Does Israel's name-change alter how we think about him? Did it alter how he thought about himself? Not only humans take on new names in Torah. God has many names, and they are used depending on the context. Here we have the name 'El Shaddai,' with the meaning of 'Shaddai' the subject of much speculation. (e.g., "God is enough.") What does it mean about God's relationship to humankind that God also goes through name changes?

An aside here: We live in a time when assumptions about the gender of a child based on physiology at birth are in question.

Another name change for one of the most important of Jewish ancestors. If we rewind a bit, we will find the first - from the first convert.

And when converts today join the tribe of Israel, they choose a new name. Some never use their English name again. Indeed, the rabbis of the Talmud forbid referring to Abraham by his pre-conversion name.

The same is true when LGBTQ people change names. 'Deadnames' are generally looked upon as something not to be spoken, because they do not accurately describe the person any longer - and because, like with Jewish converts (such as Abraham), they could make someone feel less than fully accepted.

Another category of names in the Torah is that of places.

We worship in a place called Beth-El, and we are surrounded by names of places of those who once lived here. Take Lake Atsion as an example. I had assumed it was based on Zion - but it was based on the name for the strong, cedar-colored stream which the Lenni-Lenape people called Atsayunk, or Atsiunc. Do you know of other place-names that have been forgotten? What occupied lands have you lived on?

There is clearly much intersectionality to the issue of name changes. African Americans have historically confronted the issue of slavery and their ancestor's names. What are some similarities and differences with the names of Jewish converts, LGBTQ people, and places taken from Indigenous cultures?