JEWISH NAMES,
language and attire
OVER THE COURSE OF THE CENTURIES, JEWS
were always distinguishable from their
fellow citizen not only by their unique beliefs and rituals, but also by their distinctly Jewish culture. For the most part, they
conversed in their own language, whether
it was Ladino, Yiddish, or any of the other
‘Jewish’ languages that sprouted up over
time. Jews were also distinguishable by
their uniquely Jewish garb and names. In
whichever country they landed, the Jewish community managed to create a subculture which effectively separated them
from their co-citizens.
Today, many minimise the importance
of maintaining these external expressions
52 JEWISH LIFE
ISSUE 82
of our culture: Perhaps this insularity was
necessary when the Jews lived in the
Dark Ages and needed to distance themselves from the rest of the population,
who at best were ignorant and superstitious. In a modern and enlightened society, however, there is no need to flaunt
our Judaism by maintaining a Jewish
sub-culture. Yiddish is for bobba and zaida, and Jewish culture is fascinating...
when viewed in a documentary or as a
museum exhibit. Instead, Jewish beliefs
and rituals should be emphasised: belief
in G-d and the Torah as His word, observing the Shabbat, prayer, and eating kosher. Language, attire and names are con-
sidered to be mere externalities, shallow
compared to the depth of Torah and mitzvot. “Those who do not study history are
condemned to repeat it.”
Research into Jewish life in Egypt – the
first time our people were guests in a
foreign land – reveals an interesting fact:
our ancestors were actually very lacking
in the area of Jewish observance. They
largely assumed the pagan beliefs of their
Egyptian taskmasters and were bare of
mitzvot. What they did possess was a
fierce Jewish pride and a stubborn refusal
to identify themselves as Egyptians.
The Torah portion Shemos begins with
the words: “And these are the names (shemos) of the sons of Israel who came to
Egypt... Reuven, Shimon...” The Torah
mentions the names of the Tribes because
they played a pivotal role in the eventual
redemption from Egyptian exile. The Midrash says the Jews merited redemption
PHOTOGRAPHS: ILAN OSSENDRYVER
How important is the preservation of the
‘ethnic’ aspect of Judaism? I BY RABBI NAFTALI SILBERBERG