Yekke

The term "Yekke" (adjective: "Yekkish") (alt: "Jecke" or Yecke) is a generally jovial, mildly derogatory term used to refer to Jews originating from Germany or adhering to the Western-European "minhag".

Today, very few Yekkes live in Germany proper, but they remain in regions such as Switzerland, Eastern France (Alsace and Lorraine), and Luxembourg. A significant community managed to escape Frankfurt after Kristallnacht, and relocated to the Washington Heights region of New York City, where they still have a communty, K'hal Adass Jeshurun, which punctiliously adheres to the Yekkish liturgical text, rituals, and melodies. (See the book "Frankfurt on the Hudson: The German Jewish Community of Washington Heights, 1933-82, Its Structure and Culture", by Stephen M. Lowenstein. Wayne State University Press. 1989.)

There was also a group who established a kibbutz called Chofetz Chaimn in the Gedarim region of Israel just south of Tel Aviv

There are a number of theories regarding the etymology of the word. The most famous is that it originates from the cultural differences in dress that developed between the more westernized Western European Jews who traded in the more traditional long coats for shorter "jackets" ("yekke") while the outer clothing worn by the Eastern European Jews was typically "longer" (such as bekishes). Another theory is that the word derives from "Yekkef", the Western pronunciation of the name "Jacob" or "Jack", which is different from the Eastern European pronunciation, which is 'Yankef" or "Yankev".

The term is often used in a slightly derogatory or cynical manner, although it is also used as a badge of honour. It is used mainly in reference to the German Jews’ legendary attention to detail and punctuality. This sense for detail extends into the strict adherence to "minhagim" (religious customs, especially when pertaining to the synagogue service). "Oberlanders"—Jews originating from parts of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia—are often confused with yekkes due to similar minhagim.

ee also

*Yid
*List of German Jews
*Chuts