Ladino

LADINO
STATE MEDAL 5765/2005

Ladino is the language of Jews of Spanish origin, who after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, became scattered over the Ottoman Empire, Central Europe, the Balkans, and North Africa. Based on 14th and 15th Castilian Spanish, the language changed over the centuries as the emigrants moved farther from Spain and words were added from Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Turkish, French, Portuguese, and Italian, until finally a unique language emerged. With the influx of immigrants to Israel, several words from Yiddish “were adopted” by Ladino speakers.
Until the 20th Century, Ladino was written in Hebrew letters or in Rashi script, but in recent years the Latin alphabet has been used. The Ladino literature is rich in Biblical commentary, liturgy, poetry, stories, proverbs, and folk songs. The classic of Ladino literature is “Me-am Lo’ez”, a work of biblical commentary, the first volume of which was published in 1730 in Constantinople by Rabbi Yaakov Culi. From the mid-19th century there appeared magazines, newspapers, as well as dramas, music and novels, both original and translated.
Many of the Ladino-speaking communities of Europe perished in the Holocaust. In 1996 Israel established a National Authority for Ladino Culture, headed by Yitzhak Navon, the Fifth President of the State, with the aim of encouraging and supporting Ladino heritage and language.
The medal was issued in consultation and with the assistance of Yitzhak Navon and Mordechai Arbel.

Obverse: The word “Ladino” in Latin characters and Rashi Script and a line from a famous Ladino poem expressing yearning for Jerusalem written in Rashi script; in the background decorative scrollwork from the Synagogue of Toledo. Around the border, the words “The Language of the Sefardi Jews” in Hebrew and English, words from a Ladino poem, Ir mequero madrai a Yerushalayim "Mummy, I want to go to Jerusalem", words that express the eternal yearning for Jerusalem.

Reverse: The beautiful window designs of the Synagogue of Toledo and two verses from the Book of Psalms "Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself" and Ashrei Yoshvei Vetecha ("Happy are they who dwell in your house..."), which symbolize strong love for the Synagogue.

Edge: The Israel State Emblem, "State of Israel" in Hebrew and English, metal and serial number.

Designer: Ben-Zion Nachmias.

Engraving: Romanian Mint.

Mint:
Silver and Bronze – Mint of Romania,
Gold – Israel Government Coins and Medals Corp.