I distinctly remember choosing my Hebrew name.
Unusual, as baby namings always happen when you’re a newborn but I was the third child in my family—the last born—and as a result some rituals and expected milestones fell to the wayside. I only learned to ride a bike when I was 15.
I was five years old; watching The Prince of Egypt in the basement of my childhood home—the movie was my favourite (who am I kidding, I still love that movie and watch it every time Passover rolls around)—when my mom walked down the stairs and asked me what I wanted my Hebrew name to be.
I told her I wasn’t sure.
“What would you like it to be?” she responded. She needed to know for my enrollment in Hebrew school.
I couldn’t believe I was allowed to choose my own Hebrew name. I stared back at the TV, and looked at the cartoon characters I loved so much. I instinctively said, “Tzipporah.” She's Moses’s wife and I thought she was beautiful and strong.
“Tzipporah,” my mom repeated. She nodded with confirmation that it was a great choice.
The name coincidentally fits in with the Hebrew names of my parents—my mother’s is Yocheved, Moses’s mother, and my father’s is Aaron, Moses’s brother. We were the ancient family incarnate! But in all seriousness, it felt serendipitous.
Apart from what was featured in The Prince of Egypt, I didn’t know much about Tzipporah. I loved how in the film she was strong-willed and pushed Moses to be the leader he was meant to be. While she was at his side, she didn’t feel subservient to him. I saw her as Moses’s guiding light, walking in step with God; helping Moses navigate uncertain terrain.
When digging deeper into Tzipporah’s story, she’s mentioned sparingly in the Book of Exodus, but when she is mentioned her bravery shines. She’s the daughter of Jethro, the prince and priest of Midian and is not of Jewish ancestry—nevertheless, she helped Moses continue Jewish lineage.
While the movie takes liberties with Tzipporah’s story, I believe it captures her spirit.
In the Midrash, when Moses arrives in Midian and tells Jethro he’s fleeing from Pharaoh, he is thrown into a pit and left to die of starvation. But Tzipporah sympathizes with Moses and brings him food for 10 years. Finally, when he is released, he asks for Tzipporah’s hand in marriage, for she showed tremendous kindness in keeping him alive.
Another Midrash reading says that when Moses first arrives in Jethro’s home, Tzipporah immediately feels a deep love for him and asks her father if she could marry Moses.
There is another story where Tzipporah saves Moses again. When Moses, his wife and children leave Midian for Egypt, one night while they are staying at an inn, an angel of God comes to kill Moses as he had not circumcised their newborn son. Quickly, Tzipporah performs the circumcision and Moses is saved.
These ancient stories show a woman full of courage. It’s no surprise that my younger self was drawn to her—I’ve always loved learning about independent and fearless women in history, making their mark in a male-dominated world. I was most interested in school material that focused on feminism, and always loved learning about the female biblical characters in Hebrew studies.
Tzipporah’s name in Hebrew translates to bird—an image of freedom and hope. How fitting in the story of Exodus and how fitting in my own life, to be guided and encouraged by this ancient name to continue in the fight for causes that I hold dear in my own life. To fight for a better understanding of what it means to be Jewish, and to fight for gender equality and dignity for all people. In a world that endlessly wishes to divide us, it’s more important than ever to call on these core values that are also inherently Jewish values. As we sit down with loved ones for the Seder this year, let us reflect on how we as Jews can seek a more inclusive and compassionate world. These are ancient teachings that we must uphold, and I thank Tzipporah for showing me the way.
I distinctly remember choosing my Hebrew name.
Unusual, as baby namings always happen when you’re a newborn but I was the third child in my family—the last born—and as a result some rituals and expected milestones fell to the wayside. I only learned to ride a bike when I was 15.
I was five years old; watching The Prince of Egypt in the basement of my childhood home—the movie was my favourite (who am I kidding, I still love that movie and watch it every time Passover rolls around)—when my mom walked down the stairs and asked me what I wanted my Hebrew name to be.
I told her I wasn’t sure.
“What would you like it to be?” she responded. She needed to know for my enrollment in Hebrew school.
I couldn’t believe I was allowed to choose my own Hebrew name. I stared back at the TV, and looked at the cartoon characters I loved so much. I instinctively said, “Tzipporah.” She's Moses’s wife and I thought she was beautiful and strong.
“Tzipporah,” my mom repeated. She nodded with confirmation that it was a great choice.
The name coincidentally fits in with the Hebrew names of my parents—my mother’s is Yocheved, Moses’s mother, and my father’s is Aaron, Moses’s brother. We were the ancient family incarnate! But in all seriousness, it felt serendipitous.
Apart from what was featured in The Prince of Egypt, I didn’t know much about Tzipporah. I loved how in the film she was strong-willed and pushed Moses to be the leader he was meant to be. While she was at his side, she didn’t feel subservient to him. I saw her as Moses’s guiding light, walking in step with God; helping Moses navigate uncertain terrain.
When digging deeper into Tzipporah’s story, she’s mentioned sparingly in the Book of Exodus, but when she is mentioned her bravery shines. She’s the daughter of Jethro, the prince and priest of Midian and is not of Jewish ancestry—nevertheless, she helped Moses continue Jewish lineage.
While the movie takes liberties with Tzipporah’s story, I believe it captures her spirit.
In the Midrash, when Moses arrives in Midian and tells Jethro he’s fleeing from Pharaoh, he is thrown into a pit and left to die of starvation. But Tzipporah sympathizes with Moses and brings him food for 10 years. Finally, when he is released, he asks for Tzipporah’s hand in marriage, for she showed tremendous kindness in keeping him alive.
Another Midrash reading says that when Moses first arrives in Jethro’s home, Tzipporah immediately feels a deep love for him and asks her father if she could marry Moses.
There is another story where Tzipporah saves Moses again. When Moses, his wife and children leave Midian for Egypt, one night while they are staying at an inn, an angel of God comes to kill Moses as he had not circumcised their newborn son. Quickly, Tzipporah performs the circumcision and Moses is saved.
These ancient stories show a woman full of courage. It’s no surprise that my younger self was drawn to her—I’ve always loved learning about independent and fearless women in history, making their mark in a male-dominated world. I was most interested in school material that focused on feminism, and always loved learning about the female biblical characters in Hebrew studies.
Tzipporah’s name in Hebrew translates to bird—an image of freedom and hope. How fitting in the story of Exodus and how fitting in my own life, to be guided and encouraged by this ancient name to continue in the fight for causes that I hold dear in my own life. To fight for a better understanding of what it means to be Jewish, and to fight for gender equality and dignity for all people. In a world that endlessly wishes to divide us, it’s more important than ever to call on these core values that are also inherently Jewish values. As we sit down with loved ones for the Seder this year, let us reflect on how we as Jews can seek a more inclusive and compassionate world. These are ancient teachings that we must uphold, and I thank Tzipporah for showing me the way.