CARR 90 - Central Conference of American Rabbis

Father

QUESTION: A young woman whose father is Jewish and mother

Christian was raised as a Christian. Now as an adult she is in the process of converting to

Judaism and has gone through the formal conversion requirements. In choosing a Hebrew name

she would like to include the name of her father. Although he did not transmit Judaism to her,

she wishes to retain this family tie through her name. (Rabbi N. Cohen, St. Louis Park,

MN)ANSWER: It has long been customary to designate proselytes as ben

Avraham or bat Rut (Shulhan Arukh Even Hazer 129.20; I. Felder, Nahalat

Tzevi I,31,124 ff). This identifies the individual as a convert and provides a Jewish lineage

for someone who obviously does not possess it and proudly links her with Abraham, who,

according to the agadah was responsible for the first proselytes to Judaism or with Ruth,

an ancestor of David and so also a link to the Messianic Age. In this instance, matters

are a little different as the young lady does have a Jewish father, although he did nothing to

encourage her Judaism. It would be appropriate, therefore, to use his name in keeping with the

general emphasis within Judaism on family ties even when the bond is remote. For example, in

the case of an asufi or sh’tuki – foundlings whose parents were unknown or whose

father was unknown, one of the procedures suggested was the use of the name of the maternal

grandfather (Isserles to Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 139.3). We have

continued this emphasis on family ties and should encourage the young woman in this direction,

especially as there is nothing in tradition which demands the use of ben Avraham, the

proselyte or bat Rut.June 1985