ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: Where did Flori Senor Rosenthal get her inspiration for the Ladino phrases used in her book?

Flori Senor Rosenthal is the author and illustrator of Nono’s Kisses for Sephardic Children. It is the first in her Legacy and Literacy Scholastics Series. While she comes from a mixed Sephardic-Ashkenazi background, she has always been especially interested in delving into her Sephardic roots, largely through the language, Ladino or Judeo-Spanish, spoken by her father’s family. The purpose of this book is to give young children an introduction to this language in a fun way.
Professionally, Ms. Senor Rosenthal works as a genetic counselor. And to stimulate her creative side, she hand paints porcelain Judaica, and designs and prints invitations and other printed material for special events. Recently she joined a Ladino singing group in Los Angeles which she attends with her oldest daughter and a Sephardic friend. She is currently expanding her knowledge of Ladino and finds the online Ladino group, Ladinokomunita, founded by Rachel Amado Bortnick, a wonderful resource.
Ms. Senor Rosenthal’s parents were remarkable role models, who embodied important Jewish traditions and were always involved in their religious and secular communities. For this reason Ms. Senor Rosenthal has always been involved with charitable organizations and her synagogue. She hopes to help support various charities with some of the proceeds from her book.
To order a copy of Nono’s Kisses for Sephardic Children, go to this link.