Who are the Ashkenazi Jews?
Ashkenazi Jews are people who are descended from the Jewish population of Central and Eastern Europe. Judaism can be both a cultural and a religious identity, and in the case of Ashkenazi Jews, it is possible for someone to be culturally or ethnically descended from the Ashkenazim without practicing Judaism, or for someone to adopt Ashkenazic traditions without being ethnically related to the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. Around 80% of the Jewish people around the world are Ashkenazim, including most American Jews. The history of the Ashkenazi Jews began with migration from the Middle and Near East to Central Europe. The term “Ashkenazi” actually comes from the Hebrew word for “Germany,” reflecting the fact that many Ashkenazi Jews settled in Germany and along the Rhine Valley. Over time, the Ashkenazim were pushed back into Eastern Europe, developing close-knit communities and a rich cultural and religious tradition. The Ashkenazi Jews have historically been persecuted, banned f
