ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 111423 - Translation - Tombstone - USA - Queens, NYC - Horowitz


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 7/13/2025 2:01 PM
Family Surname: Horowitz
Country: USA
Town: Queens, NYC
Date of Image: 1908

Click the picture to enlarge

Please translate all the Hebrew shown on the gravestone. Thank you.

Response

7/13/2025 3:17 PM

A voice of mourning on the death of a fine honest man, the elderly sage who spent most of his years in the study of the wonderful Torah, Yosef son of Shimon Halevy, passed away on the eve of the New Moon of the month of Adar II 5668

7/13/2025 3:18 PM

Here lies

A sound of wailing upon the death of an unblemished and honest man

The wise, the elderly, after ___________,

Devoting the bulk of the days of his life

to the glorious Torah

YOSEF son of Reb Shimon the Levite

He passed away on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Adar II 5668

May his soul be bound up in the bond of life

-------------------------------

‘Reb’ is an honorific; it does not mean rabbi.

Shimon [SHIM-OWN] is Simon.

The text contains a phrase that I have not seen before and I am not sure how to interpret it. It might mean that in his later years he was able to spend time learning the Torah.

The deceased and his father were Levites, descended from Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Levites had specific functions in the Temples, and still receive special recognition -- and have special obligations – today. Levite is a designation passed from father to son.

The image of the pitcher at the top of the stone is an indication of a Levite, as one of the functions of Levites was (and still is) to wash the hands of the Cohanim (priests) before they bless the congregation.

“Rosh Chodesh”, literally the head of the month, also known as the New Moon, indicates the start of a new month. It can be a one-day or a two-day event. In this case, it was two days, and the first day of Rosh Chodesh of the month of Adar II was actually the 30th day of the previous month, which was the month of Adar I. The EVE of that date was the 29th of Adar I. In the year 5668, this date began at sunset on March 1st, 1908, and ended at sunset on the 2nd.

In a Jewish leap year, the standard twelfth month, Adar, is replaced by two months, Adar I and Adar II.

ViewMate Posting VM 111423

Submitted by Marlise S Gross

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 111423

Submitted by Marlise S Gross