Solomon Simon, the Father and Grandfather
The Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project
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11m
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 who he was in his family life, through the memories of his descendants.
One of Simon's greatest legacies is a large family. He had three children with his wife Lena—Dovid, Judith, and Miriam. Dovid had two sons, Andrew and Michael; Judy had three daughters, Deena, Susan, Natalie; and Mimi had three boys, Bill, Daniel, and David.
Each of his descendants has a unique relationship to his legacy. Dovid and Mimi, his living children as of our writing, remember him as a force that defined their lives. They remember him fondly as a brilliant and important man, but consider how they did not carry on after him the way he wanted. His other daughter, Judith S. Bloch, who did not live to contribute to this project, also did not directly carry on his work. However, Simon's love of children, his ambition, and his ethical commitments found full expression in Judith Bloch's accomplishments as a leader in special education.
Due to Simon's approach to children as valuable individuals, even his grandchildren who knew him briefly felt a great impact from his presence. In adulthood, some of his grandchildren are fascinated by Simon as a figure, while others think of him only as they repurpose the spaces and texts he left behind.
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