245:"Kluge Hent" (Clever Hands) was his first and only novel. It was published by his widow, Lena, in 1973 in response to what she describes as his dying wish that it be printed at last in book form. It has only now been translated into English as "The Boy With The Golden Hands". It is an adventure tale that focuses on Jewish life in Moravia in the early 19th century.
237:
In later years, his
Yiddish writings turned to serious topics. Thus "Medines Isroel Un Erets Israel" (1950) set forth the ethical conflict between the dual concept of Israel as a nation state and as a religious home; "In De Teg Fun De Ershter Nevyim" (1959) focused on the ethical demands of the early
225:
With the furtherance of his "Yiddishist" goal in mind, his early works were written in
Yiddish for children, in a series of books focused on Jewish legends and themes, such as: "Shmerl Nar" (later translated as The Wandering Beggar), about a Jewish simpleton accomplishing accidental "miracles" as he
161:
Shimonovich was the fourth of eight children and, unlike the others, suffered from rickets. As a result, he was forced to crawl about, unable to walk, until he was nearly six. The handicap led to a startlingly imaginative inner life as a child that was later reflected in many of his writings. At age
192:
Although he had become fully secular, he felt it essential to assure the survival of Jewish values, culture and traditions in the new generation of Jews growing up in
America. To that end, he became a devoted "yiddishist," viewing the Yiddish language as the singular instrument that could succeed in
233:
As for his
Yiddish books, they too were popular at the time they first appeared. They were published and distributed in Argentina – with its substantial Yiddish-speaking readers – as well as in the United States, Mexico and Canada. In recognition of his literary achievements, he received Mexico's
197:
based in New York City, a secular Jewish organization focused on maintaining evening children's schools for teaching
Yiddish, as well as Jewish culture and history. He served as President of the Institute from 1939 to 1943, 1945–49 and 1952-3; he also played an active role in its Yiddish summer
241:
His final years were devoted to a special project dear to his heart: a revised
English translation of the early Jewish Scriptures, accompanied by Talmudic footnotes and Teacher's Resource Books that amplified and explained the Talmudic sources. These – which he co-authored – were the only books
229:
Paradoxically it is these
English translations of his early books, first published in English in the 1940s, that have remained in print. They received critical acclaim when they appeared in English. The New York Times described The Wise Men of Helm as "a delightful little book" and "almost a
205:
Toward the end of his life he perceived that his
Yiddish language crusade was not working out with the new generation of American Jews. The Institute's schools languished and the numbers of his Yiddish readers declined. His religious beliefs also changed. He once again described himself as a
238:
prophets; "Oyf Eigene
Drokhim" (1962) described his own searching path in Yiddish life; and "Emune Fun a Dor" (1970), published in the year he died, set forth his last legacy. Along with a number of his early Yiddish children stories, none of these later works have as yet been translated.
242:
originally written by him in
English: The Rabbi's Bible Vol. 1: Torah (1966); Volume Two: Early Prophets (1969); and Volume Three:: The Later Prophets (1974) (published posthumously). Like his early children's books in English, these too are still in print today.
166:, and then continued his advanced training at several additional Yeshivas in Poland. His Rabbinical studies were interrupted by his conscription into the Czarist army. Like so many other Jewish emigrants, he fled to America. In 1913 he arrived in
31:
181:(1924), and commenced practicing dentistry. His real love, however, was writing, and from the 1920s on he devoted himself to it, while resorting to dentistry in order to earn a living and support his wife, Lena, and three children,
230:
classic of its kind" (NY Times 2/24/48). Earlier the Times had commented favorably on The Wandering Beggar: "Artfully shaped…these stories deserve to be known by readers of all faiths" (NY Times 18 October 1942).
217:, gratefully acknowledged the help he had received from the late Dr. Solomon Simon, an "outstanding scholar ...whose command of Bible, Talmud and Jewish-Yiddish tradition helped me through many knotty passages.
158:(1963). His father, Eruchim Ben-Zion, was a simple shoemaker. The poverty stricken family lived in a small hut where his mother, Mere (Lifschitz), struggled to help make ends meet by baking bagels and rolls.
226:
wandered about Russian towns; and "Helden Fun Khelm" (later translated as The Wise Men of Helm and supplemented by More Wise Men of Helm), about a mythical town of Jewish fools and their comic foolishness.
697:
150:. His childhood, early years, and difficult experiences growing up in Czarist Russia, are vividly described in his two-volume autobiography, which has been translated from Yiddish into English:
553:
National Yiddish Book Center - The Noah Cotsen Library of Yiddish Children's Literature. P. 86 describes him as "One of the most popular and prolific authors of 'Yiddish' children's books."
