Where do Eastern European Jews come from?
EEJ are defined on the basis of history as those Jews originating from the areas of the Polish-Lithuanian Kingdom and their descendants in bordering regions, encompassing the territories of Russia, Poland, the Baltic States, Belarus, Moldavia, Moldova (the north-eastern part of Romania) and the Ukraine.
Why is Yiddish so similar to German?
German and Yiddish (ייִדיש ) are so similar because they are both Germanic languages, specifically falling in the West Germanic language group. Wikipedia goes over Yiddish at Yiddish – Wikipedia . Yiddish falls in the West Germanic branch of the Germanic languages as shown in the following chart from Yiddish language .
What language do Hasidic Jews speak?
Yiddish
Are Hebrew and Yiddish the same language?
Hebrew is a Semitic language (a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages, languages spoken across the Middle East), while Yiddish is a German dialect which integrates many languages, including German, Hebrew, Aramaic, and various Slavic and Romance languages.
Is Yiddish easier than Hebrew?
Hebrew Alphabet. Standard Yiddish is written phonetically for the most part, and is a lot easier to decipher than Hebrew. Modern Hebrew has no vowels in its everyday usage, so you have to memorize pronunciation of the word a lot more than with Yiddish.
Why do Jews cover their kitchen in foil?
The tradition of covering kitchen surfaces with foil during the Passover, or Pesach, all has to do with ensuring the surfaces upon which food is prepared during the Passover week are free of chametz. Chametz refers to foods with leavening agents, which are forbidden during Pesach.
Why do Jews break glass at weddings?
The breaking of the glass holds multiple meanings. Some say it represents the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Others say it demonstrates that marriage holds sorrow as well as joy and is a representation of the commitment to stand by one another even in hard times.
What can Jews not eat?
Kashrut—Jewish dietary laws Certain foods, notably pork and shellfish, are forbidden; meat and dairy may not be combined and meat must be ritually slaughtered and salted to remove all traces of blood. Observant Jews will eat only meat or poultry that is certified kosher.
Why can’t meat and milk be eaten together in Judaism?
The Talmud states that the Biblical prohibition applies only to meat and milk of domesticated kosher mammals; that is, cattle, goats, and sheep. Classical Jewish authorities argue that foods lose parve status if treated in such a way that they absorb the taste of milk or meat during cooking, soaking, or salting.
Can Jews eat bacon?
Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork are a common food taboo, particularly in the Middle East among Jews and Muslims. Swine were prohibited in ancient Syria and Phoenicia, and the pig and its flesh represented a taboo observed, Strabo noted, at Comana in Pontus.