Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews

Although not strictly true, the Jewish people can be divided into two distinct groups.

Ashkenazi Jews are those who are descended from the medieval Jewish communities of the Rhinelands, many of whom migrated eastwards from Germany to Poland, Russia, Hungary, Austria, and what are now known as Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Balkans. Many, of course, also emigrated westwards to Britain, France and the United States.

Despite being only a minute proportion of all Jews in the 11th century (about 3%), the Ashkenazi (also Ashkenazic and Ashkenazim) Jews at one stage accounted for about 92% of all Jews (1931 figures), but in recent times this figure has fallen and it is now about 80%.

Most Jewish communities in Northern Europe and North America are Ashkenazi Jews. Their traditional languages are Yiddish or Slavic in nature. However, modern Ashkenazi typically Jews speak the language of the country in which they live, and possibly some Yiddish. In Israel they speak Modern Hebrew.

With developments in the Jewish religious world and the geographical and political world in recent times there have been many changes in the structure and practices of the Jewish people. Some traditional thoughts and descriptions are no longer valid.

An Ashkenazi Jew can be rightfully said, in modern times, to be one who follows Ashkenazi practice. On the other hand, the remainder of the Jewish community is now said to be Sephardi or Sephardic Jews. Although this is not historically true, it is modern reality.

Originally Sephardi Jews came from the Iberian Peninsula – Spain and Portugal – or were descendants of those Jews expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella or from Portugal by King Manuel I, in both cases at the end of the 15th century. However, the term Sephardi has now come to embrace Jews of Persian and Arabic origins who have no historical link with Spain or Portugal, excepting that they also use the same Sephardic style of liturgy.

Traditional Sephardi Jews of Iberian descent spoke Judaeo-Spanish (which was also called Ladino, a term which some regarded as objectionable), or Judaeo-Portuguese.

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