I am totally perplexed and I am sure that a knowledgable JewishGenner will have
the answers.

1. Why are Jewish children (early 20th centure) named Manuel? Is this different

from Emanuel?

2. My "Jewish" name is Pessie Genendel bat Noah. I have three cousins, named for
the same women, with entirely different English names. One is my grandfather's
mother (Genendel) and one was my grandmother's mother (Pessie).

3. I have an uncle whose daughter insists that her father, Benjamin, had the
Jewish names of Pessie Genendel. Now comes the confusion. Genendel (my uncle's
grandmother) was still alive when he was born! My grandmother was Eastern
European (Ukraine) who, I believe, would never name one of her children after
her mother-in-law (Genendel) while the woman was alive.

Benjamin was born in 1911. Genendel died in 1922. In addition, would a man,
Benjamin, be given a woman's name, Pessie, rather than a male equivalent or
kinnui?

Brenda Freedland Pangborn
Bingham Farms, MI

Searching: FREEDLAND - Kiyev, Zhytomir
Mordechai Halevi FAXSTEIN and SHATZKIN- SHATSKY- SHATZKIS - Radomyshl and Zhytomir

It sounds to me like your cousin is making a mistake. Even though Jewish and
secular names do not have to relate in any way (even when the secular name is of
biblical origin), it seems mighty far-fetched that a Benjamin should have a
Jewish name of Pessie Genendel.

One possible source of confusion is the custom that, when praying for a sick
person, they are referred to by their mother's name (e.g. Yitzhaq ben Sarah)
rather than their father's name (e.g. Yitzhaq ben Avraham). Someone hearing
this may misinterpret a part of this as if it were the person's Jewish name.

But this is only speculation, and the only real proof would be a document listing
his actual Jewish name. (birth, brit, ketubah, etc.)


....... Tom Klein, Toronto


PS. a friend of mine, officially named "Emanuel" (in both English and Hebrew),
prefers to be known as "Manny", but is otherwise quite satisfied with his Hebrew
name.