Haïm Vidal Séphiha

Haïm Vidal Séphiha (28 January 1923 – 17 December 2019)[1] was a Belgian-French linguist and professor emeritus at several European universities, notably the Sorbonne.

He was one of the first people to study Judaeo-Spanish, today spoken by a number of Sephardi Jews, and has contributed to the defense and promotion of the language's continued use.

After the war, Séphiha began studying chemistry at université libre de Bruxelles, then moved to Rouen, France in 1948.

The word agony in this context is meant to invoke the Greek meaning of the term (a struggle):[4] Séphiha denied having announced the disappearance of the Judeo-Spanish language.

In 2015, Séphiha looked back on his life and professional work in an interview book with his son Dominique Vidal, journalist for Le Monde diplomatique.