CANTOR JOEL CAPLAN

Bronze plaque detective work

“Hello! This is Cantor Caplan calling, from the synagogue. Is this Mr. Goldfarb?”

“Oh! Hi, Cantor. Yeah, you know, I was just about to come to services last Saturday, but….”

“Not to worry. This isn’t a Guilt Call. I have a few questions about that bronze memorial plaque you ordered, in memory of your mother.”

“Sure. A few questions? There are only three lines on the plaque. Name, Jewish name, and date of death. How many questions could there be?”

“Well, let’s start and we’ll see. First, on the form you filled out, you listed her name as Miriam Kliblisch. Not Goldfarb, right?”

“Well, after my father died, she remarried.”

“That’s fine. I’m just asking because some people like to list both surnames. For instance, after my grandmother died, my grandfather remarried a woman named Rose. When she died, we put ‘Rose Silverman Caplan’ on her plaque. Before we set this plaque in bronze, do you want the name to be Miriam Goldfarb Kliblisch?”

“Hmm. I’ll need to ask my sister, and probably some of the Kliblisch side. They tend to have strong opinions about certain things. Families are funny, Cantor, ya know?”

“Yep, I know. Another question is about the dates you gave for her death. You wrote that she died on February 19, 2008, with a Jewish date of 12 Adar II 5768.”

“So?”

“Well, I’m looking at the calendar, and those dates don’t match up. February 19, 2008, is 13 Adar I, not 12 Adar II. If you’re sure it was February 19, then let’s change the Jewish date. If you’re sure the Jewish date is right, could she have died on March 19? That’s 12 Adar II in that year. Or could it be a different year?”

“Oh boy. I thought I wrote down what’s on her tombstone. I’ll try to get a photograph of that and send it to you.”

“That’d be great, thanks. Just two more questions.”

“Two?!”

“Well, we want the details to be correct, don’t we? These are about your mother’s Jewish name. You wrote it in English letters as Miriam Feyga bat Chayim Shnozzle v’Sarah.”

“That sounds right. I’m pretty sure that’s what’s on the tombstone.”

“Um, maybe…. I’m wondering first about ‘Feyga.’ Most Hebrew names, especially biblical names, have only one spelling in Hebrew. There’s only one way to spell Miriam, and Chayim, and Sarah. But many Yiddish names can be spelled in more than one way, and Feyga is one of those.”

“How can it be more than one way?”

“It’s like the English name ‘Alison’; that could be Allison, or Alyson, or Allyson. Karen could be Caren or Caryn. All of these are right — it’s a question of preference.”

“Well, I can’t write it in Hebrew letters. If I get you the photograph of the tombstone, can you use that spelling?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’d like to do — assuming that the Jewish name is there, in Hebrew letters. If it is, we want this bronze plaque to have the same spelling, if possible. If not, we might be able to check her ketubah, or even yours. Or I can recommend a standard Yiddish spelling.”

“Oof. I’m gettin’ a headache. Would that photograph help with your other question?”

“Maybe. You wrote that the name of your mother’s father — that is, your grandfather — was ‘Chayim Shnozzle.’ Are you sure about that?”

“Pretty sure. Why?”

“Well, let me be honest here. I know a lot of Jewish names, both in Hebrew and in Yiddish, and I’ve never, ever heard Shnozzle used as a formal name. A nickname, maybe…. But ‘shnozz’ is colloquial Yiddish for nose, so Shnozzle might be translated as Nosey. Do you want that on the bronze plaque?”

“Okay, okay. I’ll see if I can get a photo of his tombstone also.”

“Thanks. I know it’s extra work. And if you tell me, ‘Cantor Caplan, I am certain that his name was Shnozzle,’ then that’s what we’ll put down. Sometimes names are one of a kind, like ‘Aragorn,’ and Cathi Robinson’s daughter is Narielle, and she’s the only Narielle I’ve ever known. If you’re sure about Shnozzle, then so be it.”

“Fine. I’ll get back to you. Who knew that three little lines could be so hard to pin down?”