The Atlantic revisits the case of a Muslim Jordanian child whose parents named him Yitzhak Rabin in 1996, though they didn’t manage to do so without a fight:
The state registrar initially refused to give the infant a Jewish name, but changed its position after the Interior Minister said the request was legal.
[The boy’s father, Rajai] Saeed reportedly lost his job on a farm when he tried to name his son after Rabin.
Lest we be quick to rag on Jordanian naming restrictions, Israel has also found itself in a curious position over baby naming. After a brief dispute in 2003, the Interior Ministry branch in Hadera allowed an Israeli Arab couple to name their child Saddam Hussein.
Of course, not every unique baby naming in the land of Israel — or in honor of Israeli officials — has been met with controversy: In 1938, a baby girl born on an Egged Bus in Palestine was given a free lifetime pass on Egged busses. Her name: Eggedah.
And then there was the Togolese named Moshe. The 1968 JTA headline says it all: “Prominent Citizens of Togo name their children after personalities in Israel.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
