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
• 
  

Your Guide

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

Want to learn more?

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

References & Resources

• 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.