Eliezer Cohen

[seadove]

I was reading the Wiki about Leonard Cohen and I came across Leonard's Jewish name. I don't know if this is true (it's the Wiki, you know). I am hoping that somebody here will confirm this.

Thanks

[Christiane]

Hi seadove,
The name Eliezer is mentioned in several biographies about LC, so it should be true.

Christiane

[MarieM]

Seadove, See Book of Longing, page 5 or 6. Leonard signs a poem Jikan Eliezer.

[seadove]

Thanks Marie & Christine.

I think that the time has come to pick up some books written by the great LC side by side with listening to his music.

[Susy]

ONE OF MY LETTERS
I corresponded with a famous rabbi
but my teacher caught sight of one of my letters
and silenced me.
" Dear Rabbi " I wrote him for the last time,
" I do not have the authority or understanding
to speak of these matters.
I was was just showing off.
Please forgive me.
Your Jewish brother, Jikan Eliezer ."
Book of Longing ... page 5

[frannyfoto]

What is the meaning of "Eliezer"?

[leonardmtl]

What is the meaning of "Eliezer"?

"Eliezer" is the Hebrew translation of "Leonard" - Jewish children were historically named in loving memory of a recently deceased relative ....... so Eliezer was one of Leonard's predeceased relatives ...it wouldn't be a stretch to hypothesize he was named after Lyon Cohen, his father's father and a pillar of the Montreal community- with Lyon the English translation of Eliezer.... .... to put it in series, Leonard ( or Lyon ) is the English translation of Eliezer-----the translation was entirely up to his parents.

Of course, it also could have been translated into English as Lazarus - Yup, our man could have been named ( in English) Lazarus Cohen ! a niice ring to it, don't you think!

Leonard ( Eliezer ) from Montreal

[Cate]

"Lazarus Cohen", I like it.
I think that it would suit Leonard well.

[HelenOE]

What is the meaning of "Eliezer"?

I did a little Googling. Apparently Eliezer means "God is help" and is very similar to Eleazar, which means basically the same thing (neither name would have been written with the vowel points originally,as far as I know). And Eleazar was a son of Aaron the priest, so you could take Eliezer/Eleazar as a family name that goes WAY back.

[seadove]

What is the meaning of "Eliezer"?

Eliezer are actually two words in Hebrew.

Eli Means "MY God"

Ezer means "help"

Both together means "With the help of God".

Emm..... I don't think that Eliezer means Leonard.

I think that Leonard is also two words.

I know that Leo is one of the horoscope symbol. I don't know from where "nard" comes from.

[musicmania]

According to Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_(name)

Leonard is a common English language masculine given name and a surname.

The given name and surname originate from the Old High German Leonhard containing the prefix levon ("lion") and the suffix hardu ("brave" or "hardy"). The name has come to mean "lion strength", "lion-strong", or "lion-hearted". It may also be from the Latin Leo ("lion"). Leonard was the name of a Saint in the Middle Ages period, known as the patron saint of prisoners.

Leonard is also an Irish origin surname, from the Gaelic O'Leannain, consisting of the prefix O ("descendant of") and the suffix Leannan ("lover"). The oldest public records of the surname appear in 1272 in Huntingdonshire, England, and in 1479 in Ulm, Germany.[

[HelenOE]

What is the meaning of "Eliezer"?

Emm..... I don't think that Eliezer means Leonard.

I think the tradition is just to have the Hebrew name and the non-Hebrew name begin with the same sound ("L" in this case). They don't have to mean the same thing.

[lizzytysh]

It looks like someone needs to add the Jewish information to wiki about "Leonard" and its origins. Unless I'm missing something in what's been said.

[seadove]

What I can't understand until now is that anyone can correct the wiki, hoping that the information given is nearly right. Lol.

[frannyfoto]

The Hebrew name "Eliezer" and the English name "Leonard" have nothing to do with each other. Sometimes Hebrew and English names are the same,
such as "Miriam" or "Rachel" or "David". In other cases, as in Leonard's Hebrew name, "Eliezer", there is no connection. In Hebrew he was most likely named after close deceased relatives.
Thank you so much for the translation "God is my help".
Fran
frannyfoto