This is an oddly specific post, so bear with me.
Backstory: I joined a Facebook group that makes fun of names (not cultural names- think adding unnecessary Y's and such, ie Aydyn instead of Aiden, unnecessary apostrophes, etc.). I was scrolling through one day and saw the name Ezra. That is certainly a normal name, so I was reading the comments to see why it was in the group. Long story short, the person who named their kid Ezra was not Jewish.
This went into a lengthy discussion between Jewish members of the group as to whether it was appropriate for a non-Jewish person to use Jewish names. Many called it cultural appropriation. I had never thought twice about it and have already decided that my future kids will have a Jewish name (an Old Testament name, if you will). I was not raised in the Jewish faith and my interaction with practicing Jews has been very limited. Prior to joining this group, I had never heard that argument, not did I have any idea that several Jewish individuals held that belief.
So, if anyone here is Jewish, could you give me your two cents? Did I stumble across a super orthodox group (all religions have them ha), or is non-Jewish individuals naming their children Jewish names a source of contention within your faith?
For what it's worth, the two people I know that are Jewish said that nobody would care if you named your kid a Jewish name.
Backstory: I joined a Facebook group that makes fun of names (not cultural names- think adding unnecessary Y's and such, ie Aydyn instead of Aiden, unnecessary apostrophes, etc.). I was scrolling through one day and saw the name Ezra. That is certainly a normal name, so I was reading the comments to see why it was in the group. Long story short, the person who named their kid Ezra was not Jewish.
This went into a lengthy discussion between Jewish members of the group as to whether it was appropriate for a non-Jewish person to use Jewish names. Many called it cultural appropriation. I had never thought twice about it and have already decided that my future kids will have a Jewish name (an Old Testament name, if you will). I was not raised in the Jewish faith and my interaction with practicing Jews has been very limited. Prior to joining this group, I had never heard that argument, not did I have any idea that several Jewish individuals held that belief.
So, if anyone here is Jewish, could you give me your two cents? Did I stumble across a super orthodox group (all religions have them ha), or is non-Jewish individuals naming their children Jewish names a source of contention within your faith?
For what it's worth, the two people I know that are Jewish said that nobody would care if you named your kid a Jewish name.
), but Ezra is almost mainstream at this point.
Maybe I'm a trash person.
