Irreplaceable Klara

Having spent most of her years trying to improve Judeo-Espanyol language and culture, Klara Perahya wrote weekly articles for Salom, in Judeo Espanyol language. Her literary works in Judeo- Espanyol have been published over the years.

Her contributions in publishing the unprecedent Judeo-Espanyol-Turkish dictionary were significant.  She talked about the dictionary in an interview she gave, in 2009: 

“About fifteen years ago, I was back from a trip to USA and Ruti Meranda was back from a trip to Europe. We had talked about ‘Proverboz i Diças’, before. When Ruti told me that in France there is great interest in this language, I told her that I had observed the same thing, in USA. We decided to write and publish a dictionary, together. However, neither of us had the academic background or the philological knowledge. We decided to create a friend group and discuss the Turkish meaning of the words our elders used.  At the beginning, we were a large group, but later Ruti Meranda, Suzi Danon, Rejin Sadaka and Çela Zakuto and I created a smaller group and we worked more intensely. We determined which words would be in the dictionary and their meaning in Turkish.  They told us that Turkish-Judeo Espanyol section of the dictionary would be very easy, since we were in the age of computers, but it was not easy, at all. Because, sometimes the Turkish meaning of one word in Judeo-Espanyol is a whole sentence. In the end, we decided that with his knowledge and experience in computers, Metin Delevi could help us translate.”

Besides the dictionary, Klara Perahya also published the book, “Erensya Sefaradi” where she compiled idioms and proverbs in Judeo-Espanyol. She also published “Français-Judeo-Espanyol” dictionary in 1998, with her husband Eli Perahya. 

“Those who can write, should write; those who can speak even a little, should speak”

Klara believed that keeping Judeo-Espanyol language alive was very important. She talked about it in the same interview:

“Our ancestors, especially our grandmothers did not know how to read or write until mid-19th century. Only the upper-class families’ children went to Europe to study and learn how to read and write. They also learned different languages. Until the end of the 19th century, middle-class women used to take care of housework and raise their children. Since men used to go to synagogues, they learned to read Hebrew. Our women, despite not knowing how to read and write, knew exactly how to express their feelings. They had a philosophical understanding. Their vocabulary was very limited, but they managed to express themselves even with the limited number of words they knew. I always believed that this was an indication of culture and I did not want it to fade away…

Therefore, I have a favor to ask. Those who can write in Judeo-Espanyol, should write; those who can speak Judeo-Espanyol even a little, should speak. Even if they can’t teach their children, they should talk to their spouse and elders, in Judeo Espanyol. Only then, this language can be passed down from one generation to the next.”

Klara, alone and with her husband was invited to numerous conferences and symposiums about Judeo Espanyol as a guest speaker. With her encouragement and support, many people wrote books, articles in Judeo Espanyol.

On Sunday, September 17, Klara Perahya was buried at Acibadem Jewish Cemetery following a ceremony at Neve Salom where her family and loved ones attended.

Related Newsss ss

28 March

Democrat Party (DP) Visited Şalom

18 March

Moris Karmona Declared War On Bullying With His Book "Morhis"

Moris Karmona´s book "Morhis" in which he wrote his life story, has been published.

1 March

82nd Anniversary of the Struma Disaster

The Struma Immigration Ship had sailed from Constanza, Romania to take the Jews desperate to run from the Nazis to today´s Israel, and was sunk by a torpedo from a Russian submarine after anchoring off the coast of Istanbul for weeks.

26 February

Jenisya Yaeş Came First in the 16th National Young Soloist Competition

Soprano Jenisya Yaeş, who is studying at the Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory, Opera Art Major Undergraduate 3rd grade, has been deemed worthy of first place in the University Category of the 16th National Young Soloist Competition.

19 February

Are You Ready for the Adventures of "Penga and Menga"?

Penga and Menga are two penguins who live far away from our country and are different from each other as day and night. What unites them is their adherence to their Jewish identity and traditions. It is a heartwarming story that narrates the harmony of differences and the friendship that arises from this harmony. The creators of the characters Penga and Menga are Vivet Pitelon Sparkes and her son Jim Sparkes. Also, the illustrations in the "Holidays" series (consisting of 11 books) designed for children, belong to both of them. The stories are written and translated into English (from Turkish) by Vivet.

13 February

Şalom Now on Mobile App

Şalom´s mobile application has been launched on IOS and Android platforms.

8 February

The Great Loss of Turkish Literature

Mario Levi, the great author who had contributed many important works to Turkish literature, passed away. The famous author was bid farewell on his last journey on Thursday, February 1st, with a ceremony held along with his loved ones at the Acibadem Jewish Cemetery.

18 January

Sending Departed Hanri Benazus Off On His Last Journey

16 January

Hanri Benazus Has Passed Away

The investigative writer and businessman Hanri Benazus who owned the largest Atatürk photography collection in Turkey, passed away at 94.

9 January

UÖMO Middle School Students´ Success in the Innovation Competition

Ulus Jewish Schools Middle School´s young tech geniuses achieved great success in the 10th Başahşehir Living Lab Innovation Competition. In the competition where 220 projects from all over Turkey have competed with the "Innovative ideas are competing" motto, UÖMO students, standing out from their rivals with their "Natural Disaster Kit", came third in the middle school category.