View Message

I don't believe any of the Cohens I know follow this rule and I've met a lot of them. It all depends whether a person views the name as a surname or a religious belief, and I don't think parents have to be responsible that no one in the world is offended by their child's name. I grow up in a primarily Jewish neighborhood and I can tell you that people would take the situation very lightly. It is much better if the parents are honoring a Cohen by first or last name, but many people just see it as a common surname and do not make a religious connection. There are so many people who have the name Cohen and do not practice Judaism accordingly. Your name's not going to please everyone. There are people out there who don't think I should name my daughter Eve because Eve committed the first sin in the bible, and there are many people out there who don't think I should name my daughter Roxanne because she was a prostitue in Moulin Rouge. Now I could give a million reasons why I actually can interpret these associations in a good way, but I'm not going to bother at the moment. Should parents be called to justify every time they use a name that to some people may be offensive? As long as it's not blatently in your face meant to offend you, I wouldn't get bent out of shape about it.