ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: How many Jews in Bulgaria were saved from the Nazis, and who was instrumental in saving them?

Dr. Marcel Israel is a Sephardic Jew who was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and now lives in Spain. He is the former President of the Jewish Community of Bulgaria, and currently the Secretary and Coordinator of International Relations for the National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria (NCRCB). He is also active in Religions for Peace-Europe, where he is Advisor to the President of that organization. Dr. Israel is a speaker of Ladino, also known as Judezmo, and an advocate for the preservation of that language. He has lectured in many countries, including the United States, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, as well as in Bulgaria and Spain.

Dr. Israel spoke with us about the history, culture and language of the Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria.