Zones of interculturality and linguistic identity: tales of Ladino by Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria

Abstract

Ladino, the heritage language of cultural affiliation for many Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria and beyond, is often discussed in terms of language endangerment and of cultural loss for this community and humanity more widely. However, for intercultural communication specialists, especially those with a linguistic focus, the Ladino experiences of Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria, as set against the backdrop of their changing political and social realities, provide rich insights regarding the linguistic complexities of identity. Through the Ladino-framed narratives of (often elderly) members of this community, we have learned how they drew, and continue to draw, upon their diverse linguistic and cultural resources to define themselves, to articulate their various identities, and to communicate within and beyond Bulgarian society. In order to connect these insights to current discussions of interculturality, and as informed by intercultural thinking, we developed the following five-zone framework: (1) the (intra-)personal, that is a zone of internal dialogue; (2) the domestic, that is a zone for the family; (3) the local, that is a zone for the Sephardic community in Bulgaria; (4) the diasporic, that is a zone for the wider Sephardic Jewish community; and (5) the international, that is the international community of Spanish-speakers. Further, the project presented here is methodologically innovative involving: several languages (i.e. it was researched multilingually as well as focused on multilingual communities) and therefore issues of translation and representation; and the use of researcher narratives as an additional means for managing the inherent reflexivities in our work.

Ладино, езикът на наследствената и културна обвързаност на сефарадските евреи в България, както и другаде, често бива дискутиран като застрашен език и като предстояща културна загуба не само за тази общност, но и за цялото човечество. За изследователите на междукултурното общуване, и най-вече за тези с лингвистични интереси, житейският опит на сефарадските евреи, свързан с използването на ладино и случващ се в непрекъснато променящи се политически и социални реалности, е неизчерпаем източник на знания за езиковите измерения на идентичностите. Посредством разказите на предимно възрастни членове на сефарадската общност - те описват как са използвали и продължават да използват езиковите и културните си възможности, за да се самоопределят, да изразяват множеството свои идентичности, и да общуват в и извън пределите на българското общество - научаваме за жизнения им път, рамкиран от общуването на ладино. За да свържем изникналите идеи и нови разбирания с текущото дебатиране на явлението междукултурност и в духа на междукултурното мислене, развихме следната рамка, състояща се от пет зони на междукултурност: (1) личностна, т.е. зоната на вътрешен диалог; (2) домашна, т.е. зоната на дома и семейството; (3) локална, т.е. зоната на сефарадската общност в България; (4) диаспорична, т.е. зоната на глобалната сефарадска общност; и (5) междунационална, т.е. зоната на международната общност на испаноговорящите. Методологията ни е новаторска: включва работа с няколко езика (и следователно въпроси свързани с превод и пресъздаване), както и рефлексивните разкази на двамата автори.

Keywords:

• zones of interculturality
• linguistic identity
• identity performance
• Ladino
• Sephardim
• narrative research

Notes on contributors

Dr. Richard Fay is a Lecturer in Education at The University of Manchester specialising in TESOL, intercultural communication, and researcher education (including narrative research). He is an ethnomusicologist, klezmer aficionado, and leader of the university's klezmer ensemble, the Michael Kahan Kapelye. His intercultural interests (educational, linguistic, cultural, and musical) are focused on, amongst other contexts, the Balkans. He has previously collaborated with Leah on educational projects and narrative research studies.

Dr. Leah Davcheva is an intercultural consultant and facilitator at AHA Moments, Centre of intercultural learning, education and research based in Sofia, Bulgaria. She works with educators, young people and business practitioners to assist them in developing routes for personal and collective achievements. She is interested in the intercultural agenda of mobility (both historically and in present day terms), linguistic and cultural diversity on the Balkans, mutuality, and inclusion. She has previously collaborated with Richard on educational projects and narrative research studies.

Notes

1. http://www.sephardicstudies.org/komunita.html.

2. For example, http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/education/projects/researching-multilingualism.aspx.

3. E.g. http://researchingmultilingually.com/.

4. http://talesofladino.wordpress.com.

5. All data quotes are from Leah's English translation of the Bulgarian restoried texts co-constructed by her and the storytellers as based on the transcripts of the narrative encounters.

6. In this restoried text which is an English translation of Leah's Bulgarian re-storying, we have retained Andrey's original embedded use of a Ladino phrase in order to give some indication of how he uses his Ladino resources in his storytelling.