2008 Woodie Awards
The Yeshiva University Community mourns the loss of Rabbi Shimon Eider z'l
Elly S. Krimsky
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
On the second day of Sukkot, The Torah world lost Rabbi Shimon Eider, posek and author of note. Although spending the majority of his life in Lakewood, NJ where he studied under Rav Aharon Kotler zt'l, he began his academic career at Yeshiva University's BTA high school in Brooklyn and then graduated from Yeshiva College with a degree in psychology in 1960. His classmates remember him as a masmid with a gift for explaining complicated concepts in simple language.
Rabbi Hershel Schachter, The Nathan and Vivian Fink Distinguished Professor of Talmud recalled how Rabbi Eider began his literary career by disseminating in writing the shiurim of his Rebbe at Yeshiva, Rav Wolk zt'l.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, RIETS Mashgiach Ruchani remembers Rabbi Eider from BTA. "He initiated the mishmar program while still a high school sophomore.
Since BTA was a commuter school (i.e. no dormitory facilities), hosting a mishmar program entailed organizing supper for all the participants. Back in high school he already demonstrated his commitment to Torah and his organizational skills, the very same signature traits familiar to us from his seforim." Rabbi Blau stressed that Rabbi Eider found a niche, not only in learning, but in communicating Torah via his superb organizational skills. "Though very much a part of the Lakewood community, he never denied, nor was embarrassed about his YU associations. For many years I would help arrange for him to come to Yeshiva to sell his seforim."
Rabbi Mordechai Zeitz, Rabbi of Congregation Beth Tikvah in Montreal remembered his classmate as a serious learner, but always friendly and approachable. "Next thing I knew, I was reading his seforim explaining Hilkhot Shabbat and Eruvin." Another classmate, Rabbi Gerald Blidstein, occupant of the Miriam Martha Hubert Chair in Jewish Law at Ben Gurion University, characterized Rabbi Eider as an honest person who understood that there were no short-cuts to knowledge, except for hard work and diligence. "I remember the mimeographed pamphlets he wrote on dinei eruv -- very plain, proclaiming: here is true content -- everything else is glitter."
Rabbi Daniel Alter, head of school at the Denver Academy of Torah (DAT) and Rabbi of the DAT minyan, met Rabbi Eider when he consulted on the Denver //eruv." He was a kind and gentle man, who left a positive impression on everyone he met. In our interactions together, due to the nature of our //eruv work, we would often come in contact with all types of people, observant, non-observant, Jewish, and not Jewish. He was able to explain //eruvin issues clearly and sensitively to all those involved. He was extremely accessible. We would call him often from Denver with //sh'aylot, and he always made himself available and was extremely responsive."
//Yehi //zichro //baruch.
//Rabbi Elly Krimsky is Assistant Director of The Morris and Gertrude Bienenfeld Department of Jewish Career Development and Placement at RIETS//
Rabbi Hershel Schachter, The Nathan and Vivian Fink Distinguished Professor of Talmud recalled how Rabbi Eider began his literary career by disseminating in writing the shiurim of his Rebbe at Yeshiva, Rav Wolk zt'l.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, RIETS Mashgiach Ruchani remembers Rabbi Eider from BTA. "He initiated the mishmar program while still a high school sophomore.
Since BTA was a commuter school (i.e. no dormitory facilities), hosting a mishmar program entailed organizing supper for all the participants. Back in high school he already demonstrated his commitment to Torah and his organizational skills, the very same signature traits familiar to us from his seforim." Rabbi Blau stressed that Rabbi Eider found a niche, not only in learning, but in communicating Torah via his superb organizational skills. "Though very much a part of the Lakewood community, he never denied, nor was embarrassed about his YU associations. For many years I would help arrange for him to come to Yeshiva to sell his seforim."
Rabbi Mordechai Zeitz, Rabbi of Congregation Beth Tikvah in Montreal remembered his classmate as a serious learner, but always friendly and approachable. "Next thing I knew, I was reading his seforim explaining Hilkhot Shabbat and Eruvin." Another classmate, Rabbi Gerald Blidstein, occupant of the Miriam Martha Hubert Chair in Jewish Law at Ben Gurion University, characterized Rabbi Eider as an honest person who understood that there were no short-cuts to knowledge, except for hard work and diligence. "I remember the mimeographed pamphlets he wrote on dinei eruv -- very plain, proclaiming: here is true content -- everything else is glitter."
Rabbi Daniel Alter, head of school at the Denver Academy of Torah (DAT) and Rabbi of the DAT minyan, met Rabbi Eider when he consulted on the Denver //eruv." He was a kind and gentle man, who left a positive impression on everyone he met. In our interactions together, due to the nature of our //eruv work, we would often come in contact with all types of people, observant, non-observant, Jewish, and not Jewish. He was able to explain //eruvin issues clearly and sensitively to all those involved. He was extremely accessible. We would call him often from Denver with //sh'aylot, and he always made himself available and was extremely responsive."
//Yehi //zichro //baruch.
//Rabbi Elly Krimsky is Assistant Director of The Morris and Gertrude Bienenfeld Department of Jewish Career Development and Placement at RIETS//