ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 114650 - Translation - Tombstone - USA - Glendale, NY - SPECTER


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 6/7/2026 5:01 PM
Family Surname: SPECTER
Country: USA
Town: Glendale, NY
Date of Image: 27 May 2026

Click the picture to enlarge

Source: Mount Carmel Cemetery, staff photograph

Headstone of my great grandmother Vele Spector, who emigrated ~1890 from Międzyrzec, Poland

Requesting a line-by-line transcription of the Hebrew letters (for cut & paste into a document) and translation of the inscriptions into English.

Response

6/7/2026 11:23 PM

The names are Willi (Vele) daughter of Rev (Mr.) Yakov Zev or Zeev. The two consecutive vavs do not necessarily add up to a "v" consonant sound. They often are pronounced as "w".

The text above the name describes Vele in loving terms. For an expert, detailed, and correct translation, I suggest that you try joining the "Tracing the Tribe" group on Facebook and posting this photo there. Robin Meltzer there does excellent translations. Be sure to give the relationship to you and the name and location of the cemetery.

6/7/2026 11:27 PM

פ"נ
'אשת חיל יראת ה
עושה צדקה בכל עת
ומרבה טוב להושיע
לעני ונדכא ושחוח
וועלי בת ר' יעקב זאב
נפטרה כ"ה סיון תרצ"ז
.ת. נ. צ. ב. ה

6/8/2026 3:32 AM

[Acronym] Here is buried
A woman of valor, G-d-fearing
Acts of charity at all times
Doing Good abundantly
for the poor, depressed, and bent over
Vele the daughter of R. Jacob Zeev
passed away on the 25th of Sivan, 5697
[Acronym] May her soul be bound up in the bond of life.

6/10/2026 5:00 PM

I would add only the following:

Her father's name was Yaakov Ze'ev [YAH-ah-cove Zeh-ayv].

Yaakov is Hebrew for Jacob.

Ze'ev [pronounced in modern Hebrew as zeh-ev] means wolf. Some men with Ze'ev as part of their religious name have a secular name such as Wolf, Wolfgang, etc. I've also often seen Willima.

The 25th of Sivan of the year 5697 corresponds to June 3rd/4th, 1937.

(By the way, as I am writing this, at 5:00 PM in New York on June 10th, it happens to be the 25th of Sivan! This will be true until sunset. This is called the "Jahrzeit/Yohrzeit" (anniversary of the date of death) and, if you'd like, you can observe this date by lighting a memorial candle or giving charity in her memory or doing an act of kindness or something else to mark her passing).

ViewMate Posting VM 114650

Submitted by James 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 114650

Submitted by James Harrison