A recent re-read of a piece by Steven Nolt in Mennonite Quarterly Review–‘Who are the Real Amish? Rethinking Diversity and Identity among a Separate People’— made me recall a common dilemma when discussing our Plain neighbors. ‘The Amish’ is a moniker that tries to do more than it really can, which is blanket a group of people having quite diverse practices. Saying “‘the Amish’ this”…
How do Amish people view Jewish people? And for that matter, people of other faiths? Our Lancaster Amish correspondent has weighed in on the question, recently submitted by a curious reader. So this will give you the views of one Amish person, at least. Here is his response: One of the most important lessons that I learned was taught to me by a Jewish businessman,…
Rick weighs in with an action shot of an intense game of cornerball, aka ‘eck balle’, from an auction this past weekend at Georgetown in Lancaster County. This apparently wasn’t the only sport being played; Rick mentions a few games of football and volleyball going on as well. He comments: ‘I am imagining the football huddle going “Fisher, go deep” and 3 guys answering “Which…
Okay, we’re going to roll this one out on a trial basis. But who knows, could be interesting. I frequently get Amish-related questions in my email inbox. I do my best to answer but sometimes come up short. So: if you have an Amish-related question you’d like answered, and would prefer a response from an actual Amish person rather than hearing me yap on about…
Elam quit shaving today. Amos’ brother was married last autumn during the traditional wedding season in Lancaster. After spending much of the previous few months visiting relatives along with his new bride, today was finally the day to hang his hat under his own roof. Moving into one’s own home around here means that you start growing a beard. So it would actually be more…
In the previous two posts, SUNY Potsdam Professor Karen Johnson-Weiner answered questions on the Swartzentruber Amish and Amish settlements in New York state. Today she shares her knowledge of Old Order schools. Amish America: Your book Train Up a Child: Old Order Amish and Mennonite Schools examines parochial schooling among these related groups. In a recent interview for NPR you highlight the diversity within Amish…
Dr. Michael Werner passes on a link to the Pennsylvania German website Hiwwe wie Driwwe (‘Over here as over there’). The site is coupled with a biannual newspaper of the same name, apparently the only regular Pennsylvania German language publication. A bit of background on the dialect, from the Hiwwe wie Driwwe site: In North America, one can still find a few speech islands, in…
Any work that discusses bundling in ‘the good old-fashioned way’ has got to be a heady read. And so it goes with Little Known Facts About the Amish and the Mennonites, a tourist booklet first printed in 1938. The seeds of Amish tourism were planted in the early 20th century, with the enterprise really getting a proper start in the 1930’s and 40’s. Amish-themed postcards,…
In this second part of an interview with an anonymous Lancaster County Amishman, we look at the phenomenon of outsiders joining the Amish, using the Amish name to market and sell products to the public, Amish participation in the recent presidential election, and the meaning and purpose of shunning. (And if you missed the first part, here it is: An Amish America Q-and-A with a…
Millers, Yoders, Schrocks, Stoltzfuses. These names are a dime a dozen in Amish America. Meet enough Amish people, and once in a while you’ll come across an unusual name, one that may sound non-Germanic or even a Germanic-sounding name that is simply uncommon. The Amish have welcomed a fair share of converts to the faith over the years. Last names such as Jones, Jess, Chupp…