Lost-regained-revised: Laura Papo Bohoreta, Sephardic women in Bosnia, and transcultural survival strategies in memory

Abstract

This paper specifies and describes the main four stages and strategies of intercultural and memory survival of Sephardic women in Bosnia in the past (during the interwar period) and in the contemporary world (before, during, and after the collapse of Yugoslavia). The first strategy, named here as a (manu)script and orality/textuality one, is illustrated by a study of "Sephardic Woman in Bosnia" (1932) by Jewish Sarajevo feminist Laura Papo Bohoreta (1891-1942). The second one, labelled as a translation and print strategy, is connected with the activity of Muhamed Nezirović (1934-2008), especially his translation of Papo’s book from Ladino into Bosnian (2005). The third one, recognized here as a cultural transfer strategy, is represented by the novels "The Scent of Rain in the Balkans" (1986) and "The Ballad of Bohoreta" (2006) by contemporary Serbian female writer Gordana Kuić (1942). And - last but not least - the fourth strategy of digitizing manuscripts and archival texts by Laura Papo is represented by Edina Spahić, Cecilia Prenz Kopušar, and Sejdalija Gušić, a team who prepared and has recently edited three collected books with Papo’s manuscripts (2015-2017).

Ovaj rad precizira i opisuje glavne četiri faze i strategije interkulturalnog i memorijskog života sefardskih žena u Bosni u prošlosti (u međuratnom periodu) i u savremenom svetu (pre, za vreme i nakon raspada Jugoslavije). Prvu strategiju, ovde nazvanu kao (rukopisna) i oralnost/tekstualnost, ilustruje studija "Sefardska žena u Bosni" (1932) jevrejske sarajevske feministkinje Laure Papo Bohorete (1891–1942). Druga, označena kao strategija prevođenja i štampe, povezana je sa delatnošću Muhameda Nezirovića (1934–2008), posebno sa njegovim prevodom Papove knjige sa ladina na bosanski jezik (2005). Treću, ovde prepoznatu kao strategiju kulturnog transfera, predstavljaju romani "Miris kiše na Balkanu" (1986) i "Balada o Bohoreti" (2006) savremene srpske spisateljice Gordane Kuić (1942). I - na kraju, ali ne i najmanje važno - četvrtu strategiju digitalizacije rukopisa i arhivskih tekstova Laure Papo predstavljaju Edina Spahić, Cecilia Prenz Kopušar i Sejdalija Gušić, tim koji je pripremio i nedavno uredio tri zbirke sa Papovim rukopisima (2015- 2017).