Ashkenaz

Ashkenaz is a term found in a number of contexts. It is found in the Hebrew Bible to refer to one of the descendants of Noah as well as to a reference to a kingdom of Ashkenaz. Ashkenaz is the first son of Gomer, and a Japhetic patriarch in the Table of Nations.

His name is likely a derivation from the Assyrian Aškūza ( Aškuzai, Iškuzai), a people who expelled the Cimmerians from the Armenian area of the Upper Euphrates, The Assyrian name is likely based on that of the Scythians. The intrusive n in the Hebrew form of the name has been explained as a scribal mistake confusing a waw ו with a nun נ (i.e. writing אשכנז ašknz for aškūz אשכוז).

The association of the term by medieval Jewry with the geographical area centred on the Rhineland led to the Jewish culture that developed in that area to be called Ashkenazi, the only form that the term is still used today.

Hebrew Bible

In the genealogies of the Hebrew Bible, Ashkenaz (Hebrew: אַשְׁכְּנַז ’Aškănaz) was a descendant of Noah. He was the first son of Gomer and brother of Riphath and Togarmah (Genesis 10:3, 1 Chronicles 1:6), with Gomer being the grandson of Noah through Japheth.

Ashkenaz (music venue)

The Ashkenaz is a live music and dance venue located in Berkeley, California in the United States. It is a non-profit organization. It focuses on world music. In 2011 it was voted the best place to dance by readers of East Bay Express.

History

Ashkenaz opened in 1973 and was founded by performance artist and activist David Nadel. After relocating from Los Angeles to attend University of California, Berkeley, Nadel formed a dance troupe. The troupe started renting spaces on San Pablo Avenue. Nadel, along with six other people, would go on to buy the building where Ashkenaz is located today. He named the organization after his Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. The original building was a series of old retail shops. Nadel and friends built the wooden facade that is seen today. It is supposed to resemble an Eastern European synagogue. It totals 5,000 square feet. In 1993, the city of Berkeley named the Ashkenaz a city landmark.

In 1996 a drunken patron was kicked out of the club by Nadel. The patron threatened to shoot Nadel. The man returned after Nadel closed the club for the evening and shot Nadel point blank in the head. Nadel died from the gunshot wound at the hospital and the man was never found. In wake of Nadel dying, a group of Ashkenaz patrons bought it, and then formed it into a nonprofit. It re-opened six months later, on June 21, 1997.

Ashkenaz (disambiguation)

Ashkenaz (Hebrew: אשכנז‎) may refer to:

See also