YISROEL-DOVID VAYS (ISRAEL DAWID WAJS)

YISROEL-DOVID VAYS (ISRAEL DAWID WAJS) (b. 1868)

            He was born in Kovno, Lithuania, into a well-off, observant family.  He studied in religious elementary school and synagogue study hall, as well as secular subjects with private tutors.  He moved to Bialystok in 1885, became a merchant, and later worked as a private teacher.  He was also active in community life.  He was the author of: Der hoyz-lerer, lektsyes geshildert in lebens-bilder vi zoy zikh zelbst tsu kenen lernen un hobn a blik af der tsukunft (The house-teacher, lessons describing in images from life how to teach oneself and gain a glance into the future), vols. 1 and 2 (Bialystok, 1926), each 32 pp.; Vos lernt unz koheles (What does Kohelet [Ecclesiastes] teach us) (Warsaw, 1929), 129 pp.; Unzer kultur (Our culture) (Bialystok, 1930), 32 pp.  Until WWII he was living in Bialystok.  His subsequent fate remains unknown.

Sources: Biblyografishe yorbikher fun yivo (Bibliographic yearbooks from YIVO), vol. 1 (Warsaw, 1928), p. 347; Byalistoker leksikon (Bialystok handbook) (Bialystok, 1935).