Personal
On this page you will find articles that focus on those chance or passing moments in our personal lives that appear to be outwardly small but are significant nonetheless for their influence upon our mood, our feelings of connection with others, and our spiritual lives.
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Taking On A Jewish Name
We maintain a Jewish tradition of having "both a civil name, one we reserve for
worldly pursuits, and a Jewish name, one by which we are called in the holy community of
Israel." Yet many Jews, both adults and children, do not know their Jewish names or
have never received one. Rabbi Arnold Stiebel of Reno, Nevada invites people in his
community to discover their lost Hebrew names or to choose a new name at an annual
consecration service held at Chanukah time (the holiday of dedication), in which they
formally take on their Jewish name and explain what it means or why they selected it. In
taking the time to discover or select a Jewish name, one affirms one’s real Jewish
identity.
Meditation:
We all have three names: one given by our parents, one we’re called by our
friends, and one we call or think of ourselves. May I fully become my Jewish name.
Ritual:
At a consecration service on the Shabbat of Chanukah, people taking on new or reconsecrated names are invited up to the bima before the open ark to have their Jewish name "officially" bestowed upon them and to have the opportunity to explain the important meanings of their name.
Blessing:
We invite ______to the bima to receive their new Jewish names, names by which they will
always be known among the congregation of Israel. We declare their names will henceforth
be called among the congregation of Israel: ___________. With love and wisdom, may they be
blessed to embrace the significance of the names they have received this day, names
honored and respected for wisdom , ma’asim tovim, good deeds, and the pursuit of
peace.
Teaching:
And you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I make you
the father of a multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:5)
And God said to Abraham, "As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her Sarai, but
her name shall be Sarah. I will bless her indeed…(Genesis: 17: 15-16)
The name of the righteous is a blessing. (Proverbs 10:7)
A good name is better than riches (Proverbs 22:1)
In the Judeo-Spanish tradition…when the child is given a name which is the same name
as that of some of the persons present, those bearing the name…are given a slap by
all the others who are present at the ceremony…to alert them to the fact that their
attributes, which were developed as a result of the special combination of their name and
soul, will now be shared by a new member of the House of Israel. (Herbert Dobrinsky, A
Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs)
Barukh hasheim
Blessed is the name
(CLAL Faculty)
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