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Ashkenazi |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.06 sec. |
AshkenaziAny of the historically Yiddish-speaking European Jews who settled in central and northern Europe, or their descendants. They lived originally in the Rhineland valley, and their name is derived from the Hebrew word Ashkenaz (“Germany”). After the start of the Crusades in the late 11th century, many migrated east to Poland, Lithuania, and Russia to escape persecution. In later centuries Jews who adopted the German-rite synagogue ritual were called Ashkenazim to differentiate them from the Sephardic, or Spanish-rite, Jews (see Sephardi), from whom they differ in cultural traditions, pronunciation of Hebrew, and synagogue chanting as well as in the use of the Yiddish language (until the 20th century). Today they constitute more than 80% of the world's Jews. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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The very fact that conversos should erect raised gravestones is noteworthy--and perhaps indicative of Ibero-Catholic influence--since in Medieval times Sephardim customarily buried their dead under flat gravestones (meanwhile, Ashkenazim buried theirs under raised ones, perhaps following the Christian pattern). Wajcer, who was a fellow-inmate with writer Elie Wiesel and with Israel Meir Lau, the current Grand Rabbi of the Ashkenazim of Israel, at Buchenwald concentration camp, continues to be interested in Polish culture. Dunlop, in The History of the Jewish Khazars (1954), said, "But to speak of the Jews of Eastern Europe as descendants of the Khazars seems to involve the Ashkenazim in general, i. |
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