← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · MacDonald CSA
Thread ID: 16967 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2005-02-25
2005-02-25 18:49 | User Profile
. [color=red]-For Historical Review Research Purposes Only-[/color]
Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain [url]http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/libtree.shtml[/url]
Note: Not all will be Jewish, but will reflect "borrowed" names nonetheless.
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2005-02-25 20:37 | User Profile
I've never known a McBride, Quinlan, Quinn, O'Brien, or OConnor who was Jewish. Having a Jewish surname is becoming less and less indicative of Jewishness. What about a name like Herman Cohen (as in Fr. Herman Cohen, Catholic priest) or Steven Greenberg (as in Catholic philosopher Steven Greenberg).
Question for those who think about these issues more than I: Is it a good thing or bad thing that Jews are intermarrying at very high rates (in some areas as high as 60%)? Some Jews, like Dershowitz, view this as dire-- even though he is an atheist and his son married a shiksa.
2005-02-25 20:52 | User Profile
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[color=black][font=Arial]Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
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[color=black][font=Arial]Ask the Rabbi[/font][/color]
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[size=3][color=black][font=Arial]Question[/font][/color][/size]
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After several years of study, I converted to Judaism with a Conservative Rabbi. HOWEVER, I have that non-Jewish last name, which subjects me to streams of questions, ie: "Are you a convert," or "you converted didn't you," or "with that last name we know your father isn't Jewish"....and so on. Also, those that know I have converted, insist on telling every other person that I am a convert, and people have even introduced me as a convert...eeeek...I feel like I'll never really be accepted. I have considered picking up and moving, changing my name, and starting over....what can you suggest? I was recently in [/font][/color]<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />
How can I deal with these people that insist on pinning me down on my authenticity?
Thank you![/font][/color][color=black][font=Trebuchet MS]
[size=3][color=black][font=Arial]Answer[/font][/color][color=black][font=Trebuchet MS]
[color=black][font=Arial][size=3]Dear Friend,
I am really sorry you are subjected to such insensitive behaviour on the part of your new "brothers and sisters". As your Rabbis told you, it is absolutely forbidden by Jewish Law to remind a convert about his/her past, although I personally feel that you should be proud of your accomplishments and I am sure that after those years of learning you know more than some of those people who are making you feel uncomfortable. Also, I know some people with really Jewish sounding names, who are not Jewish at all. And yet, I realize that all these realities do not solve your problem. So if you are really disturbed by the situation, maybe you should change your name, but that will not solve the problem of people presenting you as a convert. To them I would speak frankly about your hurt and discomfort. Maybe they are not aware of the damage they are causing.
I hope I have helped a little.
Rabbi Monique Susskind Goldberg [/QUOTE] [/size][font=Georgia][size=3]["Patrick O'Flaherty?" "Um, no, you must be mistaken, I'm Maimonides Rosenbaum."][/size][/font][/font][/color]