5784/2024

Transliterations are based on the principles set forth in the Shulchan Aruch (EH 129) and its Mepharshim, classic Sefarim (such as the Ohalei Shem), and traditions, conventions, and Pesakim issued by Gedolei Yisrael and Rabbanim Muvhakim (especially in regards to the writing of, L’Havdil, Gittin).

New Jersey - נוא דזשערזי

New York - נוא יארק (Manhattan is written this way as well – old tradition)

Connecticut – קאנעטיקאט (as per the writing of the Connecticut River for Gittin in Springfield, MA)

Aberdeen –  עברדין

Atlantic Beach – אטלאנטיק ביטש (as the way Atlantic is written in Atlantic City Gittin).

Asbury Park – פארק  עזבערי 

Bergenfield – בערגנפילד

Bronx – בראנקס

Brooklyn – ברוקלין (old tradition)

Cedar Grove - סידר גראוו

Cedarhurst – סידרהערסט (based on a conversation with Rav Peretz Steinberg). 

Cliffside Park – קליפסייד פארק

Closter - קלאוסטר

East Brunswick – איסט בראנזוויק

East Rutherford – איסט ראטערפארד (ruling of Rav Teitz)        

Eatontown – איטנטאון

Edison – עדיסאן (established by Rav Schwartz and Rav Teitz)

Elizabeth – עליזאבעט (old tradition) 

Englewood – ענגלוואוד

Fair Lawn – פער לאן (these are two separate words; Psak of Rav Schwartz and Rav Teitz)

Far Rockaway – פאר ראקאווי (Rav Peretz Steinberg)

Florham Park - פלארעם פארק

Fort Lee – פארט לי (this is an old tradition)

Garfield – גרפילד

Great Neck - גריט נעק

Hauppauge – האפאג 

Highland Park - פארק  היילענד

Holmdel – האלמדעל

Howard Beach – האוארד ביטש

Jackson –דזשעקסן

Lakewood – ליקוואוד (as established by Rav Eliashiv)

Lawrence-לארענס  (Rav Peretz Steinberg)

Linden – לינדען (Rav Teitz’s ruling; Rav Teitz recalls his father writing this way)

Livingston – ליווינגסטאן (established by Rav Schwartz and Rav Teitz)

Long Branch - לאנג ברענטש

Mahwah –מאווא    

Mamaroneck – מעמעראנעק (as per the river in Gittin written in White Plains).

Marlboro – מארלבאראו

Monsey – מאנסי (Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky)

Montebello – מאנטעבעלאו

New Brunswick –  בראנזוויק נו (established by Rav Nota Greenblatt)

New Rochelle - נוא ראשעל (as Gittin are written in this town; Psak of Rav Schwartz and Rav Teitz)

New Square -נוא סקווער 

New Windsor – נוא ווינזר

Newark – נוארק (old tradition)

North Woodmere-נארט וואודמיר

Old Westbury - אולד וועסטבערי

Paramus – פערעמאס (as per Rav Teitz’s ruling )

Passaic – פאססעיק (old tradition)

Patterson – פעטערסאן (old tradition)

Pearl River - פערל ריווער

Queens -קווינס   (in the manner in which Gittin are written).  Rav Peretz Steinberg told me that Rav Moshe Feinstein told him that for Ketubot, neighborhoods should be written.  Rav Steinberg told me that the postal codes should determine neighborhoods.  Rav Willig (who grew up in Queens) notes that in some places it is very difficult to determine the neighborhood (i.e., at Terrace on the Park).  Therefore he writes Queens in every area of Queens in a Ketuba except for Far Rockaway פאר ראקאווי.  Rav Teitz agrees with Rav Willig. 

River Vale – ריווער וויל (two words)

Rockleigh – רקלי

Roseland – ראוזלענד

Roslyn Harbor - ראזלין הארבר

Scarsdale – סקארסדיל

South Hampton – סאוט העמטן

Springfield -ספרינגפילד 

Spring Valley - ספרינג וואלי (an old tradition as reported from Rav Landesman).

