Solomon Simon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Solomon Simon
Author portrait, year unknown
Born	1895 (1895) Kalinkavichy, Minsk Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	1970 (1971) (aged 75) Miami Beach, Florida
Occupation	Jewish writer

Solomon Simon (born 1895, died November 8, 1970) was a Jewish author and teacher. He wrote more than thirty books in two languages: Yiddish and English. Some of his most famous books were for children, like The Wandering Beggar, The Wise Men of Helm, and More Wise Men of Helm. He was also a key leader of the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute. This was a Jewish group that ran Yiddish schools for children.

His Life Story

Simon was born in the summer of 1895. His birth name was Shlomo Shimonovich. He was born in a small Jewish village in what is now Belarus. This village was near the Minsk swamps and a railway hub called Kalinkavichy. He wrote about his childhood and growing up in Russia in his two books, My Jewish Roots (1954) and In The Thicket (1963). His father, Eruchim Ben-Zion, was a shoemaker. His family was poor and lived in a small hut. His mother, Mere, helped by baking bagels and rolls.

Shlomo was the fourth of eight children. He had a health problem called rickets. Because of this, he could not walk until he was almost six years old. This challenge made him very imaginative as a child. These ideas later appeared in many of his stories. When he was 13, he went to a special Jewish school called a Yeshiva in Kremenchuk. He then studied at other Yeshivas in Poland. But his studies were stopped when he had to join the Russian army. Like many other Jewish people, he moved to America. In 1913, he arrived in New York City. He had no money and did not know English.

Moving from his old village to America changed him a lot. He changed his name to Solomon Simon. At first, he worked as a house painter. He served in the U.S. Army in 1918 and became an American citizen. He then went to Dental College at New York University and became a dentist in 1924. But his true passion was writing. From the 1920s on, he spent most of his time writing. He worked as a dentist to support his wife, Lena, and their three children: David, Judith, and Miriam.

Even though he became less religious, he felt it was important to keep Jewish values and traditions alive. He became a strong supporter of Yiddish culture. He believed the Yiddish language was the best way to pass on Jewish ideas to new generations. He joined the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute in New York City. This group taught Yiddish, Jewish culture, and history to children. He was the President of the Institute for many years. He also helped with their Yiddish summer camp, Boiberik, and their Yiddish magazine and book publishing.

Later in his life, he saw that fewer young American Jews were learning Yiddish. The Institute's schools had fewer students, and fewer people read his Yiddish books. His religious beliefs also changed. He began to describe himself as a believer again, but in his own way. For the last 28 years of his life, he taught a group of adults. He helped them understand how ancient Jewish texts could apply to modern life.

His Writings

Solomon Simon wanted to keep Yiddish culture strong. So, his first books were for children and written in Yiddish. They told Jewish legends and stories. One was "Shmerl Nar" (later called The Wandering Beggar). It was about a simple Jewish man who accidentally did amazing things as he traveled. Another was "Helden Fun Khelm" (later called The Wise Men of Helm and More Wise Men of Helm). These books were about a made-up town of Jewish fools and their funny mistakes.

It's interesting that the English versions of these early books are still popular today. They were first published in English in the 1940s. Critics loved them. The New York Times called The Wise Men of Helm "a delightful little book" and "almost a classic." The Times also praised The Wandering Beggar, saying its stories "deserve to be known by readers of all faiths."

His Yiddish books were also very popular when they first came out. They were sold in Argentina, which had many Yiddish speakers, as well as in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He won awards for his writing, like Mexico's Kessel award and Argentina's Mordecai Stoller award.

In his later years, his Yiddish writings focused on more serious topics. For example, "Medines Isroel Un Erets Israel" (1950) discussed the idea of Israel as both a country and a religious home. "In De Teg Fun De Ershter Nevyim" (1959) looked at the teachings of early prophets. "Oyf Eigene Drokhim" (1962) described his own journey in Yiddish life. "Emune Fun a Dor" (1970), published the year he died, shared his final thoughts. These later works have not yet been translated into English.

His last big project was very important to him. He worked on a new English translation of early Jewish Scriptures. These books also included notes and teacher guides that explained the ancient texts. These were the only books he wrote originally in English. He co-authored them: The Rabbi's Bible Vol. 1: Torah (1966), Volume Two: Early Prophets (1969), and Volume Three: The Later Prophets (1974), which came out after he died. Like his early children's books, these are still available today.

"Kluge Hent" (Clever Hands) was his only novel. His wife, Lena, published it in 1973. She said it was his dying wish for it to be printed as a book. It has now been translated into English as "The Boy With The Golden Hands." It is an adventure story about Jewish life in the early 1800s.

Books He Published

Children's Stories In Yiddish

• Leyvik's Golem (Levik's Golem) (1927)
• Shmerl Nar (Shmerl the Fool, translated as The Wandering Beggar) (1931)
• Dos kluge shnayderl (The Clever Little Tailor) (1933)
• Myses Fun Agodete (Stories from the Aggadah) (co-authored, 1936)
• H. Leyviks kinderyorn (Childhood Years of H. Levik) (1938)
• Roberts Ventures (Robert's Adventures) (1938)
• Khumesh Far Kinder (Khumesh for Children) (1940)
• Di Helden fun Khelm (the Heroes of Chełm, translated as The Wise Men of Helm) (1942)
• Kinder yorn fun Yidishe shreiber (Childhood Years of Jewish Writers) (Vol. 1 1936; Vol. 2, 1945)
• Yohoshua un Shoftim far Kinder (Joshua and Judges for Children) (1952)
• Hakhomim, akshonin un naronim (The Wise, The Stubborn, and Fools) (1954)

Children's Stories In English

• The Wandering Beggar (1942)
• The Wise Men of Helm (1945)
• More Wise Men of Helm (1965)

French translation

• Chelm Les heroes de la betise (Helm - Heroes of Foolishness) (1987)

The Bible In English (co-authored)

• The Rabbi's Bible Vol.1: Torah (co-authored with Morrrison David Beal) (1966)
• The Rabbi's Bible Vol. 2: Early Prophets (co-authored with Morrrison David Beal) (1969)
• The Rabbi's Bible Vol. 3: The Later Prophets (co-authored with Abraham Rothberg) (1974)
• Teacher's Resource for Vol. 1 (1966)
• Teacher's Resource for Vol. 2 (1969)

Novel

• Kluge Hent (1973)

Autobiography (in Yiddish and English translation)

• Vortslen (Roots) (1956)
• Tsvygen (Branches) (1960)
• My Jewish Roots (1954)
• In the Thicket (1963)