Aramaic Professor Comments on a Scholar's Aim to learn the Jewish Neo-Aramaic of Her Ancestors

In this video, I read snippets from and provide commentary on Ilana Cruger-Zaken's article "Recovering a Lost Language From the Mountains of Mesopotamia," published in New Lines Magazine. The article addresses her ancestry tying her to the Aramaic Jewish community from Zakho, Iraq that had populated the area until 1950. The Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialect from Zakho is part of the group of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic dialects.
The portions of the article covered are directly related to the content focus of this KZbin channel and are undertaken for scholarly, educational purposes.
To read Cruger-Zaken's article, visit the link here: newlinesmag.com/first-person/...
#aramaic #jewish #iraq

[@emmanuelalbazi8560]

This video actually made me sad. As an assyrian who lives in the north of iraq, i heard from many people that the jewish communities who used to live in north of iraq actually spoke neo-aramaic and they had a unique dialacts. The sad part is that many of these dialacts are extremely endangered or have extinct and the reasons for this are complicated to mention here...but hopefully they will make their mother tongue life again.

[@Tamir-Barkahan]

ܚܝܐ ܐܬܘܪ! ܐܚܘܟܘܢ ܡܢ ܐܬܪܐ ܕܐܝܣܪܐܝܠ

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

There is interest now, and with the resurgence of the Assyrian Jewish identity, we're seeing more support from all Assyrian communities, no matter what their religion.

[@axelmegaton5115]

​@@ProfessorMichaelWingertWe Nestorian Assyrians have always known that we are Jews, and the first Jews at that, but we dared and still dare not openly admit this collectively for fear of reprisals from those around us. Just see how our church father Neshra (Nestor) who wanted to keep us as close as possible to our ancient Judaism and rejected the abominable trinity, was persecuted and killed.

[@anr765]

Great video.

[@zmail8566]

I'm Jewish from Zakho, living in Jerusalem, I love your videos! I've been trying learn Assyrian as much as possible for the past few years

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Barukh ha ba! Very happy to have you viewing the channel. Let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover. Shlame l-khul Nashe zakhonaye bi ureshlem.

[@zmail8566]

@@ProfessorMichaelWingert thank you professor much appreciated 🙏 I mentioned in a different comment that I was interested in the Aramaic of the Zohar and Talmud 😆 bassima raba azizi ❤️🌹 ilaha netorokh

[@mujemoabraham6522]

@@ProfessorMichaelWingert I will try to translate the sentence " Shlame l-khul Nashe zakhonaye bi ureshlem " to Arabic " Salaam leKol Nas Zokhoryeen be Orshaleem " 😎 Please correct me.

[@yaakovhoresh6306]

thanks for the vieo.

[@katathoombz]

"Who am I; just a Philosopher of Language." I sense here a topic for _Mūseion_ , or maybe a video. "A ricochet from a sentence of an article".

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Ha! I can get snarky every once and a while.

[@davidbraun6209]

I am an American of part German heritage who can identify with learning about my grandfather's village (in his case, Hirschhöf, Oberpfalz, Bayern -- of course I had wanted to learn hid language), when I was 18 (and he had been dead 12 years). I had picked up bots and pieces of Syriac including the Gospel of St. Mark according to the Peshitta, found online and printed, which I had compared with the Greek Gospel of St. Mark (in the Greek NT with critical apparatus from 1983). I had already learned Greek in undergraduate studies, and had picked up a smattering of Hebrew on visits to the Hillel Center right across the street, in my college days at UF, from St. Augustine's Catholic Student Center. (Yes, I had also picked up Latin from reading the Vulgate, rhe Roman Missal and St Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, not a good prep for teading Apicius, to be honest). I had read of Lishana Deni from my consulting Wikipedia as to Neo-Aramaic dialects hanging on by a thread (so I had been given to understand). Anyway, your talk was interesting, and I confess I would defer to your expert knowledge as a nearly-native speaker (after all, "I'm just a country lawyer"). Thank you for the info, Professor.

[@royalcreations3970]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I have a suggestion for another video I would love if you could shed light on: The village of Mar Bisho. It is in the mountains of Northern Iraq. It is 19 to 20 miles north east of the sea of Galilee, depending on which highway one takes. Shlama ✌

[@sz8074]

I Love your videos! Keep up the awesome work

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@emmanuelalbazi8560]

I want to mention some of the simple deferences regarding the pronunciation of some of NENA dialacts. We know that the word house in syriac is baytha.. The jewish people who lived in erbil and iran from what i had read they called it (bela). The christians of nineveh plains (alqush, telkeppe, baghdeda...etc) they call it (baytha). The christians of western iran call it (bayta). Chritians of southern turkey... Baz tribe: call it (bayya), Tyari tribe: some call it (baysha) while others call it (baytha) Aqra christians: call it (bayssa)

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Great collection of examples. Jewish Zakhonaya also uses "besa" for house.

[@pvt.t-bone9277]

@@ProfessorMichaelWingert Interesting! The Assyrians from the valley of Goyan villages like Marga also exchange the t/th for "s"

[@Sanharib]

Thank you for your insightful commentary on the article featuring the Jewish woman who shares her experiences as a speaker of Aramaic. I also want to express my regret for the misnomer of labeling these people as Kurdish Jews... It's unfortunate that such mischaracterizations persist, especially when they do not accurately reflect the identity and wishes of these individuals!!! Thank you once again for your valuable insights and for bringing attention to this important aspect of their history.

[@danielvso]

Don't believe in anti-Jewish lies. Israel saved a LOT of people from certain death, not the language, the real people.

[@anr765]

They actually have a KZbin channel where they express themselves, it's titled: לִישָׁנָא, ארמית אשורית ‖ LISHANA, Assyrian Aramit Many of them speak Sureth, and I understand them fully, being originally from northern Iraq!

[@robrog73]

I'm so sorry that this is off topic. I have a question. I read that Aphrahat and Ephraim believed in soul sleep. Is this true? If so, would they have denied the notion of the intercession of Mary and the saints? Thanks.

[@royalcreations3970]

This article confirms the usage of the word "abba" in the same light Jesus used it in, as a term of endearment. Like when he says "Awoon" (Our father). "Abba" means "Beloved." A mother will call a daughter "abba." They say it with affection. In the West, we take it as biological.

[@speak-thetruth]

Hey prof Michael. Thanks for sharing this with us! Not sure how to start, but I'll do my best to be clear here. Have you heard about Dr. Asahel Grant? The author of “The Nestorians: Or The Lost Tribes.” He visited Iraq and wrote this book in 1841. Where he explained that the modern (Chaldeans, and Assyrians) are not the descendants of the ancient of either, but rather that the Catholic missionaries when visited Iraq, had named some Nestorians (Chaldeans) in order to not be considered heretic group because of the belief of (Nestorius). And the other group of Nestorians were named (Assyrians) by Anglicans missionaries from the West. According to Asahel Grant, the Nestorians are the descendants of the ten tribes of Israel. Their tradition, church styles, marriage, circumcised their male borns on day 8th, and keeping the Saturday. For instance, Grant mentioned in his book, “ For us, Nestorians say, We are certainly Beni Israel (sons of Israel) - there is no doubt of it.” (p.121-22). In p 123-24, “ The Jews who dwell among them acknowledge the relationship. They admit that the Nestorians are as truly the descendants of the Israelites as themselves. Do they not know ? or is it possible that the great mass of the ten tribes were converted to Christianity without their knowledge?”. And the conversation between Jewish and Nestorians as follow, “To some of the bishops and priests in the employ of this mission, individual Jews have repeatedly said, " We are no more really the children of Israel than yourselves.” (P. 125). Dr. Asahle stated in the conversation that had happened between two educated Jewish and two Nestorians bishops, “The first time I myself heard this testimony given by the Jews was March 6, 1840, which I recorded at the time as follows : Received a visit from two learned Jews, Ezekiel and Daniel, of Ooroomiah, who, in the presence of the bishops Mar Yoosuph and Mar Eliyah (Elias), two priests, and other Nestorians, most explicitly acknowledged that the Nestorians were the sons of Israel - a circumstance with which, as they affirmed, the Jews were well acquainted. Priest Dunka, for my sake, then asked them if they were sure of the fact ; and they replied emphatically, that they knew that the Nestorians were children of Israel; but, as the Nestorians had departed from the faith of their fathers, their people were ashamed to own them as brethren” (p.125). Books to read, Nestorians or the lost tribes, by Asahle Grant, and Researches of the Rev. E. Smith and Rev. H.G.O. Dwight in Armenia: Including a Journey Through Asia Minor, and Into Georgia and Persia, with a Visit to the Nestorian and Chaldean Christians of Oormiah and Salmas Book by Eli Smith and Harrison Gray Otis Dwight. I have many books testify about such fact.

[@Sanharib]

Asahel Grant was a medical doctor, engaged in missionary work.. he was not a scholar...

[@axelmegaton5115]

Thanks for the great comment! We Nestorian Assyrians know this in our blood and do not need instructions from outsiders. The fact is that we were Jews long before the so-called 10 tribes came up and know how the Nestorians later spread over the whole world - from Assyria to India, Mongolia and all of Asia, to Africa and all of Manchuria. Alahan Shemmo Ha ile - HaShem.

[@benavraham4397]

What do you think of the Aramaic in Passion? I was not impressed. Nice try.

[@Carsonjean123]

There are Armenias living in Northern Iraq specifically In “ZAKHO” and they speaking a KURD-language!, with that being said, is that means they are“KUDISH”???!!!,,,. As of Assyrian’s we have Different accent every tribe has it’s own accent, but we still understand understanding each other with no problems, and as of all other Nations they have different Accent, for example As of Kurdish they have different accent, like Karmenchy, Sorraby, Bahdinaby, and Surchy, Today most people howm lived and living in a province of “RAMADI” majority of them they speaking in fluent Assyrian language!, till today!, is that means that they are en Assyrian?, And Ramadi province majority of them are Arab!!!,.

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Great feedback aziza.

[@elie8235]

The so-called Jews are Kurdish Jews, not Kurds. Their genes are far from the Kurds and are closer to the Assyrians.

[@Eissara]

@@elie8235 They are not kurdish Jews, they are closer to Assyrians. kurdish Jews is a lie which has been spread by kurds and those helping them to occupy the Assyrian lands in northern Iraq. The Jews lived for centuries both in north eastern Syria and in northern Iraq with Assyrians and they always spoke Assyrian not kurdish. Jews are Semites while kurds are indo-aryans and they are the bedouins of persians

[@FreedomYT1986]

​@@elie8235they are Assyrian genes, from Babylon specifically. Kurds have nothing to do with the Middle East, no rights, no place, no soul