Stamford – סטעמפארד (old tradition)

Staten Island – סטעטן איילענד (Rav Moshe Feinstein)

Suffern – סאפערן

Tarrytown - טעריטאון

Teaneck – טינעק (Psak of Rav Schwartz and Rav Teitz)

Tenafly – טענאפליי

Toms River - טאמס ריווער

Valley Stream- וואלי סטרים

West Orange –  וועסט ארענדזש (ruling of Rav Teitz; some write with an Alef after the Reish)

White Plains - ווייט פלינס (Psak of Rav Schwartz and Rav Teitz)

Woodbury – וואודבערי (as per a ruling from Rav Peretz Steinberg)

Woodland Park - וואודלענד פארק

Yonkers – יאנקערס (this is an old tradition)   

For a partial guide on how to transliterate English words into Hebrew characters please see https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/transliterating-english-names-for-ketubot-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter

Some of the Rules

The goal is to transliterate the name as coherently as possible into Hebrew characters.  This poses a significant challenge when dealing with sounds that do not exist in Hebrew (as traditionally spoken by Ashkenazim), such as the J or TH sounds.  Poskim have attempted to transliterate these sounds into the closest Hebrew equivalents (see Get Pashut 129:142 citing the Raanach).

1) The letter T is transliterated as a Tet (Rama Even Ha’ezer 129:31).

2) The letters TH is transliterated as a Tet (Rav Henkin p.229).

3) The letter J is transliterated either as a Daled-Zayin (Ray Henkin p.229 and Teshuvot Igrot Moshe Even Ha’ezer 1:132) or Daled-Zayin-Shin (Teshuvot Melamed Lehoil 3:41, Teshuvot Yabia Omer 4:E.H. 13, Teshuvot Minchat Yitzchak 1:103, and Get Mesudar p. 215 regarding James).  This debate has not been resolved, and variation exists even regarding the transliteration of cities and rivers in Gittin (see discussions of Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Lakewood (river), and Rochester (river) in Ha-Aretz L’Areha).

4) The letters CH (as in Charles) are transliterated as Tet-Shin (Bait Shmuel Sheimot Nashim letter Tet).

5) Both the V and W are transliterated with two Vavim (see Rama E.H. 129:34 and Rav Senderovic’s discussion of transliterating the towns of Lakewood and Woodbourne).

6) The letter K is transliterated using a Kuf (based on Rama E.H.129:31; see many examples in Bait Shmuel's list of names in his addendum to E.H.129).

7) The long A vowel (such as in the name Abe) is transliterated using only one Yud (Pitchei Teshuva to Bait Shmuel's Sheimot Nashim Even Ha’ezer 129, letter Pei and discussions of Milwaukee (river), St. Louis, Dayton, and Santa Fe in Ha-Aretz L'Areha).

8)  The short A vowel (such as in the names Harry and Gary) might be transliterated with an Aleph or an Ayin (see Rav Senderovic's discussion of Miami Beach, Santa Fe, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Antonio).

9) The long E vowel (such as in the name Leo) is transliterated with a Yud.

10) The short E vowel (such as in Mexico) is transliterated (by Ashkenazim) using an Ayin (see the many examples in the Bait Shmuel).

11) The long I vowel (such as in ice or Michael) is transliterated using two Yuds (see the many examples in the Bait Shmuel).

12) The short I vowel (such as in the word bit) is transliterated using one Yud (see the many examples in Rav Henkin’s list).

13) The long O vowel (such as in the name Joe) is transliterated using only an Aleph or using both an Aleph and a Vav (see Rav Henkin p. 137 regarding the name Rose, Teshuvot Minchat Yitzchak 1:103, and Ha-Aretz L’Areha regarding Boca Raton and Teaneck’s Overpeck Creek).

14) The short O vowel (such as in the word short) is transliterated with an Aleph (see the many examples in the Bait Shmuel).

15) The long U vowel (such as in cube) is transliterated using a Vav (see the many examples in the Bait Shmuel).

16) The short U vowel (such as in Bud) is transliterated using an Aleph (such as when transliterating New York's Hudson River).

17) We try to avoid writing the three consecutive letter vavs (see Rav Senderovic’s discussion about transliterating Lakewood and Vancouver).