16 September 2014

Tombstone Tuesday: Etta bat Shemaya, Labun Cemetery

In June of 2013 I had the pleasure of visiting Ukraine and Labun (now Yurovshchina; once called Lubin in Yiddish), my paternal grandparents' community. We were able to visit the old Jewish cemetery, which I discussed in an earlier post. Over the next several Tuesdays I will post photos and translations (as I am able to decipher) of tombstones from that cemetery. Most do not feature surnames.


A woman tender in years*
Etta daughter of
Shemaya Died
14 Nisan 5673
May her soul be bound in everlasting life

Some of the letters are worn off by the elements. I suspect a Hebrew speaker may be able to determine the last word on the second line: "bish?m." [*I initially thought that the phase included the word rabah רבﬣ (great). In comments (below) Lara Diamond and Israel Pickholtz provided the next word bashanim. And Israel noted that the word that Lara and I both thought was rabah is actually racca רכﬣ (meaning tender). The letter in the middle of the word is caf (ﬤ) rather than bet (ב). This, of course, completely changes the message on the tombstone from a woman of great age to a woman of tender years. Sheesh! I have changed the translation, above.]

With the Jewish Calendar Conversion application from the Steve Morse One-Step website, the 14th day of the month Nisan in the year 5673 would correlate with 21 April 1913 in our (Gregorian calendar) and 8 April 1913 in the Julian calendar, which was in effect at the time of Etta's death.

9 comments:

  1. The second line is raba bashanim--great in years, meaning she was elderly when she died.

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    1. Thank you for the help, Lara. I have updated the translation.

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  2. No. It's a bet, its a caf. Isha racca bashanim. Means young.

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  3. Proper translation would be "tender in years."

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    1. Arrrrrgggghhhh! Why does this always seem to happen whenever I ask for a translation!!!??? Two completely opposite translations! [although I am beholden to both of you) It does look like a caf to me, too. I will cogitate on this one and make a Solomon-like decision. Thank you, Israel.

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    3. Tender in years is a standard tombstone phrase. Great in years is not even good Hebrew syntax.

      Lara will concede this one.

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  4. It wouldn't be fun if it were too easy.

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