AŠKENAZ (pl. Aškhānāzim). - In modern Judaism, the designation of German Jews, as opposed to Sēphārādh (pl. Sēphardhām). From the 10th century A.D. in Hebrew literature it designates Germany and the German Jews (v. ASCENDENTI).
A. Jews also spread into Poland and Russia, and thence into North America and South Africa. They speak a Middle High German dialect, into which numerous Hebrew and Slavic elements have been introduced, and which is also used in literature (jiddī). They have likewise developed a particular rite and are distinguished by their pronunciation of Hebrew. The number of A. is estimated at approximately 90% of the total number of Jews. From an anthropological point of view, they display a high percentage of light-coloured elements.