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ArchivesRe: Perl and Augusta
in reply to a message by Sara Ruth
The official Yiddish spelling of Pearl seems to be Perle. Perl would be sort of a halfway form between the two.
The custom in Ashkenazic Jewish families is for children to be given an "English" name which starts with the same letter as their Hebrew name used in the synagogue. If this woman was born in the USA, she may very well have been Paula or Pauline when she was interacting with the "American Gentile" world but Perl or Perle within her own family.
The custom in Ashkenazic Jewish families is for children to be given an "English" name which starts with the same letter as their Hebrew name used in the synagogue. If this woman was born in the USA, she may very well have been Paula or Pauline when she was interacting with the "American Gentile" world but Perl or Perle within her own family.
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True enough, as I understand it from my Jewish friends, but Hebrew isn't Yiddish and it's my impression that the "Hebrew name used in the synagogue" actually has to be Hebrew - and, if possible, biblical - for instance, I know a Jackie who was married under the name of Yael, to a Denis who became David for the occasion. But he wouldn't have had two non-Hebrew names; there wouldn't be any point.
Indeed, a lot of the (South African) Jews I know have only got one given name - an English one - and then their Hebrew name can double as a middle name for religious purposes. Sometimes it translates their English name - Ann = Chana - so it would seem odd to put it on official English-language documents, or so I've been told.
Indeed, a lot of the (South African) Jews I know have only got one given name - an English one - and then their Hebrew name can double as a middle name for religious purposes. Sometimes it translates their English name - Ann = Chana - so it would seem odd to put it on official English-language documents, or so I've been told.
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