Sarah live!

By Arlene Stolnitz

If you follow my column each month, you know I am always looking for a connection, and this month is no exception. Several years ago, knowing my interest in Judaic music, my nephew by marriage, Sidney Aroesty, z’l, who lives in Rochester, NY, asked me if I knew a singer named Sarah Aroeste. The similarity of the last names intrigued him.

As a matter of fact, much earlier, I had heard of her through a radio program devoted to Jewish music — “The Sunday Simcha,” on 88.5 WMNF.org from Clearwater, Florida. Every Sunday morning, the hosts play selections of Jewish music. Listening gave me a great way to learn about the music and singers they featured. On one Sunday, I heard the beautiful voice of Sarah Aroeste as she sang the Ladino melodies she is known for.

What happened next, I thought I would never divulge. The host that day told of an “up-and-coming” Ladino singer, Sarah Aroeste. He pronounced the name differently than my nephew, emphasizing the “o” as in “Ar-oh-es-te.” I immediately called the station to let

him know he was wrong! I told him very authoritatively that I knew the correct pronunciation was “Ah-res-te.” The conversation got

pretty heated, even to the point where he spoke about it on-air, referring to me, unnamed! Thinking about it now, I realize I had a lot of “chutzpa,” since I had not even checked it out.

Recently, the name Sarah Aroeste came up again, when a friend of mine in Jupiter, Florida invited Sarah to a Zoom session for her Sisterhood. My friend thought I would be interested in attending. I did, and that is when I became aware of Sarah’s fascinating story.

First, a little refresher on the history of the language known as Ladino. Based on ancestry of over 1,000 years, the Jewish people are divided into two main groups: Ashkenazim, who came from Eastern Europe and spoke Yiddish (a mix of

German and Hebrew), and Sephardim, who came from the Iberian Peninsula and Arabic lands and spoke Ladino (a blend of Spanish and Hebrew). Each group has its own set of customs, songs and traditions based on influences from the regions they came from.

Sarah Aroeste, singer and cultural activist, has long been committed to the preservation of the Ladino language, making it accessible to audiences and creating projects with young people to increase their familiarity with Ladino. She has produced many albums for children as well as adults, which are easily found on YouTube and Facebook as well as her website.

I am personally intrigued by her recent venture known as The Monastir Project. Sarah’s inspiration comes from her family’s roots in Greece and Macedonia, formerly known as Monastir. Her grandfather was born in Monastir, which once had a thriving Jewish population. Since the end of World War II, no Jews remain. However, there is a wealth of Macedonian Jewish music.

Writing original works and singing in Ladino, Sarah has extensively researched the music of Monastir, working tirelessly to keep Ladino music alive for a new generation.

For a more complete description of her work in preserving the music of Monastir, I suggest reading her article in the February 18, 2018 issue of Tablet Magazine.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of corresponding with Sarah. Here are her thoughts on Ladino:

“I always like to convey that my work is grounded in the fact that Ladino is not a dead, ancient language. It is still part of a living, vibrant community and culture. I’m proud of the work I’ve done in the last 20 years to bring Ladino to new audiences, both young and older! From composing original music in the language to working with young families, I hope people learn that Ladino is still very much alive today.”

For further information about Sarah Aroeste, contact saraharoeste.com, facebook.com/saraharoeste, youtube.com/ saraharoeste or twitter.com/saraharoeste.

Correction to my January 2021 article: Cheryl Lester is Associate Professor Emerita at University of Kansas.