Hello, My Name is Zilpah, The Drooping One
Named after my great-aunt Zelda, my mother thought it was a good name to give me. I've been having some thoughts on the subject. Like maybe changing this name. When I arrived in Israel at age 11, and was asked my Hebrew name - I said I had one but didn't like it - so they gave me Gila - as in happiness/joy. That stuck for the duration of my school years in Israel approximately 4 total - (left school officially in the 9th grade and never returned). For years went back to Joy, then started looking at Zilpah till one Syrian rabbi in Brooklyn told me it was a bad name. *Do you want to be called Zal Peh?* Which essentially is breaking the name Zilpah into 2 words - Zal meaning slow and peh meaning mouth. I.e a stupid woman who spews nothing but minutia. Then when I came back to Israel I spoke to Rabbi Ginsburg who said she was one of the 4 mothers and it was a good name. How can she be one of the 4 mothers if the mothers are Sarah Rebecca Rachel Leah And there's no mention of SI...