אני קושית יפה/I’m a Cute Black Girl Pg 69

I have decided on my Hebrew name. When I hear the name in my head, my lips pull to the side, and I smile. Besides the meaning of the name being a true calling to me and being so rich in meaning, I do remember feeling a connection with my father’s older sister, who shares the name.

From the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Channah) meaning “favour, grace”, derived from the root חָנַן (chanan). In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren.

It truly is a beautiful name, although Channah in the Old Testament was baren, I hope that too is not the case with me. Although I am certain one day, I will adopt so I guess one way or another I will be a mother.

Next week I meet with the Beit Din and in front of a panel, who will decide on my Spiritual and Religious calling, I will be reading a Hebrew Verse from the Mishkan Tefilah and will have to answer a few questions that they throw at me. It does suck how a few people, who don’t know me all that much, will be deciding on my worthiness to call myself Jewish. Kinda funny that for most of my life I always did call myself Jewish and when someone questioned that, I stood with my dukes up ready to go to battle…not sure that will work next week, so I better polish up my reading and straighten my back to stand up right and as tall as possible.