Jewish Teacher/student named Adonai

[Anonymous]

I know someone named Adonai (AA) whose parents didn't know the meaning. The person didn't learn what it meant until HS when another friend's mom refused to use her name and called her Addi. She looked into the meaning of the name and has used Addi ever since then.

Perhaps this student will have a nickname as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Separation of church and state. Your religion shouldn't dictate this child's being called by her NAME in school.

SERIOUSLY

Maybe in France, but the US has significant workplace protections for religious accommodations. (not saying that the OP's particular situation would be covered, but the separation of church and state refers to the state imposing religious beliefs or practices on citizens).

But this would be the teacher imposing her religious beliefs on the student, unfairly.

UNICEF says "the right to a name and nationality is one of the most fundamental human rights" and this woman is trying to take that from this child....

DP. I disagree that the teacher would be imposing her religious beliefs on the student. The teacher is remotely requiring/encouraging the student to do anything connected to Judaism. The teacher is merely trying to not violate her religious beliefs.

And what UNICEF says is quite frankly irrelevant in terms of US laws.

[Anonymous]

You can abbreviate her name when you write it, and you can certainly pronounce it - there is no violation on pronouncing it. Why don't you just start calling everyone Mr. or Miss [last name]. You want to avoid treating her differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Separation of church and state. Your religion shouldn't dictate this child's being called by her NAME in school.

SERIOUSLY

Maybe in France, but the US has significant workplace protections for religious accommodations. (not saying that the OP's particular situation would be covered, but the separation of church and state refers to the state imposing religious beliefs or practices on citizens).

But this would be the teacher imposing her religious beliefs on the student, unfairly.

UNICEF says "the right to a name and nationality is one of the most fundamental human rights" and this woman is trying to take that from this child....

DP. I disagree that the teacher would be imposing her religious beliefs on the student. The teacher is remotely requiring/encouraging the student to do anything connected to Judaism. The teacher is merely trying to not violate her religious beliefs.

And what UNICEF says is quite frankly [/b]irrelevant in terms of US laws[b].

It’s basic human decency to call a person by their name.

But if you get technical, it’s also US law that a child has a legal name chosen by her parents. Her teacher has no standing to object to the child’s name under US law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Separation of church and state. Your religion shouldn't dictate this child's being called by her NAME in school.

SERIOUSLY

Maybe in France, but the US has significant workplace protections for religious accommodations. (not saying that the OP's particular situation would be covered, but the separation of church and state refers to the state imposing religious beliefs or practices on citizens).

But this would be the teacher imposing her religious beliefs on the student, unfairly.

UNICEF says "the right to a name and nationality is one of the most fundamental human rights" and this woman is trying to take that from this child....

DP. I disagree that the teacher would be imposing her religious beliefs on the student. The teacher is remotely requiring/encouraging the student to do anything connected to Judaism. The teacher is merely trying to not violate her religious beliefs.

And what UNICEF says is quite frankly [/b]irrelevant in terms of US laws[b].

It’s basic human decency to call a person by their name.

But if you get technical, it’s also US law that a child has a legal name chosen by her parents. Her teacher has no standing to object to the child’s name under US law.

The teacher is not objecting to the child's name. She is objecting to using the name if it violates her own religion. And please point me to the US law that says a teacher must use a child's name.

[Anonymous]

And if the child's name was "Fucq" would you still want the teacher using the name?

The teacher is uncomfortable using a name due to her religion. She asked a question and does not need to be jumped on for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it a lot different than the spanish name Jesus? I know we'd probably pronounce that differently, so maybe it's not the same.

How often do teachers really say a student's name, actually? I'd not get worked up over it and just use other ways to get her attention, or call on her, etc.

It's different because Christians use Jesus's name outside of prayer all the time. There isn't the same reverence for the name of God in Christianity that there is in Judaism.

Having said that, if you were so religious that you couldn't have uttered this name outside of prayer, you wouldn't have been able to write it either. But you did, in your title. So, I have to say that this isn't that you actually feel that your religion forbids it, you are just offended that this parent chose this name and want to make a point. You can't do that at the expense of the child's self esteem.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to this thread I am reminded that religion is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a lot different than the spanish name Jesus? I know we'd probably pronounce that differently, so maybe it's not the same.

How often do teachers really say a student's name, actually? I'd not get worked up over it and just use other ways to get her attention, or call on her, etc.

It's different because Christians use Jesus's name outside of prayer all the time. There isn't the same reverence for the name of God in Christianity that there is in Judaism.

Having said that, if you were so religious that you couldn't have uttered this name outside of prayer, you wouldn't have been able to write it either. But you did, in your title. So, I have to say that this isn't that you actually feel that your religion forbids it, you are just offended that this parent chose this name and want to make a point. You can't do that at the expense of the child's self esteem.

This.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are getting fired left and right for refusing to call trans students by their names and saying "it's against my religion" (usually 'Christian') to call them their chosen trans name. OP sounds like she's headed toward that. You can't decide it's against your religion to call someone their name. Especially their legal, given name. SHE DIDN'T PICK THIS NAME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone named Adonai (AA) whose parents didn't know the meaning. The person didn't learn what it meant until HS when another friend's mom refused to use her name and called her Addi. She looked into the meaning of the name and has used Addi ever since then.

Perhaps this student will have a nickname as well.

This is so sad and dehumanizing. Poor girl had to change her name just to appease one person, I can’t imagine asking anyone to change their name or assigning a nickname/refusing to say somwone’s actual name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are getting fired left and right for refusing to call trans students by their names and saying "it's against my religion" (usually 'Christian') to call them their chosen trans name. OP sounds like she's headed toward that. You can't decide it's against your religion to call someone their name. Especially their legal, given name. SHE DIDN'T PICK THIS NAME.

Which is why the OP is probably a right wing troll trying to flip the story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just going to call my rabbi. I should have know better. Thank you , by the way to those that at least put themselves in my position before sharing. I do appreciate that. I have rights too, you know.

As a Jew, I'd have a problem with it too. Maybe you can shorten it to a cute nickname, like "Adi," and then so the same with a few other students so she's not singled out. I have a name with a few different derivatives, and I've been called by them all.

[Anonymous]

Judaism does not prohibit writing the Name of G-d per se; it prohibits only erasing or defacing a Name of G-d. However, observant Jews avoid writing any Name of G-d casually because of the risk that the written Name might later be defaced, obliterated or destroyed accidentally or by one who does not know better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Judaism does not prohibit writing the Name of G-d per se; it prohibits only erasing or defacing a Name of G-d. However, observant Jews avoid writing any Name of G-d casually because of the risk that the written Name might later be defaced, obliterated or destroyed accidentally or by one who does not know better.

Interesting. So what would an observant Jew think about OP using the name at issue in the thread title, given that she likely knew there was a possibility that Jeff would ultimately delete this thread due to the controversy it may cause. Would that fall in the "destroyed accidentally" category?