The Yiddish Book Center's Wexler Oral History Project presents a portrait of a prolific writer and Jewish thinker, through the lens oral history. In this segment, we explore his relationship to the United States.

The descendants of Solomon Simon love to tell the tale of his chosen birthday, July 4th. The choice raises the well-documented political debates of the early twentieth century between allegiance to capitalism and the United States or communism and the Soviet Union. This political schism was the subject of heated debate both in the formal settings of Jewish organizations as well as the comfort of the Simons' home. As his descendants can attest, Solomon hated Russia, and believed in the freedom of America as a stark contrast to the corruption of his country of origin.

One of the greatest joys of life in America for Simon was having his own stand-alone home. His descendants remember fondly growing up in or visiting this house in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, describing his desk, the library, and more.