ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 111235 - Translation - Tombstone - England - Leeds - Abrahamson


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 6/25/2025 1:55 PM
Family Surname: Abrahamson
Country: England
Town: Leeds
Date of Image: January 19 1919

Click the picture to enlarge

I need a translation of the Hebrew.

Thank you in advance
regards
Gareth

Response

6/25/2025 2:38 PM

Here lies

An unblemished and honest man, trustworthy

Our dear father, our teacher, the rabbi

YECHIEL MICHEL son of Reb Dov

The days of his life were 52 years

He passed away 3 days into the month of Tevet 5679

May his soul be bound up in the bond of life.
------------------------------------------------
Yechiel Michel is a common 'double name', with Yechiel being Hebrew and Michel being Yiddish. (The 'ch' in both names is pronounced like the 'ch' in Chanukah or Bach.) There are various opinions as to the origin of the name Michel. One obvious possibility is that it is derived from the name Michael; others insist that it is a nickname for the Hebrew name Yechiel.

By the way, the name Yechiel is spelled differently from the norm: The second letter is usually a Chet; here it is written with a Chaf.

'Reb' is an honorific; his father was not a rabbi. His own name, however, is preceded by an abbreviation that represents the words “our teacher, the rabbi”. This normally indicates that the person had rabbinical ordination, not necessarily that he was the rabbi of a synagogue or community. I need to point out that this abbreviation occasionally appears in error (or, sometimes, simply as words of praise to indicate that the person was scholarly), so I would suggest trying to get confirmation of his rabbinical status – if any – from a second source.

There is a discrepancy between the religious and secular dates of death. The 3rd of Tevet, 5679, corresponds to December 5th or 6th, 1918. January 18th (which is what the stone seems to say, rather than the 19th), 1919, corresponds to the 17th or 18th of Shvat, 5679.

6/25/2025 2:48 PM

I neglected to explain about the father's name.

Dov is Hebrew for bear. Some men with the name Dov have a secular name that sounds similar to bear, such as Bernard, Barry, etc.

ViewMate Posting VM 111235

Submitted by Gareth Robert Harrison

Learn more about our organizational leadership, mission, and values. There are numerous opportunities to get involved yourself!

Search millions of records from around the globe, including more than 4 million records related to the Holocaust, and more than 4.2 million burial records. Records are continually added each month - check back often for new information!

Discover your ancestral town, explore geographic/regional based sections of the JewishGen site (Research Divisions), and explore what daily life was like for your ancestors - and what we can learn from them today.

Enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles. University students can apply for the Bennett & Robin Greenspan L'dor V'dor Legacy Program, and those "out of school" can help preserve Jewish Heritage in Poland with unique study & volunteer experiences.

Connect with tens of thousands of other JewishGen members via the Family Finder, Discussion Group, Facebook Group, and ViewMate. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community.

The JewishGen site is offered as a free public resource. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a contribution today - your support will make a difference!

ViewMate Posting VM 111235

Submitted by Gareth Robert Harrison