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Sometime who in the past always went by his regular name, except in shul, and now wants to go by his Jewish name at work (due to becoming frummer), how should he make the transition? Someone who for the last five years at his work was known as John Goldberg now comes in and demands that everyone call him Yonasan. How do you do that?
I had the same problem when I became a mod. I just told everyone to start calling me 29.
What’s the big deal? Women, when they get married, often change their name upon marriage. And Corporate America is more than happy to accommodate their change and recognize them by their new name.
Last names aren’t first names. I have several Shabbos guests who have gone thru that process and it isn’t always easy. i would say first and foremost, you don’t demand anything, you ask. and don’t get hung up on it either or they may prefer not to call you anything. Just ask, use the name yourself, and in time it sticks.
would it be an issue if it’s not your legal name?
My grandchildren use their Hebrew names but have legal English names . So, their passports and medical insurance are in their English namesI know I’ll be criticized for saying this: it’s probably not a battle worth fighting.
Introduce yourself by your Hebrew name to all new people you meet; if you change jobs you can introduce yourself by your Hebrew name. But, if people have called you one thing for years in your workplace, it’s just not practical to switch it. You can change yourself when you become more religious, but you can’t change other people.
I think Neville is right about having people start calling you a different name.
Tell him he should follow the מנהג מגיד משנה ורב הירש
Yserbius123, most places people work are not Jewsish (unless you live in Lakewood) and thus cant tell them a Hebrew passuk as they wont understand it evenif you explain it.
NC +1
I dont understand why the name coworkers call him determines how frum a person is.
Even assuming there is an inyan to davka use a Hebrew/Jewish name in a work setting, ok so for now on use it. why does your frumkeit decrease if someone else calls Yonoson, JohnSpeak to a Rav. I made the transition socially, but not at work. Then I discovered how many rabbanim had secular names, and heard many shiurim that this isn’t as big a deal as I thought it was.
I’ve seen people go through this. Not at work specifically thought. Sometimes the person has told me directly other times I’ve heard it from others. By the way this also happens with non Jews. People with Muslim or Chinese names for example but it happens it lots of people. At first it may feel a little uncomfortable but I think most people are pretty understanding. It’s up to you how much of an explanation you want to give. But if you start wearing you tzitzis out for example and didn’t before people will probably get the hint. You deserve to be referred to by whatever name you feel most comfortable with.
If Robert wants people to start calling him Bob, he simply tells them and they do so without a big deal usually. So why should Jonathon wanting to now be called Yonason be any harder?
“At the time that he was born, the law was that everyone had to have an American name.”
I’m not a lawyer, but I find it hard to believe that there was ever a law like this.
“At the time that he was born, the law was that everyone had to have an American name”
Wow the stories people come up with. Just wow
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