Yekkes – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why are German Jews called Yekkes?
A. Here are several theories:
1. In Eretz Yisra’el in the 1930s, it was only the German Jewish immigrants who insisted on dressing properly with jackets (“jacket” = Jacke).
2. In Eastern Europe, men wore long kaftans; only the German Jews wore short jackets.
3. The name is the initials of yehudei kasheh havanah, people who don’t understand quickly.
