Ashkenazic Jewry began in eastern and central Europe during the Middle Ages. Over the past thousand years, Jewish communities in eastern and central Europe have remained predominantly Ashkenazic, and Ashkenazic communities have spread throughout Israel and the United States. Ashkenazic Jews currently make up about 3/4 of the world's Jewish population.
Polish/Lithuanian Tradition
This nusach, that of the Jews of Poland and Lithuania, is currently the predominant nusach of Ashkenazi Jews. Most Jewish communities in the United States, as well as most of the Ashkenazim in Israel, read Torah according to this tradition.
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German (Yekke) Tradition
The Jewish community of Germany has its own liturgical tradition, but it has become much less prevalent since the Holocaust. German communities now exist in Washington Heights in New York City, as well as in Switzerland and the Netherlands. The German liturgical tradition is also currently used in England and South Africa.
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