The Denver Jewish news., 1924-03-06
AComedyinNomen.
cldture
BY SIDNEY S. KLUGER
Copyright 1921, Jewish Telesraphic
AUencvl

| stems, cast not such enviouS eyes upon
your compatriots sporting the proud ap-
pellations of Alan Dewitt and John
Eliot Mayhap it will give ye sclace
and even comfort if we impart to We
the secret that their ancestors like
yours missed the MayflOwer and it is
only during the past five years that
Abraham Cohen legally became Alan
De Witt and Jacob Cohen answers to
the name of John Eliot. SO if ye also
have found that ''the strange COM
binaticn has evoked laughter, sneers
and ridicule on numerous occasions and
have been embarrassed thereby it re-
mains within your power to become a
Pritchard, Carter, Dickson or perhance
an Eyton.
Changing ones cumbersome name to
keep abreast with the climb up the
professional and social ladder of sue
cess has entered into the category of
the commonplace during the past few
years in the United States, especially
in New York City. We might live
acToSs iHe Idll III tHe idsuiohapiS
Riverside Drive apartment Of Philip
Chapman and family and, by their so
cial position, aloofness. Pierce-Arrows
and Frenzy maids. take it for granted
that their ancestors must have sold
beads to the Indians on Manhattan
| Isle. We hasten to tell our friends
we left behind in Borough Park that
we live next door to real blue bloods."
Then one day stopped little man with
a beard and clothes not so fine and an
accent which at once betrays his for
eign birth raps at our door and asks
if his ''landsmann' Pishei Chapkowsky
lives here.
Most common among those in the
mad rush for IA change of ccgnOmen
are tine unfortunates who have been
I forced to struggle through life with
a surname such as Cohen, Goldstein
or Levy. They find the name "a
hindrance to their professional career"
or become greatly embarrassed by the
surname" We find that Robert Cohen
bttbIitS INoDf1l TNoHlt anu
Cohen is now Marcus, Coler: Max
Cohen decides on Max Lancet, and Her
man Cohen takes the Hebraic pro-
nounciaion of Caine while Benjamin
and Ida Cohen announce to their
friends that they are to be known as
benjamin and Ida Prince forever
after. Some Cohens show even better
taste and we now greet our old friend
Joseph Z. Cohen, by the distinctive
name of Joseph f. Sanchez. william
Cohen has cast off the yoke of Jew
ishness and is now William Williams.
! David Cohen is not to be left behind
and picks out David Anson Haagens.
Not half bad, is it? Nathan Cohen is
4 Nathan Pritchard; George Cohen is
George Carter. and Sara Stonehll we
are informed recently was Cohen.
And then we have those Cohens who
wish to add a little of the foreign
mot Russian, God Forbid. and we now
address Percy David Cohen as Percy
David deMatahla. Aired Cohen thinks
Alfred Samuel Il. deMasquita the most
suitable, while it is our opinion that
Katie Cohen picked "A winner in Cath
ryn Carylua. Sam Cohen thought that
the last name wouldn't be so bad with
Il few minor alterations but he Just
couldn't stand to go on any farther
with name like Sam. So Savianto
Calm is how he is known to the world
today.
e A favOrite change with the we'll
known Goldsteins is to Goldin or Cold
ing, they preserving the precious part
of their name Henry Goldstein de
cided to make even that sacrifice and
is now Henry Gerard and Joseph Gold
STEMS surname is Cecie. Giddng and
Lawrence are other favoritos of the
GoItlsteins. Then we have those who
show preference to Gould. Lowe and
Leeds seem to he the popular choice
with the numerous LevyS although
Joseph Behor Levy certainly cannot
be accused of being ordinary when he
chOseed Joseph Bernard DcCOrdOva
Arthur Levine deserves a hearty com
pliment in his choice of Lawton. Moses
IL surname which has history attached
to ii if anyone ever did. also can be
found in the scran heap having beer
discarded for Moss or Morse Finkel
stems have found it most convenient
to drop off the last syllable while the
Greenstens have been quick TO follow
suit. In this great "Americanization'
movement we also find the Hurwit2
and Horwitz clans showing marked
preference for Harris and Hart.
That while they are making the
crucial step they might as well change