Two Sides of the Family--One Building

So true.

One of the reasons like Diane is that she likes bling.

I've been thinking of differences between people in my life.

I have figured out that I am a hedonist. And bling is a followup.

I'm largely sans bling. I have a plain gold wedding band, and a slightly (but not very) blingy diamond engagement ring (worn on the other hand, Euro-style).

Right now I have zero other jewelry on.

I tend to get one necklace and then stay with it. The prototype was a gold charm necklace, one of a pair given to me and my cousin by her mom, my aunt, who had just won a major award (OK, a Caldecott). My cousin and I treasured our respective necklaces. I wore it every day for a year, two years -- a long time, but I was young so I'm not sure how long it actually was. (I'm thinking five years, now, but that doesn't work out right age-wise.) At some point it broke, and was gone. The same thing happened to my cousin. We both remember our necklaces fondly.

After that I tried to replicate it -- many gold necklaces, many charms, nothing quite worked. I'd usually wear them nonstop for a few years.

In high school, I wore one always but often many more in addition, making a tangle of fine (not thick) gold and silver chains, maybe a leather cord or two.

About four years ago, sozlet got me a silver Ganesh pendant which I love. I made a necklace for it out of small turquoise beads and wore it ever since. The necklace broke about a month ago, but I felt it and caught it -- it's been in my purse ever since. I need to restring it.

But I've had a bare neck for about a month, which I kind of like.

Seems to me, soz, that if you're always wearing a necklace, you're not blingless. You're just not fussy.

And now you're sans necklace. Oh, the horror.

Great read, Roberta - fascinating family history. Thanks for sending me the link.

Now I understand why your eyes honed in on my ring Fellow bling sista! I love bling - didn't used to care at all, but a few years ago, I started to. Lots of blingy costume stuff and a few good pieces.

Back to your writings - love your photos. How fabulous that you have them. The horrors of the muggings and hatred against Jews made my skin crawl, but the love in your family gave me the warm fuzzies. I think I love your grandpa and father best. You have a lot to cherish, m'dear. And you are a feisty lady. So glad we got to meet - twice. Thanks for making the effort.

You read the whole thing? Saintly.

Yes, attracted to bling. Your ring is a stunner.

Feisty? Moi? If you say so. Who am I to argue? (Poor Thomas.)

Many moons ago when I first started this thread, I threatened to discuss a confusing name situation in the family. I ultimately decided that it was too complicated.

To hell with complicated. I'm gonna discuss it anyway--now. You may not find this all that scintillating. But pay attention. You may be tested at the end.

Every Jewish person I know, and probably a whole bunch I don't know, has a Jewish name (actually Hebrew, I think). This is not necessarily the name on their legal birth certificate. It may appear only on a Jewish birth certificate issued by a rabbi.

The name known to the English-speaking world and the name that appears on the birth certificate is derived from the Jewish name. For example, my eccentric aunt's Jewish name was Hannah Basha. Her legal name: Bessie. My maternal grandfather's Jewish name: Herschel Velvel; legal name: Harry Willie. My maternal grandmother's Jewish name: Libba Golda. Legal name: Lizzie Goldie.
When she died, I remember hearing my mother on the phone with the funeral director. Her name is not Elizabeth. It's Lizzie. Her legal name is Lizzie. Despite this, when we got to the funeral parlor, the name on the placard said Elizabeth.

My father's Jewish name was Avram Itzak--Abraham Isidore. His family called him Irving, a name that substituted for Isidore back in the old days. Actually they called him Oiving, but that's another story.

For many years, my father thought that his legal name was Isidore Abraham. Then he had to get his birth certificate. No birth certificate for an Isidore Abraham, but there was one for Abraham Isidore.



Every legal and official document he had signed in his entire life he signed as Isidore Abraham. And sometimes he signed Irving. What to do?

I encountered a bunch of affidavits from people who had known him a long time. The person Isidore Abraham is the same person as Abraham Isidore. And the person known as Isidore Abraham is the same person as Irving. Affidavit after affidavit. He changed his name legally to Isidore Abraham. The affidavits made me laugh. To complicate matters further, when he started working for the Post Office, they knew him as Isidore. So everyone there called him Izzy. A phone call for Izzy. Who the hell is that?

My Uncle Ally turned out to be my Uncle Carl. Alfred Carl was legally Carl Alfred. He had to change his name legally too.

It's not uncommon to use the second Jewish name as the first name in English (Hannah Basha = Bessie).

Not gonna test you. Not sure it's interesting. But it's been on my mind. Why? Dunno.

You should all live and be well. I gotta get back to work.

What's in a name? That which we call Oiving by any other -

would smell as sweet.

Fascinating! May I ask, do you have a different Jewish name as well?

(I couldn't imagine you as anything but a Roberta after all this time.)

Eva, A long time ago in a galaxy far away, a galaxy called abuzz, the subject of my name came up.

From that time to this, I've been called Roboita, Raboita, Raboida, Boita, Boida, and Boidy.

So, if you want to know my Jewish name (and, yes, I do have one), you'll have to come to my funeral. I'm sure that the rabbi will mention it. In other words, you'll find out my Jewish name over my dead body.

I don't mean to be rude. And you actually call me Roberta. If you like, I'll send you a PM to reveal my Jewish name. Can I trust you? I think so.

Oh, and Robbie..

osso, I didn't forget that you call me Robbie. But it isn't because of the Abuzz incident. So I didn't mention it.

Ah, I flaked on that.

To be honest, I think I've called you "Boida" a number of times. That was out of affection for what I'd like to think your name sounds like with a Noo Yawk accent. In truth, I always think of you as "Roberta."

IRL, my hubby's name is Robert. You're one of the very few I've ever known with the feminine form of that name.

I know that most people call me one of those names out of affection. I appreciate it. And reading it isn't nearly the same as hearing it.

I'm named after my paternal grandfather: Maier Reuven. Legal name: Robert