Name That Jew

On the Shabbat that has  just passed, Parshat Shemot was read and studied.  Shemot mean "names" and the opening section of the parshah gives a list of names of Jacob's sons.  Appropriately enough, the subject of the meaning and significance of one's Jewish name was a topic of discussion.  Is there really something special about a Jewish name?  Isn't a name really just a means of identification?  Perhaps the name might be given to honor the memory of a loved one, but could there possibly be a greater significance than that?

A Jewish name binds its bearer to his people.

The Midrash teaches that the Hebrews were freed from Egyptian slavery in part because they kept their Jewish names.  They did not identify with or assimilate with the majority culture.  They remained a distinct people while still living within the Egyptian civilization.  The lesson for today is obvious.  It is sad that so many of my Jewish friends do not want to be "different."  They think of themselves as simply "Americans."  There are certainly many wonderful things about being a citizen of the United States.  I am an native of the USA myself and enjoy the freedoms and privileges that citizenship in the United States affords me.  However one need not sacrifice his Jewishness in order to be a good citizen!  I and a great many of my fellow Jews celebrate of Tradition proudly without being disloyal or disrespectful to the country of our birth.  My Jewish name is as much a part of my identity as the names given to me by my parents.

A Jewish name binds its bearer to Hashem.

Tradition teaches that it is through one's name that the Divine energy flows to the soul.  The name is more than a label.  It is a link!  When one is called to the Torah, he is called by his Jewish name.  When approaching the Sacred Torah a person is receiving a lesson from the Divine.  As we pray we communicate with G-d in both a communal and individual sense.  Whether symbolically, metaphorically or literally, these acts bring a genuine spiritual energy into our lives as Jews.  How tragic it would be to lose that vital link by disowning one's Jewish name!

A Jewish name binds its bearer to Tradition.

Within the many varied expressions of Jewish life, there are many traditions surrounding the naming of a child.  Some communities name him or her after a relative or a respected teacher or a significant person in Jewish history.  Other names are bestowed because of their meaning.  Some rabbis will allow a Jew-by-Choice to select his/her own name; others bestow a name upon them.  During my conversion process I chose to be called Avi (meaning my father) out of respect for my birth parents.  The name Avraham was bestowed upon me as a reference to Avraham avinu. My wife and I chose very special Jewish names for our three children: David (beloved) Datya (faith in G-d) and Rina (joy).  Each name has become an expression of the spirit and soul of each of them!

Whatever your Jewish name might be - whether Yiddish or Hebrew - carry it with pride!  Speak it often and with respect.  Through it you will know the power, joy and reality of being Jewish.  What is your name?  Shemi Avi!  (My name is Avi!)

Related Links:

The Significance of Name (Chabad)

Meaning of Boys' Names

Meaning of Girls' Names