Living Ladino
Concert at HUC-JIR

Monday, June 17 at 7:00 pm
Admission free

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
One West 4th Street (between Broadway and Mercer Street)
New York City

Cantor Richard Botton, Cantor Emeritus of Central Synagogue in NYC, will present a musical reverie with Ladino songs from his Sephardic heritage. This introduction to Ladino and its music, will intersperse songs with stories and history.

Special arrangements and accompaniment by HUC-JIR's Artist-in Residence Joyce Rosenzweig.

Cantor Richard Botton was born in The Bronx, New York. His mother was from Istanbul, Turkey and his father was from Salonica, Greece. Ladino was his first language; and growing up, he learned Ladino songs from his parents and relatives. Cantor Botton explains "Ladino language and culture is to Sephardic Jews what Yiddish is to Ashkenazi Jews." He has been traveling around the country performing Ladino concerts in order to help people undertand its charm, beauty, and wisdom.

Living Ladino is part of an ongoing initiative at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion to integrate Sephardic Studies into its curriculum and to increase exposure to Sephardic history and traditions among students in HUC-JIR's rabbinical, cantorial, education and communal service graduate programs. The Sephardic Studies initiative also includes the development of new courses and seminars, a visiting scholar and visiting professor program, research and public lectures. Support for the initiative has been provided by The Maurice Amado Foundation.