didan heritage words for traditional foods like shifteh and

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00:40:05

The Teenager Who Accidentally Documented an...

Heritage Words ·

2026/02/04

Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Ashton Kahen, a Baruch College student and researcher dedicated to Iranian Jewish history and endangered languages. Ashton details his family’s diverse roots across Iran, including Tuyserkan, Damavand, and Kashan. Driven by a desire to preserve his heritage, he discusses his work documenting his ancestral language, Judeo-Tuyserkani, which has led to a partnership with the Jewish Language Project. Ashton highlights common Persian Jewish heritage words like kenisa and Ben

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00:41:44

The Secret Jews of Mashhad: On Jewish Persian...

Heritage Words ·

2026/01/21

Sarah Bunin Benor interviews writer and journalist Lauren Hakimi, whose family roots trace back to Mashhad, Iran, via Tehran. Lauren recounts the unique history of Mashhadi Jews, including the forced conversion, which led her ancestors to practice Judaism in secret for a century. She discusses the social separation of Mashhadi Jews from "Tehrani" (non-Mashhadi Persian) Jews in Great Neck, New York, a major center of Persian Jews. Lauren shares how her father integrated the Yiddish word

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00:40:54

The Jewish Ambassador of Kentucky: Sephardi/Ashkenazi...

Heritage Words ·

2026/01/07

Sarah Bunin Benor interviews comedian Ariel Elias, who discusses her unique background as a Jew growing up in Kentucky and her move to the Jewish comedy scene in New York. Ariel discusses her mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic heritage, explaining why she prioritizes the Spanish connection and how she obtained Spanish citizenship. Ariel explores the contrasting experiences of her ancestral languages, from inheriting some Yiddish words like yenta and shaina maidele from her maternal side to feeling the

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00:47:00

Tsures, Shnook, and Overlapping Dialogue: The...

Heritage Words ·

2025/11/25

This Heritage Words episode features Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creator of the new Netflix series Long Story Short. Bob-Waksberg discusses his Ashkenazi roots, noting that his primary exposure to Yiddish came from American pop culture such as Mad Magazine and Mel Brooks. He also discusses his show's use of overlapping dialogue and Yiddish heritage words such as tsures and ungepatchke, sharing that this specificity allows audiences to find universal connections.Heritage Words - conversations about the

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00:42:16

Language Therapy: Iraqi, Tunisian, and Libyan Jewish...

Heritage Words ·

2025/11/12

This episode features Stephanie Ives, who shares her experience growing up in Los Angeles with a diverse Middle Eastern Jewish heritage, tracing ancestors from Tunisia, Libya, and Iraq. She discusses the various languages and cultural practices that shaped her and her journey to rediscover and transmit her family's Arabic and French heritage words to her children, emphasizing the importance of preserving this cultural depth for future generations.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we

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00:48:48

Yiddish, Arabic, and the Search for Ancestral Voices...

Heritage Words ·

2025/10/29

This episode features Dr. Karen Skinazi, who explores her diverse linguistic heritage, tracing words and expressions from her Ashkenazi mother's Yiddish-speaking background, including terms like "eggies" and "zei gezunt". She also delves into her Sephardic Egyptian-Israeli father's influence, discussing Arabic words like "do'a" and "howaga," a French children's rhyme, and Hebrew expressions.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we

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00:48:03

Lost and Found: The Hidden Layers of Jewish Language...

Heritage Words ·

2025/10/16

This episode features author Dara Horn, who discusses her approach to embedding "coded language" and hidden Jewish references, or "afikomanim," in her English novels, aiming to enrich American Jewish culture and connect readers to Jewish texts and traditions. She also shares her personal journey, including learning Yiddish to better understand Hebrew literature, her family's ancestral Yiddish background, and her new nonprofit, the Tell Institute, which educates the broader

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00:43:24

Savoring Heritage: Ladino and Family Recipes with...

Heritage Words ·

2025/10/03

In this episode, host Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Elaine Lindheim, a native Los Angeleno deeply involved in the Jewish community, about her Sephardic heritage and connection to Ladino. Lindheim shares how Ladino was the "secret language" of her parents and other relatives and explores the preservation of linguistic heritage primarily through family recipes and food-related terms like ojaldres, borekas, fritadas, and rosca.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning

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00:51:08

First-Generation Jew: Decoding Orthodox Dress,...

Heritage Words ·

2025/09/17

In this episode, host Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Aliza Bulow, CEO of CoreTorah.org, about her journey of converting to Judaism and navigating the language and culture of her new communities. Aliza discusses her names, the process of acquiring Jewish English, and her work in creating a Yinglish dictionary to help others acculturate. She also shares insights into the cultural nuances and linguistic specificities within various Orthodox communities.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we

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00:45:34

Fress Frumkeit: Michael Twitty on Living Jewish...

Heritage Words ·

2025/09/03

This episode features award-winning culinary historian and food writer Michael W. Twitty, who discusses the significance of his diverse English, Hebrew, and African names and his extensive exposure to various languages growing up. He delves into his journey as a Jew by choice, how he learned Jewish English, and the profound connection between language, food, and cultural identity within Black and Jewish communities.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring

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00:33:22

Sushi on Shabbat: A Pacific Islander’s Journey of...

Heritage Words ·

2025/08/20

In this episode, Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Genevieve Okada Goldstone, who has a rich multiracial heritage, including Portuguese, Japanese, and Chamorro. Genevieve shares her long, personal journey of converting to Judaism and discusses her efforts to imbue her children with a strong Jewish identity. She explains how she has prioritized Hebrew heritage words, while still infusing elements of her diverse cultural background.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning

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00:36:27

From Krakow to Kurdistan to Casablanca: Heritage...

Heritage Words ·

2025/08/06

In this episode, Sarah Bunin Benor hosts a roundtable discussion with staff members of the Jewish Language Project. Together, they explore heritage words from a range of languages, including Judeo-Arabic, Yiddish, Ladino, and two varieties of Jewish Neo-Aramaic. Participants explain how these words carry cultural meaning and share their personal connections to their heritage languages. The group also discusses the role heritage words can play in language revitalization efforts, offering insights

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00:24:34

Yiddish “Sounds Like Home,” with Michele Lieberman...

Heritage Words ·

2025/07/23

In this episode, Sarah Bunin Benor hands over hosting duties to a guest host, Jack Lieberman, who interviews his mother, Michele, about her ancestral language, Yiddish. From family memories to funny Yiddish anecdotes, their chat is a heartfelt tribute to preserving cultural language, food, and music as living links to a vibrant past.Jack was a student in Sarah’s class "Jewish Language in the 21st Century" at the University of Southern California in fall 2024. Sarah found the experience of

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00:53:34

Ethiopian-Israeli-American Experience: A Conversation...

Heritage Words ·

2025/07/09

In this episode, Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Ethiopian Jewish mother and son, Tawkalich Michal Avera Samuel and Telahun Liad Samuel, who share stories about their family’s migration, cultural traditions, and the Amharic words that connect their generations. Their conversation highlights how heritage words for foods, holidays, and rituals preserve identity and keep the community’s rich history alive across generations.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they

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00:48:51

I Sing it Fluently: Ladino Activism with Sarah Aroeste

Heritage Words ·

2025/06/25

In this episode, Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Sarah Aroeste in front of a live audience about her journey in exploring her Sephardic heritage through language and travel. They discuss Sarah Aroeste’s efforts to engage people of all ages to learn more about Sephardic Jewry through her career in writing and singing Ladino songs and writing multilingual, Sephardic-themed children’s books that encourage the usage of heritage words.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning

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30 results

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