Amcho

Amcho or amcha, also transliterated as amkho or amkha (Hebrew: עמכו, romanized: ʾamkho, lit. 'one's people', plural: עמכות ʾamkhot; Yiddish: אמכא, romanized: amkha, lit. 'common people'), is an idiomatic term that refers to the common people, especially Jews, as opposed to the elite.[1] It was commonly used among Jews in Europe, especially during the Holocaust, as a means of identification.[2][3]

During World War II, when Jewish refugees were seeking family and friends during genocide, the term amcho served as a shibboleth to identify fellow Jews.[4] In modern times, various survivors recall using it to determine if strangers were Jewish and potentially find allies or assistance.[5][6]

The term originates from Hebrew עמך (amkhá) meaning "one's nation" or "people",[7] through Yiddish עמך (ámkho) meaning "common people," essentially "Jews".[1][2]

  1. ^ a b "Amcha". Jewish Languages. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  2. ^ a b "Amkho?": The Secret Code of Jewish Refugees. Retrieved 2024-04-24 – via www.youtube.com.
  3. ^ Witnesses to the Holocaust: Stories of Minnesota Holocaust Survivors and Liberators (PDF). Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  4. ^ "Jacob Szapszewicz". St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
  5. ^ Slucki, David; Patt, Avinoam; Finder, Gabriel N. (2020-04-07). Laughter After: Humor and the Holocaust. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-4479-8.
  6. ^ "חיילים יהודים בצבא האדום מתוודעים לשואה | הפודקאסט של יד ושם". www.yadvashem.org (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-04-24. [He turns to me and says one word — "Amkho?" [I replied,] "Amkho," "your people," a word we know, which apparently became a code by which Jewish Soviet soldiers tried to identify the Jews among the population.]
  7. ^ "מה זה עמכו - מילון עברי עברי - מילוג". milog.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-04-24.