Folktales of Joha, Jewish Trickster

Narrators’ Circle: “The Ladies of Ladino"

279 Narrators’ Circle: “The Ladies of Ladino” When my previous book was published, in 1986, I asked the late Yaakov Bonano, who was on the Ministry workers committee , to send a notice to all the employees saying that the book was available and that I wished to sell it to them at a reduced price. He said to me: “Look, anyone here who has written a book never sold more than two or three copies.” I said to him: “So let there be only two or three. It doesn’t matter. I want them to know about it. Perhaps a few will be sold.” Yaakov went to see the head of the committee, and they sent out a circular. More than a hundred of my books were sold at the Ministry alone! I sold one book to Rachel Yosefov, who came the following day and bought another and said to me: “Look, my mother has a neighbor who knows many tales. I want you to come and interview him.” “Of course.” I went right away with my tape recorder and interviewed the late Sol Maymaran, who knew dozens of tales. While interviewing Ester Levy, the mother of Rachel, who F o l k t a l e s o f J o h a 280 had invited me, I asked: “And you, don’t you know how to narrate tales?” “No,” she replied, but gradually as she listened to Sol, she felt the urge to tell tales, and she came out with some very beautiful ones that she had remembered from her childhood. In the end, she said to me: “Come again next week, this time to my home.” I went to her home, and there were five women there who told me some very fine tales. Two of them were so enthusiastic that the following week they invited me to the home of Ester’s sister, Shoshana (Rosa) Elboher, and there I met a group of twenty Jerusalemite women who had the tales in their hearts and on their lips: among them, Malka Palti, Shoshana Rosenthal, and Yvon Sitton. A month later, at Yvon Sitton’s home, there were thirty women and a buffet full of marvelous food, like at a wedding. At this point I said: “Next time you will come to my home!” And I added my other informants to these narrators. From week to week the group grew, with Levana Sasson, Malka Shabetay, Lea Basson, Lea Cohen, Renée Arochas, Malka Simha, Ester Ventura, Ester Ben-Yosef, Susy Salem . . . each one of them from a different origin but all of them Ladino-speaking. Among these gifted narrators and singers were Ester Levy and Julidé Avzaradel from Ashdod, and the late Valentina Tsoref and Malka Levy, who appeared in the theater and on radio programs. The news spread even beyond the borders of Jerusalem. And so members from the Tel Aviv area joined the circle: Naama Hillel and Mali Geva, Kohava Pivis and Sara Meshulam (who studied in the course for narrators at Bet Ariela), the late Sara Yohay from Netanya and Maty Bar-Shalom and Sima Babani and Sara Saadon from Maalé Adumim. And among them were lovers of the theater and song, like Rina Luria and Tikva Ben-Tzvi. And these are only some of the names of the narrators, who today number over fifty. N a r r a t o r s ’ C i r c l e 281 As the years passed, the circle received visits from researchers and singers wanting to get to know this special group that narrated tales and fables in Ladino, that sang, danced, and laughed, and that ate choice foods from our tradition and came away with the recipes. And from which came books of tales and songs. There came to us Professor Tamar Alexander, Dr. Judith Cohen from Toronto, Hilary Pomeroy from London, Dr. Wendy Smith and Jill Kushnir from Los Angeles, Professor Gloria J. Ascher from Quincy, Massachusetts, and many others. The singer Betty Klein has belonged to the circle from the beginning, making it rejoice with her beautiful voice and learning from the members’ ancient songs, which were new to her. The meetings are held once a month, sometimes in the homes of the narrators, even outside Jerusalem, and sometimes in the office of the National Authority for Ladino and Its Culture, with the help of its secretary, Dolly Burda, who also...