who's a yekke

There is also GG_Yekke, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I know who he is! And if my memory serves me well enough, I think there is somebody “Yehuda Tzvi” back in the past, but I am not convinced.

“L’David Baruch” – supposedly from the Beis Hamikdash. I am afraid I don’t believe THAT particular myth.

I’m not a Yekke but I am an Oberlander and a lot of my minhagim and style of davening are similar (tallis before marriage, sim shalom at Shabbos Mincha etc.) Since there are practically no Oberlander minyamim left that aren’t Chasidish I gravitate towards Yekke shuls if I can find them.

i’m a yekke through and through…

Nope, sorry. But I DO like to be on time or even early for everything… Does that make me an honorary member?

My ancestors were Yekkes. Me? I’m .45205 Yekke.

i daven in munks and for sure not all the congregants are yekkish but there is a large group who are.

theres also a kehilla in Crown Heights and in Switzerland.

charliehall: once a yekke always a yekke…

maybe you should start following yekkishe minhagim like your ancestors did…

I must be a yekke, cus my father is, and his father came from Germany. But my father was a ba’al teshuva, so we keep on learning more minhagim that are supposedly ours, and sometimes we take them on.

Is the term yekke meant to be derogatory in this thread? I need to know if I should be taking offense or not.

I am yekke and I wash before Kiddush and wait three hours, as all Jews should

Those people who are saying ‘I’m not yekke but my ancestors were’ remind me of not frum Jews who say ‘we’ll I’m not Jewish but my ancestors were’ (except that Judasim goes by the mother and Yekki-ness goes by the father). If your ancestors were then so are you, perhaps it is time to get in touch with your heritage. (Maybe they should start yekke birthright tours or something.)

A Yekke is someone who wears a short jacket.

An Ashkenazi is someone who lived in an area where they spoke German.

I am yekke and I wash before Kiddush and wait three hours, as all Jews should

Wrong attitude, sorry. You are a yekke, and therefore wash before Kiddush and wait three hours as YOU should, because that is YOUR mesorah. All Jews should is incorrect; all Jews should do as their Mesorah requires.

Any self respecting Yekke undestands that Mesorah is the most important thing in Yiddishkeit.

with a brocho or without?

What does Oberlander (or Chasam Sofer) have to do with Yekkes? Their minhagim (including havara) are closer to Chasidim. (Yes, I know they are not Chasidim [or Yekkes.]) Vien [now based in Brooklyn] is probably the largest Oberland kehila.

Not all of German Jewry were Yekkes (or followed the Yekkesh minhagim.)

Don’t worry Mr. yekke2, I wasn’t being too serious. After all, three hours has very little mekor (if at all) so I wouldn’t seriously suggest everyone should keep it unless that was their mesorah. (Although washing before Kiddush the Rama does say ‘v’ein leshanos’ which means all Ashkenazim should be doing it, but Sfardim still wouldn’t so I wouldn’t have said that seriously either.)

Renters: “What does Oberlander (or Chasam Sofer) have to do with Yekkes?”

The Chasam Sofer was a Yekke from Frankfurt. The Chasam Sofer is considered the leading godol of Oberlander Yiddishkeit.

“Their minhagim (including havara) are closer to Chasidim.”

Who told you that?

Minhagim is not the same as havarah as well.

In havarah, Oberlander havarah is in between the havarah of many Chasidim and Yekkes. It is not the same as Chasidim like Satmar.

Oberlanders are sometimes referred to as Hungarian Yekkes, as they share certain things, like davening Ashkenaz, not being Chasidish, and historical connections.

Oberlander’s customs are very much not like Chasidim and they are more similar to Yekke minhagim than to Polish.

True Oberlanders for example wear a tallis starting at bar mitzvah, rather than waiting until marriage. They also often wear a tallis rather than a kittel under the chuppah and their tefilin are the same as Yekkish tefilin (square knot on head but the arm wraps like Ashkenazim not Chasidim) They do differ from Yekkes in that they are less into piyutim and many most wait longer than 3 hours (5-6) Also, much like Yekkes only say Av Harachamin on the Shabbos before Shavuos and before Tisha B’Av, the older Oberlander minhag was to say it on the Shabbos before Shavuos and during the three weeks.