Where does your super awesome and unique-sounding name come from?
When my mom was pregnant with me she read the book Exodus by Leon Uris (not the one in the Bible although that one is also very good.) Out of all the characters in the book, one of them stood out to her. The character is a Zealot Zionist Jewish Freedom Fighter named Ari Ben Caanan. He is the typical male hero of any book. Rippling muscles, reckless courage, and passionate patriotism for the cause of Israel. I guess she wanted her future daughter to embody these qualities.
Did you ever read the book Exodus?
I did read the book for the first time when I was 16 during my Jewish History phase. I fell in love with the epic story of the founding of a nation…and let’s be honest with Ari Ben Caanan’s character. The book has been on my top 5 favorites ever since I read it.
Does anyone mistake you for a young Jewish boy?
Yes… all the time. The question I get asked the most is “Is your name short for something?” This is because the name “Ari” is pretty much exclusively for males while names like “Ariella” “Ariel” and “Ariana” are much more typical for females. I love responding to people’s questions though because it requires me to bring up the book Exodus which encourages people to read more which is one of my callings in life.
What does the name Ari mean in Hebrew?
Somewhat unclear since I don’t speak Hebrew but I’m pretty sure it means Lion which is kind of awesome and amazing.
Have you ever met another person who was bizarrely named after the same obscure book about the founding of Israel?
Yes. When I was 15 I met one of my best friends whose name is Jordana. In the book Exodus, Ari Ben Caanan has a sister named Jordana Ben Caanan. When I asked if she was named after the book she said she was! We became Jewish siblings that day and whenever we see each other we pretend to know Hebrew and say the words “Shabbat Shalom” constantly even when it’s not the sabbath.
Has your name ever caused problems for you when attempting to travel to the country of Israel?
Absolutely. I traveled to Israel with a group of 40 people. Three of us were thoroughly questioned before we even left the United States. They questioned me for 45 minutes about where I lived, the people I hung out with, where I attended school, and if I had ever left the country. I was superbly confused until they started asking questions like, “Why do you have a Hebrew name?” I then realized that my name was freaking them out because it could mean all sorts of weird things. They were deeply confused about why my mom would give me a Hebrew name when I was clearly some kind of German, Danish, British mix. I tried to tell them that in America people are unhinged when it comes to baby names and that there are no rules. They didn’t buy it and continued to question me concerning any friendships I had with people in Syria or Jordan. Following the rigorous questioning they had to go through all my things and make sure I wasn’t hiding any kind of miniature bomb in my shoe. They also stuck a safety officer on the plane seated next to me just to be safe. It was quite the ordeal.
Did you bring your copy of Exodus with you to Israel?
Yes, I read it again while traveling through the Israeli desert, the dead sea, Old Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilea, Judea, and Samaria, and the old City of David. While praying at the Western Wall I tore out a small piece of paper from my copy and left it there in the land it was written about.
What about your other super awesome middle name Anne? Where does that come from?
My grandmother’s middle name was Ann… so my mom gave it to me as my middle name to honor family and be traditional… but my mom has a small rebellious attitude that displays itself occasionally. Instead of the boring spelling of Ann… she decided to add an “e” at the end in honor of Anne Shirley of Green Gables. So yes Anne Shirley and I are basically the same person.
How do you feel being named after two of the greatest books written of all time?
I think my mom was possessed by some spiritual/inspirational/mythical force when she named me because she never knew I would turn out to be such a reader and that those two books in particular would shape a large part of who I am. I could not love being named after books more. I love comparing myself to two great characters who are a part of what I do and who I am.
