Book of Remembrance
A Beautifully Jewish Way to Honored a Beloved Grandmother
Jenny Rozbruch is the design guru behind Beautifully Jewish.
Long before she tackled our logo, Jennu faced the challenge of creating a book for her graduate design program. She knew just what to do: celebrate the life of her beloved grandmother as she began to lose her memory.
The extraordinary result serves as an open love letter that reminded her grandmother of key moments and people arranged alongside lines taken from Eishet Chayil, Woman of Valor, the song traditionally sung to women on Friday nights. The verses taken from the Book of Proverbs (chapter 31:10–31) gave Jenny’s family a timeless way to commemorate the life of their matriarch for generations to come.
See more of Jenny’s book below, followed by the words to Eishet Chayil.
Eshet Chayil Text in Hebrew & English (Source: AlephBeta.org)
Below is a breakdown of the Eshet Chayil text, in its original Hebrew and translated into English, from Proverbs chapter 31, verses 10–31.
It explains in detail the traits of a woman of valor.
Eshet Chayil, Proverbs 31 in English
10 A woman of valor, who can find? Her worth is far beyond that of rubies.
11 Her husband’s heart trusts in her, and lacks no treasures.
12 She is good to him, never bad, all the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax, and sets her hand to them willingly.
14 She is like a merchant fleet, she brings her bread from afar.
15 She rises while it is still night, and supplies provisions for her household, the daily fare of her maids.
16 She sets her mind on a field and acquires it; she plants a vineyard through the fruit of her handiwork.
17 Her loins are girded with strength, and her arms are mighty.
18 She sees that her business thrives; her lamp never goes out at night.
19 She sets her hand to the distaff; and her fingers work the spindle.
20 She stretches out her palms to the poor; she extends her hand to the needy.
21 She does not fear for her household on account of snow, for her whole house is dressed in crimson.
22 She makes covers for herself; her clothing is linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes cloth and sells it, and offers a girdle to the Canaanite.
25 She is clothed with strength and splendor; and laughs until the last day.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is upon her tongue.
27 She oversees the activities of her household, and never eats bread of idleness.
28 Her children stand and rejoice in her, her husband praises her.
29 Many women have displayed valor, but you rise above them all.
30 Grace is falsehood and beauty is vapid; a woman who fears God is the one who shall be praised.
31 Give her from the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31: Woman of Valor Hebrew
Proverbs 31 is a Hebrew acrostic, shown in the breakdown below.
יא בָּטַח בָּהּ, לֵב בַּעְלָהּ; וְשָׁלָל, לֹא יֶחְסָר.
יב גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב וְלֹא-רָע כֹּל, יְמֵי חַיֶּיהָ.
יג דָּרְשָׁה, צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים; וַתַּעַשׂ, בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶּיהָ.
יד הָיְתָה, כָּאֳנִיּוֹת סוֹחֵר; מִמֶּרְחָק, תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ.
טו וַתָּקָם, בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ; וְחֹק, לְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ.
טז זָמְמָה שָׂדֶה, וַתִּקָּחֵהוּ; מִפְּרִי כַפֶּיהָ, נָטְעָה כָּרֶם.
יז חָגְרָה בְעוֹז מָתְנֶיהָ; וַתְּאַמֵּץ, זְרוֹעֹתֶיהָ.
יח טָעֲמָה, כִּי-טוֹב סַחְרָהּ; לֹא-יִכְבֶּה בַלַּיְלָה נֵרָהּ.
יט יָדֶיהָ, שִׁלְּחָה בַכִּישׁוֹר; וְכַפֶּיהָ, תָּמְכוּ פָלֶךְ.
כ כַּפָּהּ, פָּרְשָׂה לֶעָנִי; וְיָדֶיהָ, שִׁלְּחָה לָאֶבְיוֹן.
כא לֹא-תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג: כִּי כָל-בֵּיתָהּ, לָבֻשׁ שָׁנִים.
כב מַרְבַדִּים עָשְׂתָה לָּהּ; שֵׁשׁ וְאַרְגָּמָן לְבוּשָׁהּ.
כג נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ; בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ, עִם-זִקְנֵי-אָרֶץ.
כד סָדִין עָשְׂתָה, וַתִּמְכֹּר; וַחֲגוֹר, נָתְנָה לַכְּנַעֲנִי.
כה עֹז-וְהָדָר לְבוּשָׁהּ; וַתִּשְׂחַק, לְיוֹם אַחֲרוֹן.
כו פִּיהָ, פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה; וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד, עַל-לְשׁוֹנָהּ.
כז צוֹפִיָּה, הֲלִיכוֹת בֵּיתָהּ; וְלֶחֶם עַצְלוּת, לֹא תֹאכֵל.
כח קָמוּ בָנֶיהָ, וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ; בַּעְלָהּ, וַיְהַלְלָהּ.
כט רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת, עָשׂוּ חָיִל; וְאַתְּ, עָלִית עַל-כֻּלָּנָה.
ל שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן, וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּפִי: אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת-יְהוָה, הִיא תִתְהַלָּל.
לא תְּנוּ-לָהּ, מִפְּרִי יָדֶיהָ; וִיהַלְלוּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִים מַעֲשֶׂיהָ.