Language Keepers: Haketia

In partnership with the HUC Jewish Language Project

Part 2 of our series, Language Keepers: Documenting Endangered Jewish Languages

When Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, those who settled in Morocco brought their medieval Spanish with them. Over the centuries, living among Arabic and Berber speakers and drawing on their own Hebrew traditions, their language evolved into something new: Haketia. At its peak, the language had 30,000 speakers. Today, fewer than 1,000 remain. This course gives you the chance to help document this endangered language.

Working directly with native speakers, you will gain hands-on training in the essential skills of language documentation and preservation, from linguistics fundamentals to real fieldwork techniques. In six weekly 90-minute sessions, you will learn to record, transcribe, and analyze a living endangered language.

All sessions will be recorded, so you may participate synchronously each week on Zoom or study asynchronously at your own pace.

Who this is for:

• Anyone drawn to the history of Sephardic Jews and the remarkable diversity of Jewish languages.
• Students and practitioners of linguistics, anthropology, or Jewish studies looking for real fieldwork experience.
• Those with roots in Moroccan Jewish culture who want to help preserve their heritage.
• Anyone who completed Language Keepers: Judeo-Kashani and wants to continue building documentation skills.

• An understanding of what makes Haketia distinct from other forms of Judeo-Spanish, including its deep roots in Moroccan Arabic and Hebrew.
• Practical fieldwork skills applicable to any endangered language documentation project.
• Firsthand experience collaborating with native speakers to record and preserve a living language.
• A contribution to the permanent documentation of Haketia that will outlast this course.