ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 23448 - Tombstone - Canada

Information

Picture

Question

Category: Tombstone
Approval Date: 7/1/2012 4:08 PM
Family Surname: Singman
Country: Canada

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A translation of the Hebrew writing on my grandmother's gravestone would be appreciated.

Response

7/1/2012 4:48 PM

Here Lies Chana Devorah, daughter of Mr. Reuven
Died on the 1st [something] of Adar I 5741.
May her soul be bound up for life eternal.

In Jewish leap years, there are two months of Adar referenced as Adar I and Adar II.

7/1/2012 8:13 PM

Hello C. Singman,

Here is my "educated guess" on the part left out by the previous person to respond. The letters are RR"Ch (Resh, Resh, Chet), and they appear immediately before the month of Adar. The RCh portion might refer to Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the month.

Perhaps someone else may have a better translation or explanation....Jo

7/2/2012 8:32 AM

Was the inscription supposed to be "aleph dalet resh chet" instead of "aleph resh resh chet"? The first is an abbrevation for "1st day of the month". The stonecarver could have mistaken dalet for resh since they are very similar.

7/4/2012 11:57 AM

Regarding the mystery notation: I've seen that before, and I'm not sure what the acronym stands for, but it does have to do with Rosh Chodesh. It indicates that the date is the 30th day of the preceding month, which is the first day of Rosh Chodesh of the named month.

If you don't care about technical details, you can skip this paragraph: Hebrew months have 29 or 30 days. In months that have 30 days, following month has a two-day Rosh Chodesh, including the 30th day of the 30-day month and the 1st of the following month. If you convert Feb 4, 1981 to a Hebrew date, you will see that it is indeed 30 Sh'vat 5741, and it is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Adar.

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ViewMate Posting VM 23448

Submitted by C Singman