Abraham Asá

Abraham ben Isaac Asá of Constantinople translated numerous works from Hebrew to Ladino, among them the first complete Ladino translation of the Bible in Hebrew characters. Asá’s translations made many Hebrew works accessible to a wide audience unable to read them in their original language. Scholars regard Asá as one of the most significant figures in Ladino literature. Although many of the texts he translated do not bear his name, the works themselves and the poems he added to them provide indications of his authorship. In addition to his many translations, Asá also compiled Sefer tsorkhe tsibur (Book of Communal Needs), a work in rhymed couplets describing the major teachings of Judaism, and many poems.