Yiddish
The language of Ashkenazic Jewry
(central and eastern European Jews and their descendants). Written in the Hebrew
alphabet, Yiddish became one of the world's most widespread languages, appearing
in most countries with a Jewish population by the 19th century. Along with
Hebrew and Aramaic, it is one of the three major literary languages in Jewish
history.
There are about 3,000,000 total
speakers. The largest concentrations are found in; Israel, United States,
Canada, Russia, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine, Germany,
Belgium, Poland, Romania, Australia, & South Africa.
Click on flag for country map
![Israel - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/is-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Germany - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/gm-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Belgium - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/be-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Canada - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/ca-flag.gif){kind=small}
![United States - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/us-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Lithuania - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/lg-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Latvia - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/lh-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Australia - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/as-flag.gif){kind=small}
![South Africa - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/sf-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Romania - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/ro-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Russia - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/rs-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Estonia - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/en-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Ukraine - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/up-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Belarus - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/bo-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Poland - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/pl-flag.gif){kind=small}