ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 113825 - Translation - Hebrew - Lithuania - Vilna - Aronofsky


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Hebrew
Approval Date: 3/1/2026 2:15 PM
Family Surname: Aronofsky
Country: Lithuania
Town: Vilna
Date of Image: About 1885

Click the picture to enlarge

We were told this is a handwritten reference for Aaron Aronofsky, when he left Lithuania in about 1884 with his brother Kalman and sister in law Taube (his other brother’s widow) and their families.

We would love to know what it says. The family came first to London and then Aaron and Taube went on to Cape Town SA where much of their family remain.

Response

3/4/2026 12:37 AM

The scan's quality makes this difficult to read.
It is a text full of Rabbinical abbreviations which are not known to me.
I can see that the young man who is not yet married named Arieh son of [illegible, but an important Rabbi] Aronoffsky is mentioned.
The place he comes from (possibly born in) is without a shadow of a doubt Kovna, and not Vilna.
It is clear from the text that this person has a highly respected Rabbinical pedigree.
Among the ancestors mentioned all with high level honorifics - is "the famous our teacher and Rabbi, Aryeh Hacohen "May the memory of the righteous and holy be for a blessing for the life of the World to Come", most probably his GF.
There are other highly respected ancestors, also HaCohen whose names are otherwise illegible.
The document requests anyone to aid the person presenting it, promises this will give the helper many blessings and is signed on 26th of Tevet, 5630 = Thu, 30 December 1869. by Yitskhak Tzvi Hacohen son of [illegible] whose role is at the very least a member of a Rabbinical court.
Further down, in different handwriting, the previous Rabbi's signature is confirmed on the 27th of Tevet 5630 Kovna is mentioned again and this statement is signed by a Rabbi Yitskhak Elkhanan ---- . There's an illegible stamp next to this.
Another place mentioned in the last line is something like New Ploch or new Pluch in Kovna

ViewMate Posting VM 113825

Submitted by Caroline Lisa Dresden

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 113825

Submitted by Caroline Lisa Dresden