Linguistic outcomes of a Hasidic renewal: The case of Skver

• Skver is a Hasidic sect, reestablished in the USA after World War II.
• Historical circumstances caused a clash between two pronunciation systems in Skver.
• Yiddish and liturgical Hebrew in Skver reflect two distinct dialects.
• Pronunciation of ritual Hebrew marks the distinct identity of Skver Hasidim.

This article examines the impact of affiliation to a Hasidic sect on the Yiddish dialect used by its members. Focus is on the community of Skver Hasidim, residing in New Square, New York, where historical circumstances caused a clash between two pronunciation systems. A corpus of Yiddish recordings is analyzed to track one vowel shift occurring in the speech of community members, testifying to their distinct identity within the Hasidic world.