Ashkenazi Jews

Ashkenazi (Hebrew: אשכנזי, Ashkenazi; Yiddish: אַשכּנזיש, Ashkenazish; German: Aschkenasim) refers to a Jewish diaspora population that traces its origins to the Jews of the Rhineland in the Middle Ages. The term is derived from the Hebrew word Ashkenaz, which originally referred to medieval Germany and later became synonymous with the Jewish communities that settled in Central and Eastern Europe. Ashkenazi Jews are distinguished from Sephardic Jews, who originate from the Iberian Peninsula, and Mizrahi Jews, who come from the Middle East and North Africa. The Ashkenazi community is known for its unique cultural, linguistic, and religious traditions, including the use of Yiddish, a High German-derived language with Hebrew and Slavic influences. Historically, Ashkenazi Jews have made significant contributions to various fields, including academia, science, and the arts. Today, the majority of Jewish people worldwide are of Ashkenazi descent.

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Ashkenazi Jews

Jewish diaspora of Central Europe

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazis or Ashkenazim form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire in the Early Middle Ages, originating from the Jewish communities who lived in the 10th century in the Rhineland valley and in neighbouring France before migrating eastward after the Crusades. Facing persecution in Western Europe, particularly following the Black Death in the 14th century, the bulk of the Ashkenazi Jews migrated to the Kingdom of Poland, at the encouragement of Casimir III the Great and his successors, making Poland the main centre of Ashkenazi Jewry until the Holocaust.

Last modified: 2025-11-17T21:06:09ZView full article on Wikipedia