TheHebraization of surnames (alsoHebraicization;[1][2]Hebrew:עִברוּתIvrut) is the act of amending one'sJewish surname, so that it is tied to theHebrew language, which was natively spoken byJews andSamaritans until it died out of everyday use by around 200 CE. For many Jews ofdiaspora andPalestinian origin,immigration tothe land of Israel and taking up a Hebrew surname has long been conceptualized as a way to erase remnants of their diaspora oppression, particularly since the inception ofZionism in the 19th century. This notion, which was part of what drove therevival of the Hebrew language, was further consolidated after the founding ofIsrael in 1948.
Hebraizing surnames has been an especially common practice amongAshkenazi Jews; many Ashkenazi families had acquired permanent surnames (rather than patronyms) only when surnames were forced upon them byEmperor Joseph II of theHoly Roman Empire following an official decree on 12 November 1787.[3]Sephardic Jews often had hereditary family names (e.g., Cordovero, Abrabanel, Shaltiel, de Leon, Alcalai, Toledano, Lopez) since well before theSpanish expulsion of Jews near the end of theReconquista, which had begun after theMuslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century.
After the extinction of Hebrew as a day-to-day spoken language, Hebrew surnames were not the norm among Jews in parts of the diaspora and the Holy Land, to a debated extent. Common examples of those that persisted includeCohen (כֹּהֵן,lit. 'kohen'),Moss (מֹשֶׁה,lit. 'Moses'), andLevi (לוי,lit. 'Levite'). Several Hebrew surnames, such asKatz (כּ״ץ,ABBR.‘kohentzedek’, ‘cohenZedek’, or ‘kahane tzedek’ orkohentzadok,lit. 'righteousKohen (or Cohen)' or'Kahane the just' or'priest of Zadok') andBogoraz (ABBR.Ben ha-Rav Zalman, fromבן הרב זאַלמאַן,lit. 'son of Rabbi Zalman') are, in fact,Hebrew acronyms, despite being commonly perceived as being of non-Jewish origin (in these cases, fromGerman andRussian, respectively).
Hebraization began as early as the days of theFirst Aliyah. The widespread trend towards Hebraization of surnames in the days of theYishuv (i.e.,Palestinian Jews) and afterIsrael's founding was based on the idea of returning to an authentic Jewish identity and thus having a stronger sense of one's Jewishness. Likewise, it was also tied in with the desire among diaspora Jews to distance themselves from the lost and dead past of exile and also from theimposition upon Jews of foreign names in previous centuries.[4]
The process of Hebraization among the Jews of Diaspora and Palestinian origin has continued since Israel's founding in 1948; among the thousands ofolim andolot who currently apply for legal name changes in Israel each year, many do so to adoptHebrew names and thereby assimilate into a shared Jewish national identity, chiefly withMizrahi Jews.[5]
Among theYishuv (the first to return tothe land of Israel), there was a strong feeling ofsh'lilat ha-golah (Hebrew:שלילת הגולה "negation of the diaspora/Exile"), which often included the exchange of Diaspora surnames for purely Hebrew ones.[6] Part of theZionist movement was not onlyaliyah, it was also wanting to create an image of an empoweredIsraeli Jew that would be different from the stereotypical perception of oppressedYiddish-speaking,shtetl-living, weakDiaspora Jews, and these things were a significant part of the people of theFirst andSecondAliyot. Some of the immigrants of the First Aliyah (1882–1903) Hebraized their surnames, and the practice became widespread during the Second Aliyah (1904–1914).[4][7]
This process started with individuals likeEliezer Ben-Yehuda (Perelman) and was adopted by theNew Yishuv. In 1944, before the founding of the State of Israel, the Zionist leadership and theJewish National Council proclaimed it the "Year of naturalization and the Hebrew name".[4] A special committee under the chairmanship ofMordechai Nemzabi, theJewish Agency advisor on matters of civilian defense, published a booklet which contained guidelines on the creation on new Hebrew surnames.[4]
After theIsraeli Declaration of Independence, there was still the attitude that the Hebraization of family names should continue, in order to get rid of names with a diaspora sound.[4] Hebraization of names became a typical part of the integration process for new immigrants amongAshkenazi Jews. It also occurred amongSephardi andMizrahi Jewish immigrants from Arab and Muslim lands, though it was less common among them than among Ashkenazi Jews; Sephardi and Mizrahi children were typically given new Hebrew names in school, often without permission from their parents.[7]
David Ben-Gurion, the firstPrime Minister of Israel, was committed to the use of the Hebrew language (he changed his surname from Grün to Ben-Gurion). He tried to convince as many people to change their surnames into "real" Hebrew ones. Ben-Gurion gotHerzl Rosenblum to sign the Israeli Declaration of Independence as Herzl Vardi, hispen name (later changed to his legal name), as Ben-Gurion wanted more Hebrew names on the document. Nine more of the signatories of the document would then go on to Hebraize their names, as well.
