Israeli Law Would Prevent Parents From Giving Kids ‘Weird Names’

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kidsIsrael – A new law proposed by MK Zvulun Orlev (Bayit Yehudi), who is chairman of the Knesset Children’s Rights Committee, would prevent parents from giving their children “weird” or strange names that other children were likely to make fun of. The law would forbid parents from naming their children with names that “hurt their welfare or their feelings.”

The law, to be presented Sunday for the approval of the Ministerial Law Committee, would establish a “public names committee” which would include experts such as social workers, psychologists, and educators. They would confer with the relevant government ministries on “unacceptable” names that were likely, in their opinion, to cause children damage.

Names that could hurt the social standing, feelings, or welfare of children would be banned, and the Interior Ministry would be instructed not to accept them for registration.

The law states that “a person’s name has an important influence on how society and those around him look at him. A name is the most important asset that a person has. Judaism places great importance on a person’s name, and many people consult with rabbis before deciding what to name their children.”

Orlev said that while the law may at first glance seem somewhat invasive, it was by no means unique; a number of countries around the world, including Sweden, Portugal, Norway, and Peru, to name just a few, had laws preventing parents from giving their children “negative” names.

“This law is an excellent balance between parents’ free choice in what to name their children and the extreme cases that require the law to get involved, since without involvement a youth could suffer immeasurable damage. Often parents are not aware of the problems with the names they choose and need advice to come to a deeper understanding of the meaning and cultural aspects of a name,” Orlev said.

Read more: Arutz Sheva

{Arutz Sheva/Matzav.com Newscenter}


11 COMMENTS

  1. Was just about to post about ‘Nimrod’

    In Israel if you add the word ‘Eli’ before any three other letters or the ‘Ran’ after any other three letters, you have a name. Try it!

  2. #2, learn Tanach. This was once very common (also “yahu” or, alternatively, “ya”).

    In any case, it would seem that it would depend on the child’s immediate group. If he later takes a different path it is a simple matter to change it. He can even change every seven years.

  3. weirdest name i came across? The abbreviation of “Baruch Haba Melech Ha’mashiach. (behaima) And this was a girls name…

  4. Interesting to note, the Chazon Ish (or maybe it was the Steipler) said not to give a child a strange name (since it would cause them social problems as youngsters).

  5. They will try to outlaw all Yiddish names so that children should have free choice to go off the derech ch”v without being embarrassed of their names.
    Nimrod will certainly not be on the outlawed names list.

  6. Ministery of absorbtion would not recognize dOvid as a Jewish Name -only dAvid. Who are they to tell us what to name our kids? They said Dovid does not correlate phonetically with its hebrew counterpart?????? I had to get the U.S embassy to recognize dovid whixcjh they did graciously and then go back to the Jewish ministry to get another teudot Zehut!!!! Crazy!!!

  7. #8, Waiting for Moshiach – Didn’t think of that but it makes, unfortunately, sense with all that’s happening nowadays. Really, really is the days of Moshiach! Otherwise, why would it be anyone’s business besides the family itself! The velt is upside down.

  8. See Rashi to Parshas Bereshis. Yuval! Do the Israelis learn Rashi or just flip open a page in Chumash and pick a name?

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