16 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE AUGUST 2, 2007

Style
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Depending on what Jew you ask, quite a bit
BY HILARY WEINGARDEN
Staff Writer
Today’s culture revels in creating new
and unusual names.
No longer is it uncommon to hear of
children called Apple or Nevaeh (heaven
spelled backward).
In the Jewish world, where first names
like Chana, Aryeh, Moshe and Rivke
were once staples of identification, one
commonly hears monikers like Stacey,
Steve, Tom or Kelly these days.
fessor emeritus of psychology at State
University of New York at Fredonia.
Lawson, who is an expert in Jewish
onomastics, or the science of Jewish
names, explained that many psychologi-
cal studies have proven the connection
between one’s name and one’s self-con-
cept.
“If there are a bunch of names flashing
on a screen, you’ll see your name first, if
it’s there,” Lawson said.
When one hears a familiar
name it cues ideas of
government often forced Jews where
they lived to choose a surname. Other
times, they took the initiative themselves
as a way of blending into the majority
culture.
According to Benzion C. Kaganoff ’s
book, “A Dictionary of Jewish Names
and their History,” this trend can be dat-
ed back to the time of Alexander the
Great. Jewish aristocracy
tablishing a Jewish identity,” he added.
“It makes the point that one’s Jewish
identity is as important, if not more im-
portant, than his American identity.”
Many Jews who become more reli-
giously observant as adults recognize
this connection between Jewish identity
and names. Often, they take on their He-
brew names permanently,
discarding their secular
names.
There is a longstanding
tradition in the Ashke-

n
Likewise for last names. Once, names

e
that person’s nazic community of nam-

l e
like Cohen, Greenberg and Blum held physical ing a child after a de-

h
sway. Today, more names like McDowell, charac- ceased relative as a way

C o pp
Gallagher or O’Sullivan show up on con- of memorializing the
gregations’ membership rolls. dead. This tradition
For Jews, the whole process of naming allows the child’s
the next generation has been a com-

A
name to connect

l
plicated one, made even more per-

l
him to his fam-
plexing by the times in which

e
ily heritage
Jews lived, the people from and thus, to

M w
which they were descend- Judaism.

U
B erg cD ivke o
ed or the dreams to “ T h e

L
which they aspired. hope is that
In biblical times

r
the chil-
Jews were known dren will

e
by their family re- carry on

b M R h
lationships — the strong

n
the son (or

g
attributes

e
daughter) of of the peo-

a
someone else.

e l
ple they’re
As times

r l
named after,”

h
changed and

E
said Jewish

G e a n
Jews were

H
educator Amy

va G a
scattered

OS
Pincus, who
throughout named all three of

M e v
the Diaspo-

i
her children after

l
ra, they of-

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deceased grandpar-

l
ten took ents.

u
more secu- “We wouldn’t have
lar-sound-

A S
thought to have done it any

’
ing names.

N h
other way,” she added. “Our
Sometimes heritage and tradition are so

A e O
rulers made much of who we are and names

H
C Ary
them take sur-
names. Jews fre-
quently found
themselves with sec-
ular names for every-
day life and Hebrew
names for synagogue life.
In the last century, American
Jews frequently changed their names
to get ahead in business or avoid dis-
crimination.
And even more recently, with the ex-
plosion of intermarriage, Jews have
names that don’t sound Jewish at all.
With so many forces at work in the
Jewish world, is there still something to
be said for traditional names?
Perhaps, some people say.
“Having a Jewish name is a way of dis-
tinguishing yourself instead of becoming
immersed into the anonymity of secular
society,” said Rabbi Daniel Kripper, spir-
itual leader of Adat Shalom in Fox
Chapel. “If you have a Jewish name, you
are rooted in certain traditions, and peo-
ple are looking for that.”
That is true in part because names are
integral to people’s perceptions of them-
selves and others.
“The name is part of the identity. It’s a
major part,” said Edwin D. Lawson, pro-
Chronicle art by Jane Muder
teris-
tics, personality, interests, and other key
elements of that person’s identity.
Judaism understands this connection
between names and identity, Kripper
said. In fact, the second book of the
Torah, Exodus, is called Shemot, or
names, in Hebrew. Exodus begins with a
history of the Jewish people, outlining
the family tree through names.
At Passover seders, participants men-
tion that the Jews in Egypt, despite liv-
ing in a foreign land, did not adopt
Egyptian names, but rather kept their
original names.
“The fact that they didn’t change their
names meant that they stayed Jewish,”
Kripper said. “The idea is that they were
able to preserve their tradition through
their names.”
Yet throughout history and to this day,
Jews have adopted secular names. The
adopted
G r e e k
names, and much
of the Jewish majority
took on Aramaic names.
This phenomenon occurred again dur-
ing the major periods of Jewish immi-
gration to the United States. Jewish im-
migrants, wanting to join American cul-
ture, adopted secular names that also
protected them from anti-Semitism.
Today, however, there is less need to
blend into a greater society. Ethnic
groups take pride in their distinct cus-
toms and embrace the cultural points
that differentiate them from others,
rather than hide them. Active Black,
Jewish, Latino, Hindu, Muslim, and gay
and lesbian groups can be found on col-
lege campuses and in communities
across the nation.
“The term ‘melting pot’ doesn’t mean
anything today,” Kripper said. “People
are looking for ways of preserving their
identity in the midst of a mass, secular
society.”
“Giving a Jewish name is a way of es-
are so important.”
One way in which Jews compensate
for using secular names is through the
tradition of giving two names — one sec-
ular, the other Hebrew. This tradition
has existed for hundreds of years, even
before the destruction of the Second
Temple, according to Kaganoff.
However, giving dual names may not
be a truly effective way of strengthening
a child’s Jewish identity. In many places,
Hebrew names are used only when one
is called to the Torah, or on written doc-
uments such as a ketubah. But secular
names are used all the time. The impor-
tance of secular identity is thus rein-
forced through names far more often
than Jewish identity.
“All three of our children have names
that are the same in English and in He-
brew, so that they have one identity,”
said Pincus. “It’s much easier to feel
connected if you have one identity. It
was important to us that there was a real
sense of continuity in their names.”
(Hilary Weingarden can be reached at
hweingarden@pittchron.com)