Vays, Shimen
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 Newspaper)—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).