SHIMEN VAYS

SHIMEN VAYS (1915-1941?)

            He was born in Sokołów Podlaski, Poland, into a poor working family.  He studied in religious elementary school and in a Polish public school.  In his youth he became a laborer.  Over the years 1932-1939, he was living in Warsaw.  When the Germans were approaching the city, he escaped to Byalistok where he lived until 1940, later still in Slonim where he studied in a high school for teacher training until the Germans invaded Russia.  He debuted in print in Kleyne folkstsaytung (Little people’s newspaper) in Warsaw (1934) with a story entitled “Foter un zun” (Father and son).  He contributed to as well to: Naye folkstsaytung (New people’s newspaper), Vokhnshrift far literatur (Weekly writings for literature), Unzer ekspres (Our express), and Literarishe bleter (Literary leaves)—all in Warsaw; Yidishe bilder (Jewish images) in Minsk; and elsewhere.  According to some information, he died in the German bombing on the route to the former Russian border in late June 1941.

Source: Yidishe shriftn anthology 1 (Lodz, 1946).

Khayim Leyb Fuks