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210:. For his last 28 years, until his death in 1970, he was teaching a group of devoted adult followers regarding the application of the Scriptures and Talmud to modern Jewish life.
682:
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177:(Shlomo Simon in Yiddish), worked initially as a house painter, served in the U.S. Army in 1918, became a U.S. citizen, graduated from Dental College at
130:
He was also a leading figure of the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute, a Jewish cultural organization that operated Yiddish secular schools for children.
717:
647:
662:
119:(1895—November 8, 1970) was a Jewish author and educator. He published over thirty books, in Yiddish and English, notably his children's books
732:
146:, in an isolated Jewish shtetl that had some hundreds of Jewish families, located near the Minsk swamps and a Russian railway hub called
632:
712:
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Medinas Yi'sroel un Erets Yi'sroel (The Kingdom of Israel and The Land of Israel) (Undzer Bukh, Buenos Aires, 1950)
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667:
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believer, but only in his own unorthodox theistic style, which in many ways mirrored the revisionist proposals of
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Kinder yorn fun Yidishe shreiber (Childhood Years of Jewish Writers)(Farlag Matones; Vol. 1 1936; Vol. 2, 1945)
687:
609:
David Simon, I'm Writing, Poppa (privately publ. 2006) p. 12-14, 16-35, 41-5, 52-3, 59, 61, 71, 212-13
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Der goyrl fun undzere Yidishistishe shuln (The Fate of Our Yiddishist Schools)(Fryer Arbeter Shtyme 1956)
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Hakhomim, akshonin un naronim (The Wise, The Stubborn, and Fools)(Alter Rozental Fund, Buenos Aires, 1954)
378:
The Rabbi's Bible Vol. 3: The Later Prophets (co-authored with Abraham Rothberg) (Behrman House 1974)
627:
622:
592:(received Argentina's Mordecai Stoller Prize) Tsvygen (Branches) (Yidbukh, Buenos Aires, 1960) p. 376
375:
The Rabbi's Bible Vol. 2: Early Prophets (co-authored with Morrison David Beal)(Behrman House 1969)
178:
108:
90:
182:
600:
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Judaica (Keter Publ. House Jerusalem 1974) p. 556 (Shlomo Simon)
692:
338:
In de Teg fun de Ershte Nevyem (In the Days of the Early Prophets) (Koyim, Buenos Aires, 1950)
59:
404:
Vortslen (Roots) (Yidbukh, Buenos Aires, 1956) (received Argentina's Mordecai Stoller Prize)
362:
Hayim Nakhman Bialik (Chaim Nachman Byalik) (Jewish School Publishing House, Montreal, 1973)
173:
The transition from the world of the shtetl changed him forever. He anglicized his name to
372:
The Rabbi's Bible Vol.1: Torah (co-authored with Morrison David Beal)(Behrman House 1966)
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Chelm Les heroes de la betise (Helm - Heroes of Foolishness) (Editions L'Harmattano 1987)
207:
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perpetuating Jewish ideals among secular Jews and their children. He became active in the
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583:(received Mexico's Kessel Prize)Tsvygen (Branches) (Yidbukh, Buenos Aires, 1960) p. 376
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Shmerl Nar (Shmerl the Fool, translated as The Wandering Beggar) (Farlage Matones 1931)
214:
63:
616:
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Yohoshua un Shoftim far Kinder (Joshua and Judges for Children) (Farlag Matones 1952)
167:
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H. Leyviks kinderyorn (Childhood Years of H. Levik) (Niye Yidishe Shul, Vilna, 1938)
147:
55:
268:
Myses Fun Agodete (Stories from the Aggadah)(co-authored with Chaim Shoys, 1936)
451:
Jewish Encyclopedia (Behrman House 1962) p.449 (Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute)
353:
Dos meglekhe un ummeglekhe (The Possible and Impossible) (Almanakh Yidish 1961)
202:, as well as its Yiddish magazine for children and its Yiddish publishing arm.
