re: #585 LGoPs

Interesting. Hey Buzz. What is the derivation of the word Ashkenazi? I remember that word from the neighborhood where I grew up in Chicago but have forgotten what it refers to. Is it a geographical area that Jews came from or were associated with?

‘Ashkenaz’ is a biblical place-name that became associated with Germany. Hence, Jews following the German minhag and speaking German languages became the ‘Ashkenazim’. (This later included Eastern Europe, after late medieval migrations.)