Ashkenormative

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Pronunciations

ashkenormative (ahsh-kuh-NOR-muh-tiv) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. Assuming Ashkenazi Jews and Jewishness as the default; excluding Sephardi, Mizrahi, Ethiopian, and other Jewish practices and histories from Jewish communal life.

Example Sentences

  • "I like that synagogue, but the liturgy is way too Ashkenormative. Are there no Sephardic synagogues in this neighborhood?"

  • "Now you can dismiss your Litvak zeidie’s ignorant arrogance with a high-falutin’ put-down: Oh, he’s being Ashkenormative again." (source)

  • "Another day, another Buzzfeed Jewish-centric video. And much like their other chosen productions, it’s incredibly Ashkenormative." (source)

  • "art, music, food, and fashion derived from Mizrahi and Sephardic tradition — often overshadowed by “Ashkenormative” tendencies in New York and throughout the United States." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • English

Etymology

  • A portmanteau of the Hebrew אשכנזי ashkenazi 'of Ashkenaz' (meaning, of Central or Eastern European descent) and the English word normative, influenced by similar portmanteaus, like heteronormative. The term was popularized in Jewish discourse around 2014.

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • Younger: Jews in their 30s or younger

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      Aschkenormative, Ashckenormative, Aschckenormative, Ashkanormative

Notes

  • Also n. Ashkenormativity.

    The noun form, "Ashkenormativity," made national American news in April 2024. During a House of Representatives hearing, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) asked Columbia President Minouche Shafik whether she knew what the term, which was included in a student-produced orientation handbook for Columbia School of Social Work. (source) 

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