Ben-Gurion, in an order to theIsrael Defense Forces soldiers, wrote, "It is desirable that every commanding officer (from Squadron Commander to Chief of Staff) should change his surname, whether German, English, Slavic, French or foreign in general, to a Hebrew surname, in order to be a role model for his soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces must be Hebrew in spirit, vision, and in all internal and external expressions."[4] For a while it was widespread for new conscripts into theIsrael Defense Forces with Ashkenazi surnames to Hebraize their names upon entering service. For example, former Israeli Prime MinisterEhud Barak changed his surname from Brog to Barak in 1972.
A binding order of the same issue was issued to the officials of the state in 1950, and particularly to those who represented the State abroad. A "Committee for Hebrew Names" was established to supervise the implementation of the order, whose task was to assist and advise the choice of a Hebrew name.
In addition to pressure from the state, tensions betweenJewish ethnic groups caused some people to Hebraize their names to dis-identify with a "stigmatized" ethnic group or to merge into a "collective Israeli identity" and therefore created a desire to Hebraize.[6]
The Hebraization of surnames was a source of debate in the days of theYishuv and after theestablishment of the State of Israel.[8]
Among the most significant supporters wasYitzhak Ben Zvi (Shimshelevich), leader of theLabor movement, historian and secondpresident of the State of Israel. He was born inUkraine on 24 November 1884. He studied law in Istanbul together with David Ben Gurion. In 1906 he attended the founding conference of thePoalei Zion and in 1907 he settled in the Land of Israel.[4] He belonged to the founders of theAhdut ha-Avodah Party, was active in theHaganah, a member of theJewish National Council, and signed the Israeli Declaration of Independence.[4] Ben Zvi died in 1963.
Ben Zvi wrote:
Our surnames are mostly of foreign origin, which cling to exile [...] even names based on Hebrew first names were damaged and distorted from the original [...] by German and English suffixes, like "son" or "sohn" and the Slavic "in", "ovich", "ovsky" and "shvili". These surnames fill the air and the pages of our newspaper, the posters and announcements in our streets and public squares [...] it is indeed not really clear if the hardship of this inheritance which remained with us as a result of the Middle Ages and subsequent ghettoization should be tolerated...
— Yitzhak Ben Zvi inCollected Writings, vol. 4, pp. 11–14[4]
All rabbinic authorities encourage hebraizing first names (VaYikra Rabba 32, and Kor'ei Sh'mo, pp. 173–181), and some actively encourage last names, as well (Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Resp. She'elat Shlomo VIII, 67–68), and even did so themselves: among them: RabbisMenashe HaKatan (Klein),Maharam Schick,Shlomo Goren (Goronchick),Shaul Yisraeli (Izraelit),Moshe Zvi Neria (Menkin),Shlomo Aviner (Langenauer).
One of the opponents of the Hebraization of surnames wasMoses Calvary, a writer and teacher. Born in Germany in 1883, he received a traditional, general, and rabbinical education.[4] He was a member ofAhdut Ha'avodah, an educator in theMeir Shfeya youth village, principal ofGymnasia Rehavia inJerusalem, and educator in the "Ahava" youth village inKiryat Bialik.[4]
Yitzhak Ben Zvi demands we disqualify all the foreign names which are close to us. His assumption was that our immigration to Eretz Yisrael is a revolutionary act, a return to one's origins. Let the memory of the Diaspora therefore be erased so that the crown be returned to ancient times, by wrapping our names in the envelope of our language. I have my doubts if this zealousness is appropriate. Our names are part—a significant part—of our history. Bearers of historical names are still alive and among us; the names of figures who mark our history—names like Sasportas or Benbenisti, Abrabanel or Don Yehia, Rappaport or Eibeschitz—there is no reason to delete the chronicle of our national life. Let us preserve the faith of our fathers also in our revival. Do not betray our memories by radical action; and the text does not only relate to the famous: the variety in our names is a sign of our colorful history, a two-thousand year-old history, whose traces cannot be wiped out light-handedly.
— Moses Calvary,Between Sowing and Harvest, p. 339[4]
Some people were emotionally attached to their diaspora last name, for reasons such as it having nobleyichus (origins), or for a desire to continue to identify with theirethnic group.[6] There is a story of an Israeli diplomat who toldDavid Ben-Gurion, "I will change my name if you can find me one non-Jew named Lifshitz."[6] Others had names that were entirely Hebrew to begin with.[6]
The disagreement about the Hebraization of surnames continued. Many people preserved their foreign surname, such as first President of IsraelChaim Weizmann,President of the Supreme Court of IsraelShimon Agranat, and others.
This trend moderated with time.[4] However, even today, people continue to Hebraize their surnames, especially those serving in the IDF and Israel's diplomatic missions, representing the State of Israel.[4] The number of those who do is small but significant; about 15% of American and British immigrants to Israel who come onNefesh B'Nefesh flights Hebraize their names on arrival.[7]
There is also a trend of reverting to ancestral, non-Hebrew names to return to one's roots and preserve traditions unique toeach ethnic group.[4] There are people who re-adopt the name their family previously abandoned for the sake of "Israeliness", such as Israeli writerYitzhak Orpaz who restored his family's original family name of "Averbuch".[4]
There were several ways people Hebraized their names.
Some names were words that were directly translated from the corresponding Diaspora name.[6]
| Old | New | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kirschenbaum | Duvdevani (Hebrew:דובדבני) | cherry tree (y) |
| Goldberg | Har-Zahav (הר־זהב) | gold mountain |
| Herbst | Stavi (סתווי) | autumn, fall |
| Her(t)z | Levavi (לבבי) | heart(y), cordial |
| Mostovski | Gashri (גשרי) | bridge(y) |
| Rosenstein | Even-Vered (אבן־ורד) | rose stone |
| Schlosberg | Har-Tira (הר־טירה) | castle mountain |
| Silver(man) | Kaspi (כספי) | silver, silversmith |
| Steinberg | Har-Even (הר־אבן) | stone mountain |
Others were direct translations ofpatronymic names or names based on biblical figures.[6]
| Old | New |
|---|---|
| Benjamin | Binyamin (בנימין) |
| Davidson | Ben-David (בן־דוד) |
| Mendelson | Ben-Menachem (בן־מנחם) (Yiddishdiminutive: Mendel) |
| Meyerson | Ben-Meir (בן־מאיר) (Yiddish: Meyer) |
| Reuben | Reuven (ראובן) |
| Simmons | Shimoni (שמעוני) (variant of Simeon) |
Other names were translated fromtoponyms.[6]
| Old | New | English |
|---|---|---|
| Deutsch(er) | Ashkenazi (אשכנזי) | fromGermany |
| Wilner | Vilnai (וילנאי) | fromWilno |
Other names were the negation of so-called "Ekelnamen" (literally "disgusting names" in German, deliberately insulting or demeaning last names forced upon ancestors by non-Jewish officials).[6]
| Old | New |
|---|---|
| Ausuebel: "from evil" | Ben-Tov (בן־טוב): "from good", "born of goodness", "good son" |
| Luegner: "liar" | Amithai (אמיתי): "honest" |
Other names were Hebraized on their similar sounding to a Hebrew word or name, though sometimes their phonetic similarity was far-fetched.[6]
| Old | New |
|---|---|
| Berkovitz: "son ofDov Ber" | Barak (ברק): "lightning" |
| Boris | Barukh (ברוך): "blessed" |
| Brotzlewsky | Bar-Lev (בר־לב): "able of Lev/heart" |
| Epstein (place name) | Eilat (אילת) (place name) |
| Gruen: "green" | Ben-Gurion (בן־גוריון): "son of the lion cub" |
| Kalb: "calf" | Gilboa (גלבוע) (place name) |
| Neumann: "new man" | Ne'eman (נאמן): "loyal" |
| Torczyner : "fromTorczyn" | Tur-Sinai (טור־סיני): "columns of Sinai" |
Sometimes, there were prevalent options between either translating it, or choosing a name based on similar sound (homophone).[6]
| Old | Direct translation choice | Phonetic similarity choice |
|---|---|---|
| Feld | Sadeh (שדה): "field" | Peled (פלד): "steel" |
| Rosen | Vardi (ורדי): "my rose" | Rozen (רוזן): "count/earl" |
| Shkolnik | Lamdan (למדן): "yeshiva student/learner" | Eshkol (אשכול): "cluster of grapes" |
| Gruen | Yarok (ירוק): "green" | Ben-Gurion (בן־גוריון): "son of the lion cub" |
.jpg)
In some cases, afalse cognate could satisfy both options at once.
| Old | New |
|---|---|
| Loewe: "lion" | Lavi (לביא): "lion" |
| Lempel: "little lamp" | Lapid (לפיד): "torch" |
Others chose completely newly chosen names, many times symbolic in nature.[6]
| Hebrew | English |
|---|---|
| Ben-Artzi (בן־ארצי) | "son of my land" |
| Nir (ניר) | "plowed field", as dug by a farmer |
Others kept their name for several reasons. Sometimes, the reason it was kept was because of its religious nature. For examples, names connected with thekohen (priesthood) such as Cohen, Kohn, Kaplan, Sacerdoti, Katz, Azoulai, etc.[6] Other times it indicated Levite descent such as Levi, Levy, Weil (anagram), and Segal (Hebrewacronym). Other times it was synagogue or Jewish community functions such as Gabbai, Chazan, or Rabin.[6] Sometimes the surname was already Hebrew (Sarfati).
Others kept their name for itsyichus (meaning that the person descends from something akin to "good stock"), which gave the bearer more reason not to Hebraize it.[6] Examples includeHorowitz (famous rabbinical dynasty),Rothschild (famous Jewish banking dynasty),Einstein (famous bearer), or Shaltiel (ancientSephardic family tracing its origins toKing David—and it isalready Hebrew).[6]
Others kept their name but the name underwent some mutation because they contained sounds that do not exist in Hebrew.[6] Examples include Lando (from "Landau"), and Glober (from "Glauber").[6]
Other "Diaspora" Jewish names are Hebrew to begin with (such as Ashkenazi andYerushalmi), corruptions of Hebrew words (such asHeifetz, from Chafetz),Hebrew acronyms (such as Shalit, from "Sheyihye le'orekh yamim tovim"), or ofAramaic origin (such as Kahane, or Raban).[6]
