Robin Meltzer – “How Not to Read A Jewish Tombstone”

How Not To Read  A Jewish Tombstone

Jewish tombstones are an invaluable source of genealogic information.  Tombstone inscriptions can provide the deceased’s Jewish religious (“Hebrew”) name(s), original or alternate versions of family surnames, maiden surnames, the names of the deceased’s parents, his or her place of birth, age, profession, rabbinic lineage, community activities, even the names of living family members.  But there are common problems that make it difficult for researchers to accurately translate and interpret Jewish tombstone inscriptions.  Using examples from Jewish tombstones, the presentation will focus on building skills in understanding an inscription’s context, determining the accuracy of the information presented, Jewish naming conventions, recognizing Kohain and Levite status and symbols, identifying rabbinic status, interpreting honorifics, and understanding Hebrew calendar dates and abbreviations.  The presentation will also suggest best practices for on-site cemetery visits and tombstone photography.

**Robin will be translating/explaining three or four headstones submitted by our members in her presentation (no copyrighted or otherwise protected photos, such as from JewishData or watermarked from an online cemetery project). To submit a photo of a tombstone, send to Programming@jgspbc.com by May 3, 2026** 

About the Speaker: An attorney and genealogist, Robin assists families in obtaining legal records, discovering nontraditional information sources, and interpreting documentary evidence.  Robin is an administrator of “Tracing the Tribe: Jewish Genealogy on Facebook,” co-founder of the Jewish Community of the 15th Ward, Syracuse New York Facebook group, Associate Producer of the documentary films “Stories from the Syracuse Jewish Community” and “People and Places of the Syracuse Jewish Community,” and a former vice-president of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW).  She lectures on topics in Jewish genealogy and research methodology and has appeared on the cable television program “Tracing Your Family Roots.”  Robin has written articles on Jewish genealogy and local history appearing in several publications, including Avotaynu, Mishpacha, The Galitzianer, and the Jewish Observer of Central New York.