ASKENAZ (plur. 'Askenazim'). — In modern Judaism, the term designates German Jews, in contrast to Sepharâdh (plur. Sephardhim). From the 10th century A.D. onwards, in Hebrew literature it denotes Germany and the German Jews (v. ASCENDENTI).
The A. Jews also spread to Poland and Russia, and from there to North America and South Africa. They speak a Middle High German dialect into which numerous Hebrew and Slavic elements have been introduced; this dialect is also used in literature (Yiddish). They have developed a distinctive rite and are noted for their particular pronunciation of Hebrew. It is estimated that the A. constitute about 90% of the total Jewish population. From an anthropological standpoint, they exhibit a high percentage of light-colored elements.