Yona Sabar
Encyclopedia
Yona Sabar, is a Kurdish Jewish
scholar, linguist and researcher. He was born in the town of Zakho
in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. His family moved to Israel
in 1951. He received a B.A. in Hebrew
and Arabic
from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
in 1963 and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from Yale University
in 1970. He is currently professor of Hebrew at UCLA. He is a native speaker of Aramaic and has published more than 90 research articles about Jewish Neo-Aramaic and the folklore of the Kurdish Jews
.
His immigrant journey from the hills of Kurdistan to the highways of Los Angeles
is the subject of an award-winning memoir by his son, Ariel Sabar, an American author and journalist. Ariel Sabar's book — My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq — won the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award
for autobiography.
Kurdish Jews
Kurdish Jews or Kurdistani Jews are the ancient Eastern Jewish communities, inhabiting the region known as Kurdistan in northern Mesopotamia, roughly covering parts of Iran, northern Iraq, Syria and eastern Turkey. Their clothing and culture is similar to neighbouring Kurdish Muslims and Christian...
scholar, linguist and researcher. He was born in the town of Zakho
Zakho
Zakho is a district and a town in Northern Iraq located a few kilometers from the Iraqi-Turkish border.Zakho is a province of the Dohuk Governorate. The city has 200,000 inhabitants. It may have originally begun on a small island in the Little Khabur which currently flows through the city...
in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. His family moved to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1951. He received a B.A. in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
in 1963 and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1970. He is currently professor of Hebrew at UCLA. He is a native speaker of Aramaic and has published more than 90 research articles about Jewish Neo-Aramaic and the folklore of the Kurdish Jews
Kurdish Jews
Kurdish Jews or Kurdistani Jews are the ancient Eastern Jewish communities, inhabiting the region known as Kurdistan in northern Mesopotamia, roughly covering parts of Iran, northern Iraq, Syria and eastern Turkey. Their clothing and culture is similar to neighbouring Kurdish Muslims and Christian...
.
His immigrant journey from the hills of Kurdistan to the highways of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
is the subject of an award-winning memoir by his son, Ariel Sabar, an American author and journalist. Ariel Sabar's book — My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq — won the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
for autobiography.
Books
- The Folk Literature of the Kurdistani Jews: An Anthology, Yale University Press, 232 pp., 1982. ISBN 0-300-02698-6
- A Jewish Neo-Aramaic dictionary: dialects of Amidya, Dihok, Nerwa and Zakho, Northwestern Iraq, Harrassowitz, 337 pp., 2002. ISBN 3-447-04557-4
External links
- Yona Sabar's web site
- My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar
- Hollywood Calling by Ariel Sabar
- Prof. Sabar on the claim that Barzani is Jewish by JTA