Ocho Kandelas Para Mi

Stand for Israel  |  December 23, 2019

Many of you are most likely aware of Yiddish, the language spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews who came from Central Europe. However, not as many people know of Ladino, which is the language spoken by Sephardic Jews — those who originated from the Iberian peninsula countries of Spain and Portugal.

Just as Yiddish is a dying language, not having been spoken since Ashkenazi Jews fled to the U.S. or the Holy Land, so too is Ladino. However, some still keep these languages alive; those who sing klezmer music do so for Yiddish, and those like Flory Jagoda do so for Ladino.

The above song, “Ocho Kandelikas,” is a favorite of us at Stand for Israel. With it, Ms. Jagoda not only keeps her ancestors’ language alive, but celebrates Hanukkah and gets us moving!