How many people in the continental US can read Aramaic aloud fluently?

[SteveCaruso]

There are a large number of people who can pick up and read documents in various dialects of Aramaic easily, but as for any hard numbers I'm not sure they could be easily compiled. The count includes at least pretty much every rabbi and priest in a Syriac speaking tradition as it's part of their respective liturgies, plus every professor in an Aramaic Studies or Syriac Studies department.

I can read several Aramaic dialects aloud without difficulty and understand them, but I can only converse in Galilean/JPA without pauses to parse and formulate a response as that's my focus and what I speak with my kids. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

Peace,
-Steve