Question: I was never given a Jewish name. Can I choose one for myself?
Absolutely! Many people who were not given a Jewish name when they were children decide to take one on later in life.
Maybe you already have a name in mind, but if not there are lots of resources online (see here and here). You might choose a name that sounds like, or starts with, the same letter as your secular name. Some prefer a name that honors a loved one or a teacher or a biblical character that you admire. Sometimes, people choose names that say something about them personally.
In some ways this last category could be the most fun, something that you as an adult are choosing for yourself to reflect a part of your identity you want to claim. I know someone who took the name Faygele, which means “little bird” in Yiddish but was commonly a derogatory term for homosexuals, as a proud reclamation of their sexuality. Another friend took the name Wilde Chaye (“wild animal”), traditionally a term for someone who is out of control, as reclamation of a desirable wildness.
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Once you have chosen your name, the traditional way to adopt it is by using it to be called for an aliyah to the Torah. This gives the community the opportunity to recognize you answering to this name in a holy context. After the aliyah, a special prayer is sometimes recited where the name is affirmed and blessings are called down upon you.
Kohenet Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny is a writer, ritualist, musician, healer and teacher.
