Some Hebrew First Names Originate In Holidays
By BETTY PROVIZER STARKMAN
The practice of adapting
Hebrew first names from our special
holidays began in the early Middle
Ages. Pessach, Pesah or Yom Toy
were names given to boys born
during Passover. Girls born at Purim
were called Esther while boys were
named Mordechai. Rahamim
(meaning "mercy") was sometimes
chosen for males born on Yom
Kippur. Shabtai, Shabi and Shabbat
were names given to boys born on
the Sabbath. In later years, some of
these given names became
surnames.
We received a very scholarly
and witty letter from Mr. Kafetz of
Toronto, Canada. He requested
further evidence that the famous
Vilna Gaon used the surname
Cheifetz. After searching many
resources (many of which were also
used by Mr. Kafetz), we found no
additional proof.
In his 1935 book Di
Familiennamen der Juden in
Deutschland, Gerhard Kessler
referred to Cheifetz/Heifetz/Keyfetz
as a surname used in the Middle
Ages. In A Dictionary of Jewish
Names, by Benzion C. Kaganoff, we
found that "Heifetz" is a family
name derived from Hefetz which
means desire or delight. It was
formerly a popular first name among
Eastern Jews.
Mrs. Joseph Kuttner of
Cleveland, Ohio inquired about the
origin of her family name. In
Yiddish/German, "Kuttner" means
Celebrate Sukkot
With Fruit Recipes
jeto
/14
Do you have a favorite kosher
recipe? Each month in this space,
L'Chayim will print kosher recipes
that the whole family can prepare
together. To contribute to the
column, type your recipe on 8 1/2x11"
paper and send it to L'Chayim,
The Jewish News, 20300 Civic
Center Dr., Southfield 48076.
This month's recipes were
contributed by Gina Horwitz of West
Bloomfield (Apple Cobbler) on
behalf of her mother, Berta Wesler
of West Hartford, Conn., and Anita
Sudakin of Birmingham (Red Fruit
Sauce).
Apple Cobbler
/2 cup sugar
/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 /4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
4 cups apples, peeled and thinly
sliced
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 /4 tsp. salt
1 well-beaten egg
1 /2 cup evaporated milk or Coffee
Rich
1 /3 cup melted margarine
1
1
Cinnamon Mixture:
Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp.
cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
Grease 8-inch square pan or 2-quart
round casserole dish. Place apples
in pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon
mixture.
Sift dry ingredients. Combine
assistant to a schechter or
slaughterer. The Central Archives for
the History of the Jewish People in
Jerusalem has a family tree and
records from the year 1846 for the
family Kuttner.
The family Kapurenik adopted
their name from an interesting
source. Kapurenik, a surname of
Hebrew origin, describes an
occupation. The Kapurenik was the
person entrusted with the
preparation of the "kapore hen" for
the Day of Atonement.
Muchnik/Mucnik is a name of
Slavic origin meaning "flour trader."
Magid/Magidson/Magidov/Magg-
id are names also of Hebrew origin,
describing the occupation of
"maggid" or "preacher." Chapter 2
of The Unbroken Chain by Dr. Neil
Rosenstein connects the Maggid
family on a tree to the
Katzenellenbogen family. This
rabbinical clan lived in Poland,
Russia and Lithuania.
A house in the Frankfort ghetto
bore the sign of a unicorn (Einhorn
in Yiddish/German). From this sign
the family name Einhorn was born.
The Hebrew nickname Yaqir
meaning "dear" was the source of
the family name Jakir/Jakirov.
Ephron is a garbled Yiddish
version of the patronymic names
Ephrom or Ephraim.
Primak in White Russian means
"foster child" or "husband in his
wife's family." This surname is
associated with the old European
Jewish custom of "Kest." Kest
assured a young scholar of room
and board in the home of his father-
in-law as long as he continued his
studies in Torah.
Garfunkel/Garfinkel is of Yiddish
origin and means "garnet." When
names were adopted this was
considered a very beautiful and
valuable surname.
Betty Provizer is the past president
and founder of the Jewish
Genealogical Society of Michigan.
egg, milk, margarine with beater.
Add dry ingredients and mix until
smooth. Pour over apples. Sprinkle
with remaining 1/4 cup nuts. Bake at
325 degrees for 55 minutes.
Excellent if served warm. Freezes
well.
Red Fruit Sauce
2 10-oz. packages frozen sweetened
raspberries, thawed
1 10-oz. package frozen sweetened
strawberries, thawed
3 tbsps. cornstarch
1 /2 cup cranberry juice cocktail
In blender, whirl the undrained
berries until liquefied. Pour through
a fine mesh strainer to remove
seeds. In medium saucepan, stir
together the cornstarch and
cranberry juice cocktail until
smooth; add the strained liquefied
fruit. Cook over moderate heat,
stirring constantly, until clear,
thickened and boiling; continue to
boil, stirring for 3 minutes. Taste,
and adjust flavoring with fresh
lemon juice if desired.
Turn into a bowl; lightly place
plastic wrap directly on top of
mixture to keep a film from forming.
Chill. Serve atop fresh seasonal
fruits such as melons, peaches,
berries or ripe pears or atop ice
cream.
The sauce can be made in
advance and keeps in the
refrigerator for one week. Serve as
an accompaniment to honey cake or
cookies.
AUDIO CASSETTES
Living Hebrew and Shalom Yeladim (Hello Children),
both at Spitzer's. David Sings and Gadi Plays; Kol
B'Rama Nishma, Ron Sason; Dance, Dance, Dance With
Neginah Vol. I; Tic-Tac, Chaim Zadok; Shiras Halviyim;
Shabbos on My Mind, Moshe Yess; Hakhel es Ha'am, Kol
Simcha; Suki and Ding Present a Taste of Shabbos; A
Time for Music, Mordechai Ben David, Avraham Fried and
Yoel Sharabi; My Father's Prayer, Chazan Yechezkel
Moshe Berry; The Magic of the Klezmer, Giora Feidman;
Yadayim L'Mala (Hands Up), all at Borenstein's.
BOOKS
Shake a Palm Branch by Miriam Chaikin; The Art-
Scroll Sukkot Machzor; My Blessings for Food, all at
Spitzer's and Borenstein's. ArtScroll Tehillim (new transla-
tion); My First Learn and Do Jewish Holiday Book, Rifka
Gootel; This Land of Liberty; Being Torah,Joel Grishaver;
Judaism and the World's Religions, David Bamberger; The
Great Hadassah Cookbook; Torah and Existence, Dr.
Chaim Zimmerman; The Burning Bush,Barnet Litvinoff;
Jesters,David Markish; Kabbalah, Moshe ldel, all at
Borenstein's. The Little Midrash Says — The Book of
Vayikra; The Big Sukkah, Peninnah Schram; My Very Own
Sukkot and My Very Own Simchat Torah, Kar-Ben Copies;
The Yanov Torah; Let's Build a Sukkah; Simchat
Torah,Norma Simon; The Wonder of Becoming You, Dr.
Miriam Grossman; Sing and Celebrate, Elaine Serling, all
at Spitzer's.
Spitzer's is located at 21770 W. 11 Mile, Southfield.
Borenstein's is located at 25242 Greenfield, Oak Park.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
L-7