So the ‘Ben’ in Ben and Jerry’s stands for Bennett
In an unsurprising New York Times guest essay, the founders of Ben and Jerry’s wrote that they “unequivocally support the decision of the company to end business in the occupied territories.”
But in a surprising twist, the article byline reveals that Ben Cohen is no Benjamin or Benyamin, but in fact a… Bennett.
Bennett, as in “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israhel,” as in the Latin Christian canticle heralding the Messiah (and I regret to inform you that the New Testament passage is indeed referring to Jesus).
Of course, there’s no shortage of Bennett-as-a-last-name members of the tribe, most notably Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. And I’m sure Cohen’s parents, Frances and Irving, had perfectly lovely reasons for giving their son the name that they did.
But even so, I feel as I did when I realized that my beloved “Berenstein Bears” had been the “Berenstain Bears” all along — disoriented and unsure of myself, as if I’d just downed a pint of Half Baked in a daze.
You really think you know a guy, and then half of your favorite crusty old Jewish duo ends up having a super Christian first name.
Honestly, I’d go by Ben, too.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30