What’s in a Name?

Each child shares what they know about their name; introduce the name-research idea.

Children wonder and discover; you facilitate more than you lecture.

• How did migration shape Jewish names?
• How is my family’s name-story connected to the larger Jewish story?

Jewish names carry history — places, jobs, nicknames, and the names of beloved relatives. Researching one’s name connects a child’s family to the whole Jewish journey.

• Shem Ivri — Hebrew name
• L’zecher — in memory of

“Why am I named after someone?”

Many Jews name children to honor a relative and carry their memory forward.

• Children learn name patterns reflect geography, occupation, and ancestors.
• Children prepare to research their own first, middle, last, and Hebrew names.

Honor all naming traditions, including those of converts, adoptees, and blended families.

Folktale. The Boy Who Gave His Name Away (Folktale) — a tale of how a name carries a whole family’s memory.

Changemaker. Ezra Jack Keats — born Jacob Katz, he changed his name facing antisemitism — a real story about names and belonging.

Whose history is hidden inside my name?

“We began exploring our names. Try at home: tell your child the full story behind each of their names.”