The meaning of his name...

When we were searching for names, we wanted to honor our commitment and love of Judaism, family, Israel, and our passion for the multicultural world in which we live. His name (יהודה מתן) Judah Matan conveys just that.

Judah – means praised.

The name has very powerful connections to Judaism: In the Torah Judah was the fourth son of Leah and Jacob. He also was the ancestor of the Tribe of Judah. This tribe was the one that led the exodus from Egypt and formed the kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. This tribe was one of the strongest and is filled with important descendants and figures in Judaism, such as King David. It is said that the messiah will be a descendent from the tribe of Judah.

His name has a strong connection to David's family. It is an Ashkenazi Jewish tradition to name a baby after a deceased relative. The J in his name is after my Grandfather Jake. He was a very loving, playful and kind being. I fondly recall him referring to me as his “main man.” Now he is my "main man". He loved his family and made friends with people wherever he would go. Coincidentally your birth happened very close to the rememberance of Grampa Jakes life.

The Torah portion during your birth, Vayahi, is the last chapter of Genesis. The meaning of the word Vayahi is "Jacob lived". The chapter focuses on the life of Jacob and contains a poem he wrote to his sons as a farewell and prophecy.

In the Vayahi poem Jacob talks about the character of each of his sons. He speaks of Judah with the following traits:

9Judah is a lion’s whelp;
On prey, my son, have you grown.
He crouches, lies down like a lion,
Like the king of beasts—who dare rouse him?
10The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet;
So that tribute shall come to him
And the homage of peoples be his.

Judah is a strong name. The connection to the lion of the tribe of Judah is represented in many cultures and religions. The Ethiopian flag, the emblem of Jerusalem, a connection to Jesus, and Rastafari religion.

Matan – means gift.
This is an Israelis name that we love and connects him to a place that both Laura and David feel close. This name came to us easily and magically. We knew it was to be his as he is a gift to us.