ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 114376 - Translation - Tombstone - USA - Brooklyn


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 5/3/2026 5:13 PM
Family Surname: Weissler
Country: USA
Town: Brooklyn

Click the picture to enlarge

This is a headstone for Dora Weissler, died in 1908, in the Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, NYC. I would like to know what the Hebrew on the headstone says, and if by any chance at all it mentions her husband who in the US was named Hyman (Herman) Weissler. This photo is from find-a-grave, I apologize if it is difficult to read, I live in Arizona so will not get my own photo any time soon.

Response

5/3/2026 5:49 PM

Unfortunately, it is extremely rare for a husband's name to appear on a woman's gravestone. It does occasionally appear (usually if the husband was a very important person in the Community), but that is not the case here.

The top 9 lines are an acrostic poem of praise and mourning. If you need a full translation, please let me know. The enlarged letters (mostly at the beginnings of the lines, but also within the rows) spell out her Hebrew name, which was DEVORAH daughter of Moshe Ze'ev.

Devorah is Hebrew for Deborah. Her father's name is preceded by an abbreviation that suggests strongly that he was a rabbi (had rabbinic ordination, was not necessarily the rabbi of a synagogue or community). His name was Moshe (Moses) Ze'ev (Hebrew for wolf). Some men with Moshe as part of their religious name have Morris or similar as their secular name. Some men with Ze'ev as part of their religious name have Wolf, Wolfgang, William, etc., as their secular name.

Her husband's Hebrew name MIGHT have been Chaim (CHAH-yim), which often is matched with Hyman.

The Hebrew date of Dora's death was the second day of Rosh Chodesh of the month of Adar I, 5668. Without going into a complicated explanation about Rosh Chodesh: the actual Hebrew date was the FIRST day of Adar I. In a Jewish leap year, the standard 12 month, Adar, is replaced by two months: Adar I and Adar II.

Have you tried contacting the cemetery office to see if her husband might have been buried on that cemetery, too? If yes, for a fee they might be willing to send you a photo of his grave. At the very least, they should provide the location details, and then you could post a request to the Discussion Group to see if someone would be able to take a photo for you.

ViewMate Posting VM 114376

Submitted by Liza Weissler

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 114376

Submitted by Liza Weissler