Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic 1

For more than two millennia, a thriving Jewish community made its home in Baghdad and the surrounding cities of Iraq, speaking a form of Arabic that was distinctly their own. Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic, also known as Yahudic, developed in the Jewish quarters of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul, preserving ancient linguistic features alongside Hebrew and Aramaic elements that set it apart from the Arabic spoken by their Muslim and Christian neighbors. After the mass emigration of Iraqi Jews in the mid-twentieth century, the language began its rapid decline. Today it is critically endangered.

This six-session course offers a genuine introduction to Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic. Each session is built around a central theme drawn from everyday Baghdadi Jewish life, giving you real vocabulary and expressions rooted in cultural context rather than abstract grammar. You will learn to identify and produce the distinctive sounds of the language, exchange greetings and conversational formulas, talk about family and work, navigate food and drink, mark the Jewish holidays of the Jewish calendar, and finish with the proverbs, colorful expressions, and yes, the swear words that give any language its living texture. No prior knowledge of Arabic or Hebrew is required.

Who this is for:

• Anyone curious about the Jewish languages of the Middle East and the linguistic diversity of the Jewish diaspora.
• Students of Mizrahi Jewish history and culture interested in the everyday life of Iraqi Jewry.
• Learners who have enjoyed New Lehrhaus's other Jewish language courses and want to explore a new tradition.
• Anyone with Iraqi Jewish roots who wants to connect with their linguistic heritage.

What you'll leave with:

• A working introduction to the sounds and distinctive features of Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic.
• Basic vocabulary and expressions drawn from the everyday life of the Baghdad Jewish community.
• An understanding of the Hebrew and Aramaic elements that set Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic apart from other Arabic dialects.
• A sense of the cultural and historical world this language carries, and why its preservation matters.

No prior knowledge of Arabic or Hebrew is required.

Six Sundays: October 18, 25, and November 1, 8, 15, and 22, 11:30am–1pm Pacific Time