ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 114162 - Translation - Tombstone - Romania - chernivtsi


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 4/8/2026 4:02 PM
Family Surname: wolfenzon
Country: Romania
Town: chernivtsi

Click the picture to enlarge

from this site.
https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/cemetery/jowbr.php?rec=J_BUCOVINA_0051445

Response

4/9/2026 10:08 AM

So I know now that it is a woman. but not yet enough to read. The stome background is rather overwhenling

4/9/2026 4:22 PM

Here lies
A man ..... our teacher and Rabbi
Mordechai son of Shmuel
...... ..... ....
died .... .... 5681
May his soul be bound up in the bond of life (acronym)
Mordch..
Wolfenson

Month could be Tishri. Teacher and Rabbi is usually an honorific, not a true title. Rare, I believe, to see a name engraved in English on a stone in Romania.

4/10/2026 12:16 AM

This stone is quite challenging to read. It is the grave of a man. This is what I can make out:

Here lies

a man [of letters?], our teacher, the rabbi,

MORDECHAI son of Shmuel

Volfenson

He passed away 23 [?] Tishri 5681

May his soul be bound up in the bond of life.
==============================================
The name of the deceased 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.

Mordechai [MORE-deh-chigh, with the ch as in Chanukah or Bach] is a Biblical name, found in the Book of Esther.

Shmuel is Hebrew for Samuel.

I am guessing at the date. I am pretty sure that it is in the 20's; it looks to me most like 23. The 23rd of Tishri, 5681, corresponds to October 4th/5th, 1920.

4/12/2026 10:13 PM

The first two words are איש חמודות a biblical expression used to describe the prophet Daniel, and meaning a person beloved - whether by others or by heaven.

ViewMate Posting VM 114162

Submitted by Galit Wolf

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 114162

Submitted by Galit Wolf