Reply To: English Names

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#847499
HaKatan
Participant

musser zoger, it’s not CH”V a kitrug but rather a shevach and limud zechus on those who recognize that Hashem has not yet redeemed us from Galus. And there are prominent Rabbanim et al who, themselves, have secular names.

The difference, lihavdil, between us and other ethnicities is that only WE are subject to the halcha yadua sheEisav Sonei Es Yaakov. It has nothing to do with shame, CH”V, especially in a multi-cultural society as OP pointed out.

So if using a name not common to secular culture will make any/some (normal and decent) non-Jews uncomfortable, then it makes perfect sense to give children American legal names to be used in the workplace, et al. (No one is suggesting it is typically dangerous, CH”V, to use Jewish names as legal names, but that doesn’t lessen the concerns with doing so. YH”R, Hashem Yishmireinu, viyigaleinu BB”A)