How to Write Names in Hebrew

Participating in Jewish rituals necessitates knowing how to write your Jewish name.

If you are Jewish and wish to request a rabbi's blessing, marry, obtain a Jewish divorce or participate in a Jewish religious ceremony, you should know how to write your Jewish name. Jewish children receive a Hebrew name at birth which they use for Jewish rituals. Sometimes the Jewish name corresponds to their English name, but parents have no obligation to give their child similar English and Hebrew names. Jewish tradition and Kabbalah places great emphasis on a Jewish individual's Hebrew name, including the name's specific letters and even hyphens and apostrophes in the name.

Instructions

1. Research the Hebrew name you received at birth. Ask your parents or other family members if they remember which Jewish name your parents gave you. If family members don't remember, ask the synagogue or temple if you can look at their records of "brits" (circumcision ceremonies) or naming ceremonies. If you know that your parents named you after an ancestor, look at the ancestor's tombstone. Tombstones for Jews show the deceased person's name written in Hebrew. If you don't have a Jewish name or don't know your Hebrew name, speak to a rabbi about hosting a naming ceremony in a synagogue or temple where you can formally choose a new Jewish name.

2. Observe the correct writing for the name. Websites (see resources) provide common ways to write a Hebrew name. If you don't find your name on the site, ask a rabbi or other person who is familiar with Hebrew names. Hebrew has both printed and written scripts--both are acceptable if you wish to write your Jewish name for any purpose. Hebrew also has vowels which are unnecessary when writing your Hebrew name. Vowels help non-native Hebrew speakers learn the correct pronunciation of a Hebrew word or name.

3. Add in any hyphens or apostrophes that your name includes. Some Jewish names that end in "el" (God), including Emanuel(a), Gabriel(a), Michael(a) and Ariel(a) include a hyphen or apostrophe. Some parents use the apostrophe or hyphen when giving their child an "el" name while others do not. You must write your name exactly as your parents wrote it when they gave it to you.

4. Ascertain your mother and father's Jewish names. Petitions for a rabbi's blessing or requests for prayers for a sick person will include the individual's name together with their mother's name. Write your name as Sarah Leah, "bat" (daughter of) Hannah Rivka or Aviel Moshe, "ben" (son of) Ephraim Pinhas. Name listings for life-cycle events, including marriages, divorces and after death, and invitations to read the Torah in a synagogue or temple include the individual's name together with the father's name.

5. Always use your full name (excluding your family name) when writing your Jewish name. Jewish tradition and Jewish mysticism teach that the Hebrew letters that make up your Jewish name contain your destiny. This includes all your names, including any names that you received during your lifetime. Many Jewish scholars believe that if a Jewish person adds a name when they are ill, it can assist their recovery. Some Jewish rituals, such as a divorce decree, demand your full Jewish name as well as any nicknames or other names by which the community knows you.

References

• Chabad: Jewish Names
• Chabad: Why Do I Need a Hebrew Name?
• Chabad: The Customs of Jewish Names

Resources

• Behind the Name: Jewish Names