How do Jews pronounce the name Abraham / Avraham?? This is part of a new series – How to Speak “Jewish”! Share in the comments your ideas and/or needs down in the comments! Which words or phrases trip you up?
In Hebrew, Abraham becomes Avraham אַבְרָהָם. The b and v are sibling sounds and are often used interchangeably when switching from Hebrew to English. Av אָב means “father,” and Avraham is generally considered to mean “father of many” or “exalted father.”
Avraham is a very common male Jewish/Hebrew name both inside Israel and in the Jewish diaspora. You can find the story of Avraham and how his name was changed by G-d from Avram / Abram to Avraham / Abraham in the Biblical book of Bereshit / Genesis.
Avraham is also used as the “father” part of a Jewish convert’s Hebrew name. A full Hebrew name is always in the format of NAME ben/bat (son/daughter of) Avraham v’Sarah (Abraham and Sarah), though only one “parent” might be used with your name for a particular purpose. For example, the father’s name for calling to the Torah, but the mother’s name for praying for healing. So a female would be “bat Avraham,” and a male “ben Avraham.” Check out my videos for a video on how to pronounce Sarah Jewishly!
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