For Sephardic Jews in Europe, particularly in Greece and Yugoslavia, the Nazi occupation of Europe and its policy of exterminating Jews in the Holocaust hit particularly hard. Less than ten percent of the Jewish population of Salonica survived deportation and extermination. The overwhelming loss decimated the heartland of Sephardic life and Ladino culture. 

Suggested Activities: Read the lyrics of these two songs side by side. “Arvoles yoran por luvias” is a traditional Ladino song, possibly dating from the sixteenth century post-expulsion Sephardic diaspora, while “En tierras de Polonia” is an adaptation of that same song created by concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust. Why would Ladino-speaking concentration camp prisoners organize a communal singing group? Why might they choose to adapt an old song into a new one expressing their grief and anguish? How does each version compare to “Adio Kerida” in tone and message? How is this song and the adaptation process similar to and different from the interpretation of “Adio Kerida” as a bittersweet ode to Spain?