ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 115745 - Translation - Tombstone - USA - Lewis


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 11/4/2026 8:37 PM
Family Surname: Lewis
Country: USA
Date of Image: 1964

Click the picture to enlarge

Would appreciate your translation of the Yiddish/Hebrew my family sometimes does both on the monument. If you click on the image it becomes readable Thank you

Response

11/4/2026 10:13 PM

May:

Here lies

MASHE LEAH daughter of Reb Betzalel Yosef

She passed away 6 Tishri 5725

May her soul be bound up in the bond of life.
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Mashe [MAH-sheh] is a Yiddish name.

Leah [LAY-ah] is a Biblical name.

Reb is an honorific; it does not mean rabbi.

Betzalel [beh-TSAH-layl] is a Biblical name.

Yosef is Joseph.

There is a slight discrepancy between the secular and religious dates of death. The 13th of September 1964 corresponds to the 7th of Tishri 5725 if she passed away before sunset, and to the 8th of Tishri if she passed away after sunset. The 6th of Tishri 5725 began at sunset on September 11th, 1964, and ended at sunset on the 12th. Note that the Hebrew letters that represent the numbers 6 and 7 are very similar. It is possible that the stonemason misread the letter zayin (7) as a Vav (6), and that the religious date was actually the 7th. In that case, there would not be any discrepancy.
=================================================
Meyer:

Here lies

YEHUDA MEIR son of Reb Chaim Aryeh

He passed away 10 Nisan 5712

May his soul be bound up in the bond of life.
-------------------------------------------------
Yehuda [yeh-HOO-dah] is Hebrew for Judah, which was one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Meir [MAY-eer] means one who brings light.

Chaim [CHAH-yim, with the ch as in Chanukah or Bach] is the Hebrew word for life.

Aryeh [AHR-yay] is the Hebrew word for lion. The last letter of this name does not appear on the stone, but is represented by an apostrophe. This is because the last two letters of the name, if spelled out, represent one of the names of G-d, and some people avoid this.
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It would be interesting to see the entire top of the stone. Lions facing each other are a common image in Judaica, often found on Torah mantels and on the curtain that covers the Ark of the Torahs. Here, they have -- possibly unintended -- additional significance, as not only is Aryeh, lion, one of the names of the father of the deceased, but the symbol of the tribe of Judah was a lion. The lions often face an image of the ten commandements. Here, they seem to be facing an image of a Torah scroll, with the words "Shema Yisrael" engraved on its mantel. I believe that this is the first time that I have encountered these words on a tombstone.

ViewMate Posting VM 115745

Submitted by Hattie F Berman-Murphy

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 115745

Submitted by Hattie F Berman-Murphy