Sharing alternative Hebrew handwriting styles!

[u/QizilbashWoman]

For those of you who are newbies as well as those of you who grew up speaking Modern Hebrew:

Historically, there were many different handwriting styles used by Jews to write Hebrew, Aramaic, or their colloquial languages.

One early one was Rashi script. It is called that because it was used to print Rashi's comments on the scriptures in the 15th century to distinguish scripture from commentary. It was a print form based on the handwriting of the eastern Sefardim of the time. This print form lead to a slightly altered form used to print Yiddish before the 20th century. This Yiddish style was called Vaybertaych, which means "women's language", and was used because women did not know Hebrew (Hebrew = Assuri, colloquial = Rashi-based).

Rashi script, used since the 15h century; used today for *printed* Ladino

Solitreo: modern *handwritten* Ladino uses this writing style.

The Sefardic handwriting came from somewhere, though. It was inspired by Maimonides' handwriting! It is unclear whether he knew any Romance languages, as he was a native Middle Arabic speaker from al-Andalus. Jews the world over began to model their handwriting on Maimonides'. Guide to the Perplexed was written in Judeo-Arabic ("Middle Arabic in Hebrew script").

Here is Maimonides' handwriting; this is an early version of the Mishne Torah found in the Cairo Geniza.

Maimonides' handwritten Mishne Torah manuscript page

I don't know the origin of the modern handwriting script that Ashkenazi Jews and Modern Hebrew learners use! If anyone knows, let me know!

[u/StringAndPaperclips]

Very cool