Term for Jews of Northern and Eastern European ancestry and who generally follow the customs originating in medieval German Judaism, in contradistinction to Sephardic Judaism, which has its distinctive roots in Spain and the Mediterranean Originally the designation Ashkenaz referred to a people and country bordering on Armenia and the upper Euphrates; in medieval times, it came to refer to the Jewish area of settlement in NW Europe (Northern France and Western Germany) By extension, it now refers to Jews of Northern and Eastern European background (incl Russia) with their distinctive liturgical practices or religious customs While a numerical minority worldwide, Ashkenazim hold the most sway in the dealings of American Judaism (see also Sephardi)