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Endangered, Not Erased - Samantha Ellis
Samantha Ellis shares the story of growing up in London as the daughter of Iraqi Jewish refugees and how language, food, and memory helped shape a strong sense of identity in a world that often didn’t understand it. From rediscovering her heritage through writing, to reflecting on what gets passed down (and what doesn’t), Samantha invites us into an honest and powerful conversation about exile, legacy, and the things that hold us together.
Our Guest
Samantha Ellis is a writer and playwright based in London. Born to Iraqi Jewish parents, Samantha explores themes of identity, loss, and cultural preservation in her work — most recently through her powerful memoir, Chopping Onions on My Heart.
Key Topics- Language as Identity: How Judeo-Iraqi Arabic shaped Samantha’s worldview and what it means when a language is no longer passed on
- Exile & Silence: Why some family stories are left untold and what it means to speak anyway
- Generational Trauma & Healing: How memory, ritual, and storytelling can carry both pain and repair
- Food & Inheritance: From black eggs to aubergine sandwiches, how food brings connection across generations — and why recipes may outlast languages
Short definitions and terms referenced in this episode:
Judeo-Iraqi Arabic: A historically spoken dialect of Arabic used by Jews in Iraq; now highly endangered
Black eggs (brown eggs): Eggs slow-cooked overnight with onion skins, often served for Shabbat
Rosh Hashanah Seder: A New Year ritual practised in some Mizrahi communities, involving symbolic foods and blessings
Sofér: A Jewish scribe who writes and repairs Torah scrolls
Explore past episodes that also reflect on language, memory, and identity:
S1E6 - Other within the Other with Carol Isaacs
S1E7 – Identity is Overrated with Ophira Gamliel
- Samantha Ellis, Chopping Onions on My Heart: On Losing and Preserving Culture (2025), Chatto & Windus
- Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages – Offers online courses in Judeo-Arabic and other endangered Jewish languages
- Sarah Sassoon, Shoham's Bangle (2022). Kar-Ben Publishing – A children’s picture book about an Iraqi Jewish family’s migration
- Keith Kahn-Harris, Everyday Jews: Why The Jewish People Are Not Who You Think They Are (2025). Icon Books
Find us elsewhere, here!
Show credits
Host / Producer: Eylan Ezekiel
Post-production: Communicating for Impact
Artwork: Emily Theodore
Music: Aleksafor utransndr Karabanov
Sound effects: Serge Quadrado
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
View all episodes
By Eylan EzekielSamantha Ellis shares the story of growing up in London as the daughter of Iraqi Jewish refugees and how language, food, and memory helped shape a strong sense of identity in a world that often didn’t understand it. From rediscovering her heritage through writing, to reflecting on what gets passed down (and what doesn’t), Samantha invites us into an honest and powerful conversation about exile, legacy, and the things that hold us together.
Our Guest
Samantha Ellis is a writer and playwright based in London. Born to Iraqi Jewish parents, Samantha explores themes of identity, loss, and cultural preservation in her work — most recently through her powerful memoir, Chopping Onions on My Heart.
Key Topics- Language as Identity: How Judeo-Iraqi Arabic shaped Samantha’s worldview and what it means when a language is no longer passed on
- Exile & Silence: Why some family stories are left untold and what it means to speak anyway
- Generational Trauma & Healing: How memory, ritual, and storytelling can carry both pain and repair
- Food & Inheritance: From black eggs to aubergine sandwiches, how food brings connection across generations — and why recipes may outlast languages
Short definitions and terms referenced in this episode:
Judeo-Iraqi Arabic: A historically spoken dialect of Arabic used by Jews in Iraq; now highly endangered
Black eggs (brown eggs): Eggs slow-cooked overnight with onion skins, often served for Shabbat
Rosh Hashanah Seder: A New Year ritual practised in some Mizrahi communities, involving symbolic foods and blessings
Sofér: A Jewish scribe who writes and repairs Torah scrolls
Explore past episodes that also reflect on language, memory, and identity:
S1E6 - Other within the Other with Carol Isaacs
S1E7 – Identity is Overrated with Ophira Gamliel
- Samantha Ellis, Chopping Onions on My Heart: On Losing and Preserving Culture (2025), Chatto & Windus
- Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages – Offers online courses in Judeo-Arabic and other endangered Jewish languages
- Sarah Sassoon, Shoham's Bangle (2022). Kar-Ben Publishing – A children’s picture book about an Iraqi Jewish family’s migration
- Keith Kahn-Harris, Everyday Jews: Why The Jewish People Are Not Who You Think They Are (2025). Icon Books
Find us elsewhere, here!
Show credits
Host / Producer: Eylan Ezekiel
Post-production: Communicating for Impact
Artwork: Emily Theodore
Music: Aleksafor utransndr Karabanov
Sound effects: Serge Quadrado
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.