Every year, thousands of Chassidim would see Rabbi Shimon Goldman a”h go up to the farbrengen bima with a shtraimel on his head. In the Rebbe’s presence he would tell a story or a Chassidic vort to the crowd and then would invite everyone to attend the annual Melaveh Malka to benefit the Gemach Shomrei Shabbos. He did this every year although it was most unusual for Lubavitch. * In memory of a man of Chesed
R’ Goldman in Shanghai (the middle one in the top row with the arrow)R’ Shimon Goldman a”h was known as a person with a heart of gold, with a name to match. For decades he ran a gemach that gave loans of large sums of money. This was in addition to the chesed he did in many other ways.
The family tells how amazing it was to see him return after a long day at the butcher store and then throw himself into gemach work. That was R’ Shimon, someone who did all he could for others without an agenda and without personal benefit. His home was open to many guests who thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of R’ Shimon and his wife Esther a”h.
UNDER NAZI OCCUPATION
R’ Shimon Goldman was born in Shedlitz, Poland on 5 Teves 5688. His parents were Shmuel Zanvil and Menucha Kreindel who were Gerrer Chassidim. But he was sent to learn in Tomchei T’mimim in Warsaw and Kalushin in Poland.
The Holocaust cut short his learning. With the invasion of the Germans into Poland, he suffered greatly under the Nazi occupation, but over the years he experienced miracles. His memoirs were published in this magazine and in Kfar Chabad. He also wrote a book in English called, From Shedlitz to Safety.
When the war broke out he was in Kalushin. The roshei yeshiva tried to continue the learning as usual but after a week, when the Nazis advanced quickly and conquered large sections of Poland, the hanhala told the students to go home. Shimon returned to Shedlitz with difficulty and discovered that his parents had fled their home because of the bombing. He first located them the following day. Their joyous reunion did not last long for the Germans began bombing again, and Shimon and his family fled to a garden and lay on the ground while planes overhead began to fly in low. His father began saying Vidui with the children, but miraculously, the Nazi bombers flew off and the family was saved.
Two weeks into the war, the Nazis collected many Jews from the city and the surrounding area near the local prison, including Shimon, his father and the Biala Rebbe. It looked as though the Germans were waiting for orders about what to do next. In the meantime, a German officer went over to Shimon and told him, because of his young age, to go home. But Shimon was very afraid that the German patrols would think he escaped. The officer acceded to his request and told all the soldiers standing around to allow the boy to return home. The Biala Rebbe was smuggled out with an open miracle, while the rest of the Jews, including Shimon’s father, were taken to a nearby city. But after a while, they were sent back to their city on Erev Sukkos. In fear of the Germans, it wasn’t possible to build a normal sukka, so the roof of a shed was removed. His father and the Biala Rebbe ate their meals there while Shimon stood watch outside in order to warn them about undesirable guests.
WANDERINGS
R’ Shimon was able to escape Poland for Lithuania and from there to Vilna where dozens of bachurim from the Tomchei T’mimim yeshivos in Poland had fled. The Chabad yeshiva was reopened in Vilna after being closed a short while before.
In those days, the Rebbe Rayatz employed various means to save many from death, including Admurim, rabbanim, Chassidim, and the T’mimim. The Rebbe devoted much effort to rescue the T’mimim who managed to escape to Vilna. It was feared that the Germans would soon conquer Vilna, a fear that was realized later on.
After many travails, the bachurim reached Kobe in Japan where they hoped to obtain visas to the United States, but time passed and no visas were forthcoming. The Japanese authorities decided to expel the Jewish refugees to the international city of Shanghai which was in China.
Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, rav in Shanghai, welcomed them with open arms. He helped the T’mimim start a branch of Tomchei T’mimim where they learned Torah, Nigleh and Chassidus. Shimon Goldman was one of the bachurim who found a safe haven there.
When the war was over, the bachurim received visas for the US, which enabled them to leave Shanghai. Many more obstacles had to be dealt with until all of them boarded the ship that brought them to the US. Only then, did their great tension turn into great joy. Many years later R’ Shimon described how the moment they boarded the boat, they rejoiced. For the bachurim, traveling to the Rebbe was a dream come true.
At the conclusion of a harrowing journey they arrived in the US and continued their studies in Tomchei T’mimim – 770. R’ Shimon discovered that he was the sole survivor of his family. His parents, sisters and brothers all perished in the Holocaust, may Hashem avenge their blood.
A CHASSIDIC HOME
R’ Shimon married Esther Gordon, daughter of the famous Chassid, R’ Yochanan, the gabbai of 770 and director of the Shomrei Shabbos gemach. The Rebbe was his mesader kiddushin. Not having parents, R’ Meir Ashkenazi and R’ Mordechai Avrohom Yeshaya Groner led him to the chuppa.
When his son had his first haircut in 5713, the Rebbe cut the boy’s hair and then said a short sicha. Then he blessed R’ Shimon, “That he have a Chassidic home, not a modern home, which will also be expressed in the hair being the way it should.” The Rebbe added with a smile, “Surely you understand what is meant.”
R’ Shimon and his wife did indeed have a Chassidic home which was open to many guests.
RABBI YOCHANAN, RABBI SHIMON, AND THE GEMACH
R’ Yochanan Gordon ran the Shomrei Shabbos gemach. After his passing, his son-in-law, R’ Shimon, took it over and put much effort into it. In the early years the gemach had a yearly turnover of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In later years that number reached over three million dollars.
The gemach was meant for private individuals who needed loans and R’ Goldman did all he could so that whoever needed a loan would get it. He made sure the gemach was run properly so he could accommodate every request. He also lent large sums to schools in Crown Heights – Tomchei T’mimim, Oholei Torah, Beis Rivka, etc.
This gemach was shown favorable treatment by the Rebbe. Every year, on the Shabbos before the Melaveh Malka fundraiser, R’ Gordon would announce the Melaveh Malka in front of the Rebbe. He included a d’var Torah or story in the announcement. The Rebbe told him to wear a shtraimel when he made this announcement.
Upon his passing in 5729, the following year, before the Melaveh Malka, R’ Goldman went up to make the announcement. The Rebbe in most unusual fashion spoke about the connection between the former director of the gemach and his successor. The Rebbe spoke at length about R’ Yochanan ben Zakai and R’ Shimon and emphasized the connection between Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai and chesed and connected it to the Shomrei Shabbos gemach.
The Rebbe then told R’ Shimon to stand up high so everyone could hear his announcement, and he also told him to wear a shtraimel. After the announcement, the Rebbe said to him (similar to what is done at the tisch of Polish Rebbes), “A Jew brings mashke,” and began to sing, “V’harikosi Lochem Bracha.” At the end of the farbrengen the Rebbe gave his mezonos and wine to be shared with the participants of the Melaveh Malka. This was a rare and unique acknowledgment.
After that, every year, R’ Goldman got to stand before the Rebbe and announce the Melaveh Malka for the gemach.
In R’ Saadia Maatuf’s diary, which has not yet been published, it tells of a unique occurrence one year with an extraordinary kiruv from the Rebbe:
“The Rebbe said that the hanhala of the gemach should announce the Melaveh Malka that would take place on Motzaei Shabbos and added that there should be more contributions this coming year. Two members of the gemach’s hanhala went over to the Rebbe and he gave them mashke. To one of them [R’ Shimon Goldman] he said he should make the announcement and wear a shtraimel, but they looked for a shtraimel and did not find one. In the meantime, the Rebbe gave mashke to some of the senior Chassidim sitting in the back. Then the Rebbe looked around again and asked in surprise, ‘Where is the shtraimel?’ When they didn’t find one, the Rebbe took the napkin that was covering the cake and said he should put it on his head. Everybody laughed. The menahel then made the announcement and the Rebbe told him to announce something in addition, but it was not clear to me what that was. Then the Rebbe gave him the mezonos and mashke.”
R’ Goldman was greatly encouraged by the Rebbe. Aside from the Rebbe’s urging to donate during the announcement about the Melaveh Malka, the Rebbe showered him with brachos and even wrote special letters on behalf of the gemach, which got many people to make generous donations.
R’ Goldman also raised money for Maos Chittim, which was distributed as per the direct instructions of the Rebbe. He also raised money to build mikvaos in Eretz Yisroel. He was a member of the hanhala of Agudas Chassidei Chabad and a member of the board of Beis Rivka.
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He passed away on 29 Tishrei last month at the age of 91. He is survived by a beautiful Chassidishe family: a son, R’ Yosef Yitzchok, shliach in South Africa; a son, R’ Shmuel Zanvil of Crown Heights, a daughter Kraindy Klein of Crown Heights, (his daughter, Chanchy (Chana Leah) Brook a”h), grandchildren and great-grandchildren including rabbanim and shluchim around the world.