Editing Litvaks (section)

==Etymology==
{{further|Lithuanian Yiddish|Ostjuden}}
The [[Yiddish]] adjective {{lang|yi|ליטוויש}} {{lang|yi-Latn|Litvish}} means "Lithuanian": the noun for a Lithuanian Jew is {{lang|yi-Latn|Litvak}}. The term {{lang|yi-Latn|Litvak}} itself originates from {{lang|pl|Litwak}}, a [[Polish language|Polish]] term denoting "a man from Lithuania", which however went out of use before the 19th century, having been supplanted in this meaning by {{lang|pl|Litwin}}, only to be revived around 1880 in the narrower meaning of "a Lithuanian Jew". The "Lithuania" meant here is the territory of the former [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]].

Of the main [[Yiddish dialects]] in Europe, the [[Litvisher Yiddish|Litvishe Yiddish]] ([[Lithuanian Yiddish]]) dialect was spoken by [[Jews]] in Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia and northeastern Poland, including Suwałki, Łomża, and Białystok.

However, following the dispute between the Hasidim and the [[Misnagdim]], in which the Lithuanian academies were the heartland of opposition to Hasidism, "Lithuanian" came to have the connotation of Misnagdic (non-Hasidic) Judaism generally, and to be used for all Jews who follow the traditions of the great Lithuanian yeshivot, whether or not their ancestors actually came from Lithuania. In modern Israel, {{lang|he-Latn|Lita'im}} (Lithuanians) is often used for all [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] Jews who are not [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidim]] (and not [[Hardal]]im or [[Sephardic Haredim]]). Other expressions used for this purpose are {{lang|yi-Latn|[[Yeshivish]]e}} and {{lang|he-Latn|[[Misnagdim]]}}. Both the words {{lang|yi-Latn|Litvishe}} and {{lang|he-Latn|Lita'im}} are somewhat misleading, because there are also Hasidic Jews from greater [[Lithuania]] and many Litvaks who are not Haredim. The term {{lang|he-Latn|Misnagdim}} ("opponents") on the other hand is somewhat outdated, because the opposition between the two groups has lost much of its relevance. {{lang|yi-Latn|Yeshivishe}} is also problematic because Hasidim now make use of [[yeshiva|yeshivot]] as much as the Litvishe Jews.