After many sleepless nights and several discussions (with too many people), we decided to call our son Jonah – who, like his name, shall be a dove. The original Jonah was the son of truth (literally, the son of Amitai), and without bestowing too much of a burden on Little One, we hope that as he embarks on all of life’s journeys that he can bring peace and truth to the world and to all who are fortunate enough to know him.
In giving our son his name we wanted to pay tribute to those who have come before us and give Little Jonah the inspiration to carry this legacy into the future.
In calling our son Jonah we recall two of his great grandparents - Yudel Mark (Mirm’s maternal grandfather) and Yossel Bryfman (David’s paternal grandfather).
The name Mark is Mirm’s mother's maiden name, and so naming our son Jonah Mark Bryfman became a way for us to recognize the lineages of both families.
The Hebrew name for our son, which we formally announced at his bris, is “Yonah Mendel ben (son of) David ve (and) Miriam.” Mendel is the name of David’s maternal grandfather and the first husband of his beloved Buba (grandmother) Zina. The name Mendel is actually a Yiddish name, but it was important for us to recognize the role that Yiddish language and culture has played in both of our families. In fact, when our two families met, it was amazing to witness the power that Yiddish had in bridging the divide between Memphis and Melbourne.
At 8 days old it's difficult to really know what Jonah understands and doesn’t fully comprehend. For both Mirm and me the bris was difficult yet important. Just as he'll have the permanent physical marker of this occasion, we hope that his name can also carry forward the love that was bestowed upon him by so many people on this day from all around the world.
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