Shimon Sholom Kalish
Encyclopedia
Shimon Sholom Kalish was the Hasidic Rebbe
of Amshinov–Otvotsk
.
He was the son of Rabbi
Menachem Kalish (1860-1918), the 2nd Rebbe of Amshinov (Hasidic dynasty)
in Mszczonów
(Yiddish: אמשינאוו Amshinov), Poland
, and the brother of Rabbi Yosef Kalish, Rebbe of Amshinov (d. 1935).
When Rabbi Menachem died in 1918, Rabbi Shimon Sholom, became rebbe in Otwock
(Yiddish: אטוואצק Otvotsk). He was a major driving force behind the exodus of thousands of young men in Mir
, Kletsk
, Radin, Novhardok, and other yeshivas, via Russia and Japan to Shanghai at the outbreak of World War II
. By the time Shanghai came under Japanese control, it held 26,000 Jews (Shanghai Ghetto
).
As World War II intensified, the Nazis stepped up pressure on Japan to hand over the Shanghai Jews. Warren Kozak
describes the episode when the Japanese military governor of the city sent for the Jewish community leaders. The delegation included Amshinover rabbi Shimon Sholom Kalish. The Japanese governor was curious: "Why do the Germans hate you so much?"
After the war, Rabbi Shimon moved to the United States. Upon his passing in 1954, his son Rabbi Yerachmiel Yehuda Myer Kalish (1901-1976) accompanied Rabbi Shimon's body to Tiberias in Israel
, and remained there.
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
of Amshinov–Otvotsk
Otwock
Otwock is a town in central Poland, some southeast of Warsaw, with 42,765 inhabitants . It is situated on the right bank of Vistula River below the mouth of Swider River. Otwock is home to a unique architectural style called Swidermajer....
.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Menachem Kalish (1860-1918), the 2nd Rebbe of Amshinov (Hasidic dynasty)
Amshinov (Hasidic dynasty)
Amshinov is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Kalish. It is an offshoot of Vurka dynasty. It takes its name from the Yiddish name of Mszczonów, a town in Poland.-History:...
in Mszczonów
Mszczonów
Mszczonów is a town in Żyrardów County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,310 inhabitants .The town had a Jewish community, and it was once the center of the Hasidic Amshinov dynasty...
(Yiddish: אמשינאוו Amshinov), Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and the brother of Rabbi Yosef Kalish, Rebbe of Amshinov (d. 1935).
When Rabbi Menachem died in 1918, Rabbi Shimon Sholom, became rebbe in Otwock
Otwock
Otwock is a town in central Poland, some southeast of Warsaw, with 42,765 inhabitants . It is situated on the right bank of Vistula River below the mouth of Swider River. Otwock is home to a unique architectural style called Swidermajer....
(Yiddish: אטוואצק Otvotsk). He was a major driving force behind the exodus of thousands of young men in Mir
Mir yeshiva (Poland)
The Mir yeshiva , commonly known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, was a Haredi yeshiva located in the town of Mir, Russian Empire...
, Kletsk
Kletsk
Kletsk is a city in the Minsk voblast of Belarus, located on the Lan river. , it had ca. 10,000 inhabitants.- History :The town was founded in 11th century by the Dregovichs, who erected a large fort and a tribal centre there...
, Radin, Novhardok, and other yeshivas, via Russia and Japan to Shanghai at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. By the time Shanghai came under Japanese control, it held 26,000 Jews (Shanghai Ghetto
Shanghai ghetto
The Shanghai ghetto, formally known as the , was an area of approximately one square mile in the Hongkou District of Japanese-occupied Shanghai, to which about 20,000 Jewish refugees were relocated by the Japanese-issued Proclamation Concerning Restriction of Residence and Business of Stateless...
).
As World War II intensified, the Nazis stepped up pressure on Japan to hand over the Shanghai Jews. Warren Kozak
Warren Kozak
Warren Kozak is an American writer, journalist, a former contributor to National Public Radio and the New York Sun, and a former writer for ABC News...
describes the episode when the Japanese military governor of the city sent for the Jewish community leaders. The delegation included Amshinover rabbi Shimon Sholom Kalish. The Japanese governor was curious: "Why do the Germans hate you so much?"
"Without hesitation and knowing the fate of his community hung on his answer, Reb Kalish told the translator (in YiddishYiddish languageYiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
): "Zugim weil mir senen orientalim — Tell him the Germans hate us because we are Oriental." The governor, whose face had been stern throughout the confrontation, broke into a slight smile. In spite of the military alliance, he did not accede to the German demand and the Shanghai Jews were never handed over."
After the war, Rabbi Shimon moved to the United States. Upon his passing in 1954, his son Rabbi Yerachmiel Yehuda Myer Kalish (1901-1976) accompanied Rabbi Shimon's body to Tiberias in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and remained there.