Well, I’m an aunt. His name is Leo Sydney Alexander (the last bit is his last name… you have no idea how weird it is to me that neither of my sisters share my surname any more). The middle name was my grandfather’s first name. It’s a Jewish tradition to give the child a name of a recently deceased relative to carry on the spirit in the family – that’s why my middle name is Eva (it was my father’s sister’s name).
In other news, I am absolutely incensed by reports of the Australian government’s decision to review certain refugee cases on the basis that they have converted to Christianity. Of course, Coward has now denied it but I’ll bet that’s just so people don’t convert and get through the loophole. We don’t have many rights in this country, but freedom of religion is one of them. I am horrified by the increasing connections between Church and State, and the overtones of prejudice and outright coercion. I loved my mother’s response to it this morning (she’s a rabid writer of letters to the editor): “I’m going to have to read up on the Inquisition so I can work out which politician to accuse of being whom”.