YESHAYA (SHIYE) GEZUNTHAYT

YESHAYA (SHIYE) GEZUNTHAYT (d. September 1943)

            He was the only Jewish astronomer in Poland and among the very few who gave lectures and wrote in Yiddish on astronomy.  He studied in Vilna.  As a student (1927-1928), he served as secretary of the Society for Settling Jews on the Land in the Vilna region (“Viltor”).  In 1932 he graduated from the philosophy faculty of Vilna University with a specialization in physics, mathematics, and astronomy.  He worked as a teacher in the Vilna commercial school “Komercium.”  In May 1938 he received his doctorate of philosophy and astronomy.  His doctoral thesis on dying stars was published by the Polish society, “Friends of Vilna University.”  While still a student, he published articles on problems in physics and astronomy in Vilner tog (Vilna day), in Vokhnshrift (Weekly writings) in Warsaw, and in the Polish press.  From 1934, using the pseudonym Sh. San, he published regular weekly articles on scientific subjects in Prese (Press) and Undzer shtime (Our voice) in Warsaw (1934-1936); together with Dr. Y. Gordon and Arn Mark, he edited the monthly Etyudn (Studies) in Vilna, for which he was also one of the most active contributors; and he also wrote under the pen name Sh. San and A. Ber.  He lived under Nazi rule in the Vilna ghetto.  He organized a chemical factory with the Jewish council, which manufactured shoe polish, vitamins, soap, syrup, and similar items.  At that time he also wrote scholarly works on public life after the war.  He was a member of a scientific circle in the ghetto and gave lectures there.  During the liquidation of the Vilna ghetto (September 1943), he concealed himself with his wife and child in a hide-out.  They were later cleared out during an organized pogrom in the ghetto, discovered by the Germans, and shot in Ponar.

Sources: Vilne, a zamlbukh gevidmet der shtot vilne (Vilna, an anthology dedicated to the city of Vilna), ed. Y. Yeshurin (New York, 1935); “Di promotsye fun a yidishn dr. filozof” (Promotion of a Jewish doctor of philosophy), Tsayt (Vilna) (May 19, 1938); Sh. Katsherginski, Khurbn vilne (The Holocaust in Vilna) (New York, 1947); Dr. M. Dvorzhetski (Mark Dvorzetsky), Yerusholayim delite in kamf un umkum (The Jerusalem of Lithuania in struggle and death) (Paris, 1948).

Zaynvl Diamant and Leyzer Ran