163:
332:
In de teg fun di nevi'im (In the Days of the Prophets) (Farlag Matones 1947)
347:
Tokh-Yiddishkayt (The Essence of Jewish-ness) (Yidbukh, Buenos Aires, 1954)
30:
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Yidn tsvishn felker (Jews Among Nations) (Yidishe Etishe Gezelshaft, 1949)
544:
National Yiddish Book Center: www.yiddishbookcenter.org/+yb/solomon simon
281:
199:
143:
514:
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Judaica (Keter Publ. House Jerusalem 1974)
535:
Maurice Samuel, In Praise of Yiddish (Cowles Book Co. 1971) pp. v-vi
359:
Emune fun a dor (The Heritage of a Generation) (Farlag Matones 1970)
574:
Kluge Hent (Clever Hands) (Farlag Tsiko1973) Foreword by Lena Simon
265:
Dos kluge shnayderl (The Clever Little Tailor)(Farlag Matones 1933)
356:
Oyf eygene drokhim (On My Own Paths) (Yidbukh, Argentina, 1962)
487:
David Simon, I'm Writing, Poppa (privately publ. 2006) p 41-42
277:
Khumesh Far Kinder (Khumesh for Children)(Farlag Matones 1940)
606:
Two-volume autobiography, My Jewish Roots and In The Thicket
526:
David Simon, I'm Writing, Poppa (privately publ. 2006) p. 45
496:
David Simon, I'm Writing, Poppa (privately publ. 2006) p. 42
478:
David Simon, I'm Writing, Poppa (privately publ. 2006). p 20
284:, translated as The Wise Men of Helm) (Farlag Matones 1942)
274:
Roberts Ventures (Robert's Adventures)(Farlag Matones 1938)
561:
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344:
Amolike Yidn (Old Time Jews) (Yidbukh, Buenos Aires, 1952)
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The Clever Little Tailor (Kinder-Loshn Publications 2021)
460:
My Jewish Roots (Jewish Publication Society 1954). p 4-5
469:
My Jewish Roots (Jewish Publication Society 1954). p 11
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NY Times Article - November 10, 1970 - Obituary Section
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Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States
565:
Who's Who in World Jewry (David McKay Co. 1965) p. 918
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Who's Who in World Jewry (David McKay Co. 1985) p. 918
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Ethical, Philosophical and Religious Works In Yiddish
234:
Kessel award and Argentina's Mordecai Stoller award.
162:
13 he was singled out for assignment to a Yeshiva in
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96:
86:
70:
37:
21:
399:Autobiography (in Yiddish and English translation)
384:Teacher's Resource for Vol. 2 (Behrman House 1969)
381:Teacher's Resource for Vol. 1 (Behrman House 1966)
259:Leyvik's Golem (Levik's Golem) (Yidish Leben 1927)
410:My Jewish Roots (Jewish Publication Society 1954)
413:In the Thicket (Jewish Publication Society 1963)
407:Tsvygen (Branches) (Yidbukh, Buenos Aires, 1960)
723:New York University College of Dentistry alumni
505:Who's Who in World Jewry (David McKay Co. 1965)
170:, penniless and not knowing a word of English.
16:Belarusian-American Jewish author and educator
8:
683:American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent
429:
427:
738:United States Army personnel of World War I
309:More Wise Men of Helm (Behrman House 1965)
29:
18:
643:20th-century American non-fiction writers
306:The Wise Men of Helm (Behrman House 1945)
303:The Wandering Beggar (Behrman House 1942)
423:
603:New York Times Obituary, Nov. 10, 1970
142:in the summer of 1895 in what is now
7:
213:In 1971 the noted Yiddish linguist,
708:Jewish American non-fiction writers
367:The Bible In English (co-authored)
280:Di Helden fun Khelm (the Heroes of
703:Jewish American children's writers
638:20th-century American male writers
297:
253:
14:
728:People from Kalinkavichy District
673:American male non-fiction writers
189:(Judith Simon Bloch) and Miriam.
718:Jewish translators of the Bible
648:20th-century American novelists
195:Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute
1:
394:Kluge Hent (Farlag Tsiko1973)
298:Children's Stories In English
254:Children's Stories In Yiddish
733:People from Rechitsky Uyezd
663:American children's writers
759:
633:20th-century American Jews
713:Jewish American novelists
28:
743:Yiddish-language writers
658:20th-century translators
678:American male novelists
128:More Wise Men of Helm.
653:20th-century dentists
208:Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
124:The Wise Men of Helm,
121:The Wandering Beggar,
81:Miami Beach, Florida
179:New York University
91:New York University
317:French translation
140:Shlomo Shimonovich
42:Shlomo Shimonovich
668:American dentists
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78:(aged 74–75)
60:Minsk Governorate
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688:Belarusian Jews
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175:Solomon Simon'
156:In The Thicket
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168:New York City
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117:Solomon Simon
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100:Jewish writer
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23:Solomon Simon
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148:Kalinkavichy
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76:(1970-00-00)
56:Kalinkavichy
628:1970 deaths
623:1895 births
154:(1954) and
617:Categories
418:References
164:Kremenchuk
109:Yiddishism
97:Occupation
134:Biography
693:Bundists
221:Writings
200:Boiberik
105:Movement
144:Belarus
47: (
198:camp,
187:Judith
389:Novel
282:Chełm
183:David
126:and
74:1970
71:Died
49:1895
45:1895
38:Born
619::
558:^
519:^
426:^
185:,
62:,
58:,
51:)
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