Yona Sabar

Yona Sabar is a Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He holds a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from Yale University (1970) and a BA in Hebrew and Arabic from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1963). His research focuses on Semitic languages, Jewish studies, and the linguistic and cultural preservation of Kurdish Jewish communities.

• Education: PhD, Yale (1970); BA, Hebrew University (1963)
• Affiliation: UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
• Teaching: Undergraduate and graduate courses in Hebrew, Neo-Aramaic, Syriac, Judeo-Arabic, and Biblical Aramaic

Sabar’s work examines Neo-Aramaic dialects, biblical translations, folklore, and multilingualism among Kurdish Jews. His publications include dictionaries, critical editions of religious texts, and comparative linguistic studies.

His recent articles (2017–2002) address topics like cultural transmission in Kurdish Jewish communities, dialectal evolution, and endangered languages. Key trends include Aramaic-Hebrew interaction, liturgical translation, and ethnographic documentation of oral